To obtain a license to perform attorney activities one has to undergo three stages, which include an internship in order to get the necessary skills, certification and obtainment of a license itself.

Undergo an internship to perform attorney activities.

A person willing to undergo an internship to get a license to perform attorney activities applies to the presidium of the bar association with an application in any form for admission to the internship.

The following documents are enclosed to an application for admission to the internship:

• a copy of an ID document of a citizen of the Republic of Kazakhstan;
• copy of diploma of higher legal education (a notarized copy in case of failure to submit the original copy of diploma for verification);
• personal background drawn up in one`s own hand;
• employment record book or other document certifying length of employment related to law;
• statements issued by narcological and neuropsychiatric dispensaries at the place of residence of a person who expressed a desire to undergo an internship;
• certificate of no criminal record;
• 2 photos (3х4 cm);
• personnel record sheet.

An internship arrangement is carried out by the Presidium of the Bar Association pursuant to the Regulations on the internship procedure for attorney interns. Thus, an internship takes place under the guidance of an attorney who has at least 5 years of experience. Length of training takes from 6 months to one year.

Training is carried out on a paid basis and amount and terms of payment are indicated in a contract. 

From May 22, 2023, to December 31, 2025, a pilot project is being implemented in all regions, cities of republican significance, and the capital of the Republic of Kazakhstan to conduct certification in an automated mode. The project is based on the operator responsible for the technical support of testing procedures and the uninterrupted operation of the unified automated database (Joint Order of the Minister of Justice of the Republic of Kazakhstan as of May 26, 2023, No. 344, and the Acting Minister of Digital Development, Innovation and Aerospace Industry of the Republic of Kazakhstan as of May 27, 2023, No. 115/NK “On the implementation of a pilot project for the provision of public services by the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Kazakhstan for the certification of persons applying for the right to engage in professional activities and for the awarding of qualifications in an automated mode”).

From the date the documents are submitted for review, the service recipient’s documents for admission to the certification are considered by the commission within five (5) calendar days.

An individual applying for the right to practice as a lawyer or notary public shall specify the location and the language of the certification (Kazakh or Russian) when submitting an application.

The certification consists of two stages:

1. comprehensive computer-based test verifying knowledge of the legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan and psychological readiness to practice law;
2. practical task where an applicant needs to analyze a case circumstances using the necessary sources.

The decision of the commission on an applicant being attested or not attested is made on the day of certification.

The period for admission to a repeated certification, in case the results are below the established threshold, is up to thirty calendar days.

The public service delivery result is issued in electronic form, certified with digital signature of an authorized representative of the service provider, and sent to the service recipient’s personal account as an electronic document.

The decision of the Commission on the completion of the certification is valid for six years from the date of its issuance, in accordance with paragraph 10 of Article 40 of the Law.

In accordance with the Laws “On Notaries” and “On Advocacy and Legal Assistance”, a license may be denied on the grounds provided for in Article 32 of the Law “On Permits and Notifications”.

The following individuals are exempt from certification:

1. persons who have passed the qualification exam in the Qualification Commission under the Supreme Judicial Council of the Republic of Kazakhstan, successfully completed an internship in court and received a positive response from the plenary session of the regional or equivalent court;
2. persons who have terminated the powers of a judge on the grounds provided for in the subclauses 1), 2), 3), 9), 10) and 12) Clause 1 of the Article 34 of the Constitutional Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan "On the Judicial System and the Status of Judges of the Republic of Kazakhstan";
3. persons dismissed from the prosecutor's office and investigation bodies, if they have at least ten years of work experience as a prosecutor or investigator, with the exception of those dismissed for negative reasons.

Get an online license to practice law via e-Licensing Portal.

Obtainment of a license to perform notary activities is also carried out in 3 stages: internship, certification and obtainment of a license itself.

Undergo an internship to perform notary activities.

To undergo an internship for the right to perform notary activities, it is necessary to conclude an internship agreement with the Notary Chamber.

The purpose of the internship is acquisition of professional knowledge and practical skills by a trainee in performing notary actions and organizing the work of a public notary. The internship program for a public notary implies the possession of both theoretical and practical skills. The program duration is at least one year.

The internship is carried out based on the Unified Program for professional training of interns. Upon completion of an internship, a public notary draws up a statement describing an intern progress in execution of the training program. The statement is approved within 10 working days by the Notary Chamber. If an intern does not fully master the training program, he/she is given additional time.

The internship of public notaries is provided on a paid basis. According to the Rules of payment for internship by public notary interns, the amount of payment does not exceed 10 MCI monthly.

From May 22, 2023, to December 31, 2025, a pilot project is being implemented in all regions, cities of republican significance, and the capital of the Republic of Kazakhstan to conduct certification in an automated mode. The project is based on the operator responsible for the technical support of testing procedures and the uninterrupted operation of the unified automated database (Joint Order of the Minister of Justice of the Republic of Kazakhstan as of May 26, 2023, No. 344, and the Acting Minister of Digital Development, Innovation and Aerospace Industry of the Republic of Kazakhstan as of May 27, 2023, No. 115/NK “On the implementation of a pilot project for the provision of public services by the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Kazakhstan for the certification of persons applying for the right to engage in professional activities and for the awarding of qualifications in an automated mode”).

From the date the documents are submitted for review, the service recipient’s documents for admission to the certification are considered by the commission within five (5) calendar days.

An individual applying for the right to practice as a lawyer or notary public shall specify the location and the language of the certification (Kazakh or Russian) when submitting an application.

