German national visa D from Kazakhstan

National visas in Kazakhstan are handled by the embassy in Astana and the consulate general in Almaty, and since 2025 part of the categories go through the TLScontact visa centre. Here is which district you belong to, which booking channel to use and what the document set looks like.

Updated: September 17, 2026

A national visa D covers stays in Germany longer than 90 days: employment, the EU Blue Card, the Chancenkarte, studies, family reunification, self-employment. It is not a Schengen visa: the document set is built for one specific category, and the decision is taken by the mission together with the authorities in Germany. Below is how applying in Kazakhstan works.

Who applies where

Two German missions accept national visas in Kazakhstan: the embassy in Astana and the consulate general in Almaty. You apply to the one in whose consular district you have your ordinary residence and centre of life (gewöhnlicher Aufenthalt) — not to the one that is more convenient or has earlier appointments.

The district follows the place where you actually live, not the address of your company or university. For TLS categories you may hand in the documents anywhere in Kazakhstan, but the decision is still taken by the mission of your district.

In the information sheets for all main categories, non-Kazakh nationals have a Kazakh residence permit or registration — original and copy as a separate item. Visa-free entry by itself does not open the door to a visa D application: flying in for a week to catch an appointment is not a workable plan. The missions do not spell out whether registration at a place of stay without a residence permit is enough, so it is worth clarifying that through the contact form before you book.

Step 1. Choose your category

Everything depends on the category: whether you file through the visa centre or directly at the mission, the document set, the fee and the processing time. The missions in Kazakhstan have a single Nationale Visa section; the information sheets (Merkblatt) there are not numbered with codes but grouped by topic. Find yours and work only from it — that is the list you print out and the order in which you arrange your documents.

The sheets are mostly in German. Translating them in the browser is fine, but check the list of documents against the German original: translations, and the sheets themselves, sometimes carry last year's figures.

Through TLScontact you file: university studies and Studienkolleg, looking for a study place, language courses, the Blaue Karte EU (§ 18g), employment of skilled workers (§ 18a/18b), researchers (§ 18d), professional drivers, vocational training (§ 16a Abs. 1) and au pair. Family members of applicants in these categories also go through TLS if they file in close connection with the main applicant — within 6 months.

Directly at the mission you file: recognition measures for qualifications, internships (Praktikum), self-employment and freelance work, the Chancenkarte, spouse and child reunification outside the TLS link, other family members (Härtefall), re-entry and late resettlers.

Step 2. Three application channels

Booking is free in every channel. The missions state plainly that in the field of national visas they do not work with intermediaries, agencies or "helpers", and they warn about fraud involving promised work in Germany.

TLScontact: the main route for skilled workers and students

Since 1 July 2025 the TLScontact visa centre has been operating in Astana and Almaty. You register on the site and book a slot — free of charge and open to everyone; at the appointment you hand in the documents and biometrics and pay the service fee; TLS forwards the application to the mission and later informs you that the passport is ready for collection. The visa centre has no influence on the decision — it works under the supervision of the mission. In the missions' own wording, TLS as a rule offers faster appointments.

RK-Termin: booking at the mission

All other categories book directly: Astana and Almaty. All visa sections admit by appointment only. Whether your section runs a waiting list or direct slot booking is not specified — see what the system shows you when you book.

Auslandsportal: online application

Through digital.diplo.de/visa the following are filed in Kazakhstan: the Chancenkarte, the Blaue Karte EU, employment (Arbeitsaufnahme), qualification analysis, vocational training, studies, and vocational preparation and further training. For most categories the portal is an option rather than an obligation; its advantage is that the mission checks completeness in advance and you arrive at the appointment prepared.

One exception is mandatory: the Chancenkarte, if you live in the district of the embassy in Astana, is filed only through Auslandsportal — that is stated directly in the information sheet. Non-Kazakh nationals need to upload the Kazakh residence permit or registration on the portal; if the portal does not explicitly ask for it, upload it under other documents.

Step 3. The Videx form

The form is filled in at videx-national.diplo.de, section langfristiger Aufenthalt. It is not the same form as for Schengen: the visa D has its own Videx.

