REGULATORY LICENSING \u00b7 KAZAKHSTAN<\/p>\n
LICENSING \u00b7 KAZAKHSTAN \u00b7 ARCHITECTURE<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0CONSTRUCTION<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0EPC<\/a><\/p>\n Design organisation licences, engineering surveys, State Expert Examination, and author’s supervision obligations under Kazakhstan law.<\/p>\n Kazakhstan separates the regulated design function from construction activity. An architectural or engineering design organisation must hold its own licence before it may prepare project documentation for submission, and it remains legally responsible for that documentation throughout the construction cycle \u2014 including an obligation to supervise the works against the approved design. This article sets out the licensing framework, qualification requirements, and procedural steps relevant to both domestic and foreign design firms operating in Kazakhstan. Architectural Design Licensing in Kazakhstan.<\/p>\n Architectural and design activity in Kazakhstan is regulated primarily by the Law on Architectural, Urban Planning and Construction Activity (No. 242-V of 16 July 2001, as amended) and the Law on Permits and Notifications (No. 202-V of 16 May 2014). The detailed list of licensed sub-activities and the qualification criteria for design organisations are set out in subordinate regulations issued by the Ministry of Industry and Infrastructure Development. Urban planning norms, construction rules, and technical regulations applicable to project documentation are adopted by the same ministry and updated periodically; compliance is verified at the State Expert Examination stage.<\/p>\n The licensing framework distinguishes three principal sub-activities within the broader architectural and design field, each of which requires a separate authorisation:<\/p>\n Licensed design sub-activities<\/p>\n Architectural design<\/strong> \u2014 preparation of architectural and structural sections of project documentation for buildings and structures of all functional types and responsibility levels. This sub-activity covers concept design, detailed design, and working documentation.<\/p>\n Engineering surveys<\/strong> \u2014 geological, hydrogeological, geodetic, ecological, and seismic surveys required to establish site conditions before and during design work. Survey results form a mandatory input to project documentation submitted for State Expert Examination.<\/p>\n Urban planning activity<\/strong> \u2014 preparation of urban planning documentation, master plans, detailed planning schemes, and territorial planning documents. This sub-activity is typically relevant to municipal authorities and major development project sponsors rather than individual design firms.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n A single licence may cover multiple sub-activities provided the applicant demonstrates the required qualified personnel and technical capacity for each. EPC contractors who wish to perform design work in-house must obtain a design licence separately from their construction licence; the two are not interchangeable.<\/p>\n As with construction licences, design licences are issued in categories that correspond to the complexity and responsibility level of the facilities for which the design organisation may prepare documentation. Category I authorises work on facilities of all responsibility levels, including technically complex, unique, and critical infrastructure projects. Category II covers facilities of second and third responsibility levels, while Category III is limited to low-complexity structures. A design firm must hold a licence of the appropriate category for the project it is engaged on; underqualified design activity is a regulatory violation regardless of whether the resulting documentation appears technically adequate.<\/p>\n The minimum staffing requirement for a design licence is the presence of qualified specialists holding state attestation certificates in the relevant design disciplines. Attestation is issued by the Ministry of Industry and Infrastructure Development to individual professionals who satisfy prescribed educational and experience criteria. For Category I licences, the required number of attested specialists is higher and must include professionals with demonstrated experience on technically complex projects. In addition to attested personnel, the design organisation must have an established quality management system and technical resources appropriate to the scope of work covered by the licence. Foreign design firms operating through a local entity must ensure that their Kazakhstan-based attested specialists are identified in the licence application; reliance on foreign specialists based outside Kazakhstan does not satisfy the local staffing requirement.<\/p>\n Applications for design licences are submitted electronically through the government e-services portal. The standard processing period is 15 business days from the date the competent authority receives a complete application package. The document package includes the applicant’s certificate of state registration, details of attested qualified specialists, confirmation of premises and technical resources, and, where applicable, evidence of professional liability insurance. For lower-complexity notification-based sub-activities, the licence is deemed issued upon submission without a substantive review period; higher-complexity categories are subject to formal regulatory approval before the licence takes effect. Bond Stone advises design firms to allow four to eight weeks for preparation of the full application package, in particular for the identification and engagement of attested personnel where the firm does not yet have a local team in place.