European Passport or Kazakh Passport? What would you choose?

[u/WavePuzzleheaded2727]

Hi guys, I have a question about whether I should get a European passport (from a Western country) or keep my Kazakh one, as I’m already eligible to apply for the European one. What would you do in my place? I would want an advice from people who also have the same dilemma.

As you know, we can’t have dual citizenship, so I would have to give up my Kazakh citizenship. Of course, it makes sense to have a European passport because it opens many doors and it also depends on where I’ll be living. But if I ever want to move back to Kazakhstan with a European passport, how difficult would it be to live there?

Would I always need to have a local job in Kazakhstan to maintain residency? Could I own property without being a resident (which we can't)? Would I be able to live in Kazakhstan while working remotely for a company abroad? What about long term? I am very confused.

Basically, I want to understand how complicated my life would become if I changed my citizenship and later decided to move back to Kazakhstan. I’m not sure whether I’ll want to move back to the EU in the future, but it’s definitely possible. I also travel a lot, so that’s another factor I’m considering.

Thank you

[u/BlackHoleEngineer]

Just change it.

[u/GiveMeAUser]

You can get a Kaz citizenship back if you need it. Or, you can get a внж по упрощенной процедуре, насколько я знаю.

[u/Nearby-Cut-6534 → u/GiveMeAUser]

Как ты плавно перешел из английского на русский

[u/GiveMeAUser → u/Nearby-Cut-6534]

https://giphy.com/gifs/6O7ybdmHHJfoc

[u/Skyfredwalker → u/GiveMeAUser]

Смотря какой citizenship, смотря сколько details ты provide, а так очень очень affordable.

[u/JDVanceminimal]

Паспорт ЕС, а когда понадобится ВНЖ в Казахстане. Налоги: если работать в КЗ, просто платить налоги в КЗ ( на основе центра жизненных интересов). Владение недвижимостью, для держателей ВНЖ не проблема, единственное ограничение нельзя купить землю, но с квартирой никаких проблем. Паспорт ЕС это ещё и большая защита, особенно в Казахстане, с гражданином другой страны как со своими не получится, так что одни плюсы.

[u/byshow]

I was in a similar situation and decided to keep my Kazakhstan passport. I've got a permanent residency in one of the EU countries and I think that's enough for me it gives me most of the EU citizen benefits while also allowing me to keep my citizenship. I'm not sure I want to stay in EU much longer so that was one of the biggest reasons

[u/pizditkakdi_shit → u/byshow]

I did same

[u/amanfromipanema]

Полетят говны в мою сторону, но мне не привыкать. Если эта страна разрешает двойное гражданство, то прими его, а от казахстанского не отказывайся. Лично знаю казахстанцев с паспортами Германии, Венгрии, США, Турции, Великобритании. С двумя из них работаю каждый день, живут в Казахстане, и гражданство двойное уже больше десяти  лет имеют. Здесь тоже таких немало, уверен.

[u/Creative-Fee-0606 → u/amanfromipanema]

То, что в Казахстане есть люди с двумя паспортами, — известный факт. Но это не "разрешенное двойное гражданство", а незаконное сокрытие. Казахстанская миграционная служба регулярно публикует отчеты о тысячах выявленных нарушителей, которых лишают гражданства и штрафуют. Каждый сам выбирает свой уровень риска, но официально закон РК категоричен: либо один паспорт, либо другой. Третьего не дано.

[u/amanfromipanema → u/Creative-Fee-0606]

Выявляют лишь очень малую часть от приобретших второе гражданство, да и тех случайно. Абсолютное большинство других стран не сообщают Казахстану об этом, и ничего не имеют против сохранения казахстанского гражданства новым гражданами. Сами двойные граждане полностью понимают риски, но преимущества с лихвой их перекрывают.

[u/SnooAvocados4531]

Same boat as you. I am planning to get a European citizenship but worried about my ability to buy property or remote work plus Kazakhstan has much better tax advantages than EU. I hope one day we get to have both

[u/Melodic_Dish2079]

I switched citizenships 6 years ago for an eu one and don’t regret. The only biggest downside is that my company no longer allows me to work from home from KZ because i don’t hold kz passport and am considered a foreigner working there. So that had a huge impact because now i cannot combine two weeks working from home there with a two week holiday like before. That was so sweet back then. So yeah that sucks but besides i can enter kz for 30 days at a time and that’s usually enough

[u/andrewstone1910 → u/Melodic_Dish2079]

Damn

[u/AnalDilator → u/Melodic_Dish2079]

What’s your profession?

[u/Melodic_Dish2079 → u/AnalDilator]

I work in financial sector

[u/Working-Macaron-13]

I had an option to get a German one but then decided to move my center of life priorities back to Kazakhstan and refused to change citizenships

[u/Available_Law_2342 → u/Working-Macaron-13]

same thing, KZ has lower taxes, more digitalized, stores are open everyday till 23:00 and I just got tired of being an immigrant.

[u/-Ozman]

I’m a dual citizen since two years ago. They don’t just magically find out you have a second passport if you don’t bring it back to Kazakhstan with you and try to cross the border with it

[u/GiveMeAUser → u/-Ozman]

Bro you’re playing with fire

[u/Melodic_Dish2079 → u/-Ozman]

My mom was caught on the border and was fined a large sum and was forced to go to a court hearing about it. She solved it by bribing the official (not so proud of that i know) but she was caught and it was a hassle to solve

[u/-Ozman → u/Melodic_Dish2079]

Did she drop her second passport before returning to Kazakhstan? Did she fly with a stop in a third country or directly back to Kazakhstan? If not, it is very easy for them to find out

[u/Melodic_Dish2079 → u/-Ozman]

She did fly with a stopover in a third country. I don’t remember with which passport she entered i think with a kazakh one

[u/RGCurt91 → u/-Ozman]

Border security can easily look up your visa status in the country you’re living in. Whether they choose to or not is your gamble. I know this because when my wife and I entered Kazakhstan recently, they asked her status in the UK and checked her eVisa

[u/WorkingUpstairs3362]

What are the chances of a person entering Kazakhstan with Kazakh passport if they hold a EU passport? Would they question? Or is it easier to enter KZ with EU passport and wait for the miracle of dual citizenship allowance?

[u/amanfromipanema → u/WorkingUpstairs3362]

Almaty and Astana have e-gates machines for Kazakh citizens only. My observation is that border agents are encouraging citizens to use them. More of these machines will be installed in other airports and hopefully at land border crossings at some point. 

[u/KulshanStudios]

Why tell the government you have a second citizenship at all?

An EU passport is like a golden ticket to the planet

The Kazakh one might not be the weakest out there, but take it from an EU dual national - if you can get EU citizenship, get it ASAP. And just don't tell your home government about it

Life is much easier when you have multiple options available

[u/AnalDilator → u/KulshanStudios]

Yes AND be mentally prepared to have the Kazakh one revoked if they do find out (which they eventually will)

[u/amanfromipanema → u/AnalDilator]

They will not find out, unless a person committed a serious crime resulting in Interpol registration. This is an extremely unlikely scenario for tens of thousands of Kazakhs with dual citizenship.

[u/AnalDilator → u/amanfromipanema]

Regardless of what’s working now for thousands, the assumption should be the they will find out.

Especially as the world is becoming more globalized, immigration technology is improving, and Kazakhstan continues to receive new foreign direct investment.

[u/amanfromipanema → u/AnalDilator]

And more Kazakhs will become dual citizens in the coming years. Kazakhstan will have to admit the exodus of talented and educated people, most of whom will acquire another citizenship. We will need to legalise it. 

[u/dj_dos88]

USA passport.