Illegal issuance of IINs to foreigners uncovered in Kazakhstan

Tengrinews.kz – A scheme for the illegal issuance of Individual Identification Numbers (IINs) to foreign citizens has been uncovered in Kazakhstan.

Earlier, reports surfaced on social media that IINs obtained by Russian citizens in violation of Kazakh law were being revoked.

In response, Tengrinews.kz sent an official request to the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The ministry confirmed that during inspection activities, cases of illegal issuance of IINs to foreigners were identified, including through the use of forged documents. As a result of these violations, such IINs were removed from the national registry.

The Ministry reminded that the issuance of IINs to foreign nationals and stateless persons is permitted only through in-person application within the territory of Kazakhstan.

“The previous practice of submitting applications through representatives led to the emergence of paid intermediary services and online offers to obtain IINs without entering the country,” the ministry’s press service reported.

They added that each revoked IIN is subject to an individual investigation:

“Foreign citizens whose IINs have been removed from the registry should contact the Almaty City Police Department to clarify the circumstances under which their IIN was obtained and to provide explanations as part of the investigation.”

A criminal case has been initiated in connection with document forgery. The Ministry is also investigating potential violations in the field of digital infrastructure that may have enabled the illegal issuance of IINs.

“The Ministry of Internal Affairs is finalizing the development of a digital solution for issuing IINs using biometric identification and automated verification of document authenticity and border crossing data. This will eliminate intermediaries and minimize human error,” the ministry assured.

According to official data, this year, IINs were issued to 9,000 Russian citizens in Kazakhstan. Currently, 87,000 citizens of the neighboring country hold permanent residence permits in Kazakhstan.