• All fields are completed online, then the form is downloaded as a PDF and printed
• It is signed by hand
• It may be completed in German or English; some sheets — for the self-employed, for instance — require a form completed entirely in German
• Together with the form you sign the declaration under § 54 AufenthG (Belehrung) — it is listed in the checklists
• The place of birth is entered exactly as in your passport
• The missions publish filling instructions in Russian

Step 4. Documents and fees

The basic set is the same for every category:

• The information sheet for your category: print it from the website and arrange the documents in the order it gives
• The completed and signed Videx form plus the signed declaration under § 54 AufenthG
• Passport signed by the holder, with at least 3 blank pages, plus a copy of the data page
• Kazakh residence permit or registration: original and copy, for all non-Kazakh nationals
• Biometric photos: 2 pieces, 3.5 × 4.5 cm, no older than 6 months
• Health insurance: the original and a copy are brought when you collect the visa, after approval
• CV: in work and study categories
• The fee: in tenge only at the mission's exchange rate; in cash when filing at the mission

Every original needs a copy; if a document is stitched or bound, bring a separate unbound copy. Copies must be of high quality: printouts of low-resolution scans are not accepted. Foreign documents come with an official German translation, documents in English are accepted without translation, and passport pages are not translated. Kazakh documents need an apostille. An incomplete or illegible set drags out the processing.

Insurance is where people go wrong most often: a cheap travel or "incoming" policy technically exists but may provide no cover for a planned long-term stay, and that surfaces only once you are in Germany. You need a policy that covers the period from entry until statutory insurance takes effect — for example Expat health insurance from Feather.

The fee is accepted in tenge only at the mission's current rate, and in cash on the spot at the embassy and the consulate general. It is not refunded after a refusal. Additional TLS services (premium time slots, photos, copies, translations, notifications) cost extra and are optional.

Additional documents by category

EU Blue Card

You need the Erklärung zum Beschäftigungsverhältnis from the employer, two signed declarations under § 18 Abs. 2 Nr. 4a and § 82 Abs. 1 S. 6 AufenthG (both included in the sheet), a university degree with its transcript in original and copy, and proof of comparability via ANABIN or a Zeugnisbewertung from ZAB. The 2026 salary thresholds are €50,700 per year in the general case and €45,935 for shortage occupations and for graduates of the last three years. IT specialists without a degree need at least 3 years of comparable experience within the last 7 years; a regulated profession requires a Berufsausübungserlaubnis. Filed through TLS, fee €75 plus the service fee. More on the Blue Card page and in the salary threshold calculator.

Chancenkarte

Proof of funds — at least €1,091 per month, €13,092 for the year: a Sperrkonto in Germany, your own account or a formal declaration of commitment under §§ 66, 68 AufenthG. From the age of 45 you need either a salary from €4,648 per month (€55,770 per year) or confirmed pension provision. In addition: a motivation letter describing what exactly you are looking for and where you plan to live, a CV, a printout of the Self-Check result from make-it-in-germany.com, insurance for the whole visa period, and a language certificate — German A1 or English B2; according to the sheet, of the examination centres operating in Kazakhstan only the Goethe-Institut currently meets the requirements. Then there are two routes: a qualification fully recognised in Germany, or at least 6 points in the points system together with recognised vocational or higher education and a ZAB-Bescheinigung. Points are awarded for a qualification measure, a shortage occupation, work experience, language, age, previous stay in Germany and the partner's potential — count them in the points calculator; the conditions are covered on the Chancenkarte page.

Studies

You need a Zulassungsbescheid: admission to a university or a Studienkolleg. Proof of funds is €992 per month, €11,904 for the year; without admission, for looking for a study place, it is €1,091 per month, €13,092 for the year. If the studies last longer than a year, only the first year is proven at the time of filing. Accepted proof is a blocked account with a German bank, a formal declaration of commitment under §§ 66–68 AufenthG or a scholarship: a Kazakh bank account and a parental statement of financial support are explicitly not accepted. Then: school certificates and degrees with grades, a motivation letter written and signed by yourself (in English if the programme is English-taught), a CV, proof of language according to the programme's requirements (Goethe-Institut, TestDaF, DSH, IELTS, TOEFL), and for minors the signatures of all legal representatives plus notarised parental consent no older than 3 months. According to the missions' FAQ, processing usually takes at least 23 days.