The certification consists of two stages:

1. comprehensive computer-based test verifying knowledge of the legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan and psychological readiness to practice law;
2. practical task where an applicant needs to analyze a case circumstances using the necessary sources.

The decision of the commission on an applicant being attested or not attested is made on the day of certification.

The period for admission to a repeated certification, in case the results are below the established threshold, is up to thirty calendar days.

The public service delivery result is issued in electronic form, certified with digital signature of an authorized representative of the service provider, and sent to the service recipient’s personal account as an electronic document.

The decision of the Commission on the completion of the certification is valid for six years from the date of its issuance, in accordance with paragraph 10 of Article 40 of the Law.

In accordance with the Laws “On Notaries” and “On Advocacy and Legal Assistance”, a license may be denied on the grounds provided for in Article 32 of the Law “On Permits and Notifications”.

Pursuant to the Law "On Notaries", persons who have passed qualification examinations in the Qualification Board of Justice of the Republic of Kazakhstan or in the Qualification Commission under the Supreme Judicial Council of the Republic of Kazakhstan, permanent judges and persons who have worked as permanent judges, with the exception of judges dismissed from the post of judge for defamatory offences and violation of legitimacy when exercising authorities, and also individuals, who have an employment record as public notaries have the right to obtain a license to carry out notary activities without undergoing certification.

When obtaining a license, it should be taken into account that according to Article 21 of the Law "On Notaries", the territory of activity of a private notary within a notary district is determined by the justice local body along with the notary chamber and it is not allowed to place premises outside a certain territory.

• Get an online license to engage in notary activities via the e-Licensing Portal.

The procedure for termination of a license to practice law is established by the laws of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Besides the general grounds provided for by the laws of the Republic of Kazakhstan, a license to practice law is suspended for the period of:

1. employment for civil service;
2. fulfillment of authorities of Deputy in Parliament of the RoK/ Deputy in Maslikhat on permanent or full-time basis, which are paid out of budget funds;
3. undergoing urgent military service by an attorney;
4. termination of activities by an attorney upon submission of application to the bar council.

License is terminated for a certain period in the following cases:

1. commencement of proceedings related to withdrawal of license to perform attorney activities (until a decision is made);
2.  conviction of attorney as accused for crime pursuant to the criminal law (until sentence comes into legal force);
3. violation of advanced training terms for more than 30 calendar days or refusal to undergo training (until elimination of reasons but no more than 3 months);
4. regular (3 and more times within a year) delivery of government-guaranteed legal assistance that does not comply with quality criteria for delivery of government-guaranteed legal assistance (for 6 months);
5. regular (3 and more times within a year) violation of requirements stipulated by the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan "On countermeasures against legalization (laundering) of revenues obtained through crime and intended for financing of terrorism" (for 6 months):
6. an attorney performs not only professional but also entrepreneurial or other paid activities, except cases if an attorney is included into supervisory board of commercial organization or elected/assigned as  arbitrator for dispute settlement, and also performs teaching, scientific or other creative activities (for 6 months).

The termination of the license to practice law is carried out by a licensor's decision based on a statement by justice local bodies of regions, cities of republican significance, the capital and petition of the Republican and territorial bar associations.

The termination of a public notary's license is carried out under the decision of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Kazakhstan on the basis of statements by justice local bodies, notary chambers, prosecutor's offices.

The notary's license is terminated for up to six months in the following cases:

1. initiation of action proceeding to withdraw license to perform public notary activities;
2. preparation by a prosecutor of an indictment against a public notary in a criminal case;

Footnote. Subclause 2) as amended by the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan as of December 27, 2021 No. 88-VII (effective from January 1, 2022 in relation to cases of particularly serious crimes investigated by investigators of the internal affairs bodies, the anti-corruption service and the Economic Investigation Service, including those connected with cases of other criminal offenses; from January 1, 2023 in in relation to cases of corruption crimes provided for in clause 29) of Article 3 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan, including those connected with cases of other criminal offenses; from January 1, 2024 in relation to cases of other criminal offenses completed in the form of a preliminary investigation).

     2-1. approval by a prosecutor of a prosecution minutes, the minutes of the accelerated pre-trial investigation, the minutes on criminal misconduct and the decision to send the criminal case to court under the relevant article (articles) of the criminal law, the end of the pre-trial investigation by concluding a procedural agreement in the manner provided for by part four of Article 617 of the Criminal Procedure Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan;

3. failure by a public notary to inform a justice local body within a month on a change of surname, name, patronymic (if any);
4. violation by a public notary of the territory of activity defined to him/her in accordance with the Law;
5. violation by a public notary of the legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan when performing notary actions that resulted in violation of the rights and legitimate interests of the state, individuals and legal entities;
6. actual absence of a public notary's premises at the address indicated in a public notary's notification on the commencement of notary activities;
7. failure of a public notary to comply with the requirements of clause 4 of Article 15 of the Law;
8. non-compliance with the restrictions provided for in articles 19 and 46 of the Law;
9. if a public notary has not started to practice notary activities after three months from the date of notification on the commencement of notary activities;
10. failure by a public notary to comply with the requirements of subclause 11) of clause 1 of Article 18 of the Law.

Besides the general grounds provided for by the laws of the Republic of Kazakhstan, a notary`s license is suspended for the period of:

1. engaging in entrepreneurial or other paid activities, with the exception of cases provided for by the laws of the Republic of Kazakhstan;
2. undergoing of military service;
3. failure by a public notary to perform his/her powers on the basis of his/her application, which specifies the period of suspension.

     The suspension of a public notary's license entails a ban on notary activities and the delivery of a seal by a public notary to a justice local body for the period of suspension.