Kazakhstan will introduce mandatory certification for practising private bailiffs from 1 January 2027. They will be assessed every three years, and failing a second time will be grounds for revoking their licence.
Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov outlined the changes in a response to a parliamentary question, reported by inbusiness.kz and Zakon.kz. Both reports cite the same response.
In a separate explanation reported by Informburo.kz, Zarina Utepova, deputy chair of the Ministry of Justice’s Enforcement Committee, said certification would begin in January 2027 and take place every three years. She also said failure to pass a repeat assessment or refusal to attend would be grounds for licence revocation.
What happened
Practising private bailiffs will have to demonstrate their knowledge of the law and their ability to apply it in practice. Failure to attend a certification assessment without a valid reason will also be grounds for revoking a licence under the procedure established by law.
Licensing oversight is also being tightened. Additional grounds for suspending licences have already been added to the legislation. Private bailiffs are required to review formal notices from regional justice authorities and address identified violations.
If an inspection uncovers violations, the regional justice authority may require them to be corrected within ten working days. Failure to comply may lead to consideration of whether to suspend the licence. The deadline passing does not, in itself, trigger an automatic suspension.
What this means
The changes concern oversight of how private bailiffs enforce court rulings and take steps to recover debts. Their knowledge will be assessed regularly, while notices requiring them to correct violations will carry a specific deadline.
The government expects certification, licensing oversight and digital monitoring to improve accountability and the enforcement of court rulings. These are the intended outcomes of the measures.
How violations will be tracked
Bailiffs’ work is currently monitored through the Automated Information System of Enforcement Authorities, known as AIS OIP. Tools already introduced into the system track whether bailiffs take the compulsory enforcement measures required by law and act on time.
The next planned stage is proactive monitoring. The system is intended to identify signs of violations automatically, track whether they are corrected and compile information on inspections and measures taken. This functionality is described as being developed, while mandatory certification is due to begin on 1 January 2027.
