More than 22,000 people acquired Kazakh citizenship last year. Of these, 20,000 became citizens of the country under the simplified procedure. 17,500 applicants were Kandas people. This was reported at a briefing at the Ministry of Internal Affairs. According to the relevant ministry, about 20,000 people apply to the competent authorities for obtaining a Kazakh passport annually. Such an opportunity was given to more than one million people over the years of independence. Dual citizenship is not allowed in Kazakhstan, the Ministry notes. For concealment of this fact, a fine of up to 200 monthly calculation indices (MCI) or expulsion from the country is stipulated.
“This year, to prevent cases of dual citizenship, legislative amendments are planned to upgrade the penalties for the deliberate concealment of other citizenship. Former citizens of Kazakhstan who have moved to another country and got another citizenship are required to apply to a consular office of Kazakhstan within 30 days to register the loss of citizenship,” said Shugyla Turlybek, Spokesperson for the Kazakh Ministry of Internal Affairs.