Spouse reunification

Added to the basic set are the marriage certificate in original and copy (for previous marriages, divorce or death certificates), a copy of the passport or ID of the spouse in Germany and a Meldebescheinigung no older than 3 months, and an A1 certificate in German from an ALTE-certified provider — in Kazakhstan that means the Goethe-Institut and its partner language centres, and the certificate must be no older than one year at the time of filing. No language is required if the spouse in Germany holds an EU Blue Card, an ICT or Mobile ICT Card (§ 30 Abs. 1 S. 3 Nr. 5 AufenthG). The fee is €75, free when reuniting with a German citizen.

Check the two-year restriction as well: if the spouse in Germany holds a residence permit, has lived there for less than two years and the marriage was concluded after their entry, reunification before those two years are up is as a rule not possible; exceptions apply to the titles listed in § 30 Abs. 1 Nr. 3 AufenthG. If that is your case, write to the mission through the contact form before filing. More on the family reunification page.

Freelance and self-employment

The form is completed entirely in German. You need a description of the project: the company profile, a business plan, a business concept, a financial forecast and the jobs you plan to create; freelancers prepare a structured description of their activity with supporting evidence — letters of intent and contracts. If a company already exists, add the Handelsregister extract and the founding documents. Then: proof of funds, degrees and proof of qualification with a German translation, a CV, from the age of 45 proof of sufficient pension provision if the expected income is below the threshold in the sheet, and an offer of private health insurance. The missions advise contacting the Ausländerbehörde at your future place of residence before filing to clarify its requirements. Filed by RK-Termin appointment; processing as a rule takes longer than for employees, because authorities in Germany are involved. Conditions are on the freelance visa page.

The fast-track procedure under § 81a

Work categories can be accelerated sharply. The employer in Germany, or an authorised representative, obtains the Vorabzustimmung: the prior approval of the Ausländerbehörde under § 81a AufenthG. With that document the mission must give an appointment within three weeks and decide on the application within three weeks of filing; accompanying family members are filed at the same appointment.

The missions in Kazakhstan have no separate page on § 81a. The practical route is: obtain the Vorabzustimmung in original, book an appointment in your channel (TLS for skilled workers and the Blue Card), and if the earliest date does not fit into three weeks, write to the mission of your district through the contact form, attach the scan and clarify the filing channel in the same message. The procedure itself is described on Make it in Germany.

The German language requirement is easy to misread here: the general § 81a sheets list proof of German for the specialist, the spouse and children from 16, but the sheet is written for ordinary work visas (§ 18a, § 18b). For the Blue Card (§ 18g) no language is required either from the main applicant or from the spouse — the exemption is set out in § 30 Abs. 1 S. 3 Nr. 5 AufenthG.

Points to note for Russian citizens

Proof of residence is the main barrier. The sheets for all main categories list a Kazakh residence permit or registration for non-Kazakh nationals, and the mission is chosen strictly by district: if you live in Almaty that is the consulate general; in Astana or Karaganda, the embassy.

Apostille. Russian civil registry documents (marriage and birth certificates) and degrees must carry an apostille. Electronic apostilles with a QR code are often not accepted, because there is no way to verify them.

Translations. The mission's baseline requirement is an official German translation; documents in English are accepted without translation. But requirements are also set by the authority in Germany the documents go to next: the Ausländerbehörde and the Arbeitsagentur often accept only translations by sworn translators recognised in Germany.

Payment. Tenge only. Roubles, euros and dollars are not accepted.

Remonstration was abolished on 1 July 2025. A refusal can no longer be appealed by letter to the consulate: what remains is a new application with a stronger file, or the court route. Asylum cannot be requested through a mission — under the territoriality principle the application is only made on German soil. The "45 days for processing" rule from the European Commission recommendation of 30 March 2022 applies to Schengen visas and not to the visa D.

Filing and receiving the decision

The embassy in Astana is at Kosmonavtov St. 62, Chubary district; visa matters go only through the contact form. Filing is by appointment only; handing in missing documents and collecting passports happens on Wednesday and Friday, 11:00–12:00, without an appointment. The consulate general in Almaty is at Ivanilov St. 2; filing is by appointment, while handing in documents and collecting passports happens Monday to Thursday, 13:00–14:00, without an appointment, closed on Fridays and public holidays. TLScontact operates in Astana at Dostyk St. 18 (Moskva business centre, 5th floor) and in Almaty at Nazarbayev Ave. 187B (Star business centre, 4th floor), open for filing and collection Monday to Friday, 08:30–16:30.

