Kazakhstan Moves to Ease Citizenship Rules with Softer Language Test

Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Science and Higher Education has introduced a bill proposing to ease the requirements for obtaining or restoring Kazakhstani citizenship.

The bill, currently open for public discussion until July 25 on the government’s “Open NLA” portal, aims to simplify the process by lowering the language proficiency threshold and adjusting test requirements across other disciplines, The Caspian Post reports, citing local media.

According to the proposed amendments, citizenship applications may be denied if candidates fail to demonstrate basic knowledge of the state language, Kazakhstan’s Constitution, or national history, based on standards set by the ministry.

The most significant change in the bill is the reduction of the minimum passing score for the Kazakh language proficiency test from 36 to 15 points. In contrast, the constitutional knowledge threshold will increase from 9 to 20 points, while the history requirement remains at 15 points.

The ministry stated that the new scoring system is designed to balance the number of questions across subjects and reduce the overall passing score by 10 per cent, making the process more equitable without compromising content quality.

“These adjustments aim to standardize test structures and ease the process for applicants, especially those seeking reintegration,” the ministry noted in its statement. “At the same time, the changes will have no impact on national security and will not result in any adverse effects.”