At the appointment you bring everything in originals and copies in the order given in the sheet, and give biometrics — a photo and fingerprints, with personal attendance mandatory. At the mission the fee is paid on the spot in cash in tenge. The passport is returned at the end of the appointment: it stays with you for the whole processing period. If you apply as a family, each person needs a separate complete set. Documents may be requested additionally — you bring them during the walk-in hours, so check your email and spam folder.

The missions in Kazakhstan have no public collection list. If you filed at the mission, you are notified once the visa is approved, then bring your passport, the health insurance policy (original and copy) and the original payment receipt during the walk-in collection hours; the visa is normally issued on the working day after you hand in the passport. If you filed through TLS, you collect the passport at your TLS centre. An authorised person may collect the passport with a written power of attorney — notarisation is not required, and a template is available on the website. Status enquiries during processing are as a rule not answered.

The official processing time is up to three months, in some cases longer: according to the missions' FAQ, students usually wait at least 23 days and other categories at least 4 weeks. The visa D is normally issued for the first 90 days of the stay; after that it is exchanged for a residence permit at the Ausländerbehörde in Germany. With a visa D you may stay in other Schengen countries for up to 90 days in any 180.

Grounds for a Kazakh residence permit

Since proof of residence is the entry ticket to filing, these are the grounds on which Russian citizens usually legalise their stay in Kazakhstan. The Kazakh system has two levels: a temporary residence permit and a permanent residence permit with a foreigner's residence card. Both are processed through the migration service of the police, the public service centres (TsON) or the egov.kz portal.

• Employment: on the basis of an employment contract; as EAEU citizens, Russian nationals work without a work permit and obtain temporary residence for the term of the contract
• Studies: on the petition of a Kazakh educational institution
• Family reunification: with a relative permanently residing in Kazakhstan or with a Kazakh citizen
• Business immigration and investment: under separate grounds for entrepreneurs and investors
• Permanent residence: upon proof of solvency in the established manner, with exceptions, for instance for ethnic Kazakhs

Grounds, timelines and requirements change, so check the current rules on egov.kz and with the migration service before applying. Which document of residence will be accepted in your case is best clarified with the mission before you book.

Choosing the country of application is a separate task, and it is better solved before you move: filing outside Kazakhstan is sometimes faster and cheaper. We can go through your situation in a consultation; material on individual visas is collected in the guides section.

FAQ

Is there a visa centre for the visa D in Kazakhstan?

Yes. TLScontact in Astana and Almaty has handled national visas since 1 July 2025. It takes students, applicants looking for a study place, language course participants, skilled workers under § 18a/18b, the Blue Card, researchers, professional drivers, vocational training, au pairs and their family members if the latter file within 6 months of the main applicant. All other categories go directly to the embassy or the consulate general.

Where do I apply: Astana or Almaty?

Where you actually live. Astana and the northern regions belong to the embassy; Almaty, Shymkent and the south and west of the country belong to the consulate general. The full list of regions per district is above. For TLS categories you may hand in the documents at either centre, but the decision is taken by the mission of your district.

Can I apply if I live in Kazakhstan without a residence permit?

The sheets list a residence permit or registration as a separate item for non-Kazakh nationals. Without a document proving lawful residence, the chances that the application is accepted are low. Whether registration at a place of stay alone is enough is not spelled out on the missions' website — clarify it with your mission before booking.

How much does an appointment cost?

Nothing — neither at TLS nor in the missions' own system. You pay only the consular fee of €75 and, when filing through TLS, the service fee of €28.80, both in tenge. The missions warn explicitly that in the field of national visas they do not work with intermediaries or agencies.

Is the passport kept when I file?

No. The passport is returned at the end of the appointment and stays with you for the whole processing period. After approval you bring the passport and the insurance policy during the walk-in collection hours: Wednesday and Friday, 11:00–12:00 in Astana, and Monday to Thursday, 13:00–14:00 in Almaty. If you filed through TLS, you collect the passport at the visa centre.

How long does the decision take and what can I do after a refusal?

Officially up to three months, sometimes longer: students usually wait at least 23 days, other categories at least 4 weeks. Remonstration was abolished on 1 July 2025, so a refusal can no longer be appealed by letter to the consulate — what remains is a new application with a stronger set of documents, or the court route.

Applying from other countries