<\/p>\n Project documentation prepared by the design organisation must pass the State Expert Examination before a construction permit can be issued. The examination is an integrated technical, legal, and cost review conducted by the designated state expert body. It covers all sections of the project documentation \u2014 architectural and structural, fire safety, engineering systems, environmental compliance, and cost estimate \u2014 against applicable technical regulations, construction norms, and sanitary standards. For facilities above established cost or complexity thresholds, the examination is mandatory and cannot be waived by agreement of the parties.<\/p>\n Key examination parameters<\/p>\n Standard review period:<\/strong> 30 working days from acceptance of a complete documentation package.<\/p>\n Complex facilities:<\/strong> Up to 60 working days for technically complex, unique, or particularly hazardous facilities.<\/p>\n Outcome:<\/strong> A positive expert conclusion is a prerequisite for construction permit issuance. A negative conclusion must be addressed by the design organisation and the documentation resubmitted; additional review fees and time apply.<\/p>\n Responsibility:<\/strong> The design organisation bears primary regulatory and civil liability for errors and omissions in project documentation that are not identified at the examination stage but cause harm or delay during construction.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Where the project involves a potentially significant environmental impact, an environmental impact assessment must be completed and its conclusions integrated into the project documentation before the State Expert Examination is submitted. Bond Stone coordinates both the environmental and technical examination processes for clients on major infrastructure and industrial projects.<\/p>\n The design organisation’s responsibility does not end with the positive expert conclusion. Kazakhstan law imposes a statutory obligation on the design organisation to perform author’s supervision throughout the construction period. This obligation operates independently of the parties’ contractual arrangements and cannot be fully delegated or waived. In practice, author’s supervision involves periodic site visits by the design organisation’s representatives, review of construction works against the approved documentation, approval of any deviations or design changes, sign-off on hidden works before they are covered, and maintenance of a dedicated author’s supervision journal. Where changes to approved project documentation become necessary during construction, the design organisation must prepare and submit amendment documentation for review, and, for material changes, a further State Expert Examination may be required before the amended works may proceed.<\/p>\n Foreign architectural and engineering firms wishing to perform design work in Kazakhstan face a structured entry decision. The options are direct licensing \u2014 where the foreign entity applies for and holds a Kazakhstan design licence in its own name \u2014 or indirect participation through a locally incorporated entity (TOO\/LLC or branch). Direct licensing requires the foreign firm to demonstrate Kazakhstan-attested specialists in its application, which in practice means recruiting or seconding licensed professionals locally. Indirect participation through a local subsidiary is more common for firms entering the market for the first time, as it allows the local entity to build a licensed team while the parent firm provides technical resources and oversight.<\/p>\n Mutual recognition arrangements with certain CIS states allow qualified specialists from those jurisdictions to satisfy Kazakhstan’s attestation requirements through a simplified procedure rather than full re-examination. For specialists holding qualifications from outside the CIS, full attestation through the Ministry of Industry and Infrastructure Development is required. Foreign architects and engineers should allow three to six months for the attestation process and should not assume that international professional registration \u2014 including RIBA, AIA, or European equivalents \u2014 confers any rights to practice in Kazakhstan without local validation.<\/p>\n Before detailed architectural design work begins on a major project, the developer typically obtains an architectural identity document \u2014 a planning permission that establishes the permitted parameters for development on the specific site, including height, footprint, setbacks, permitted uses, and urban planning requirements. This document is issued by the local urban planning authority and provides the mandatory baseline within which the design organisation must work. Designs that deviate from the parameters set out in the architectural identity document will not pass State Expert Examination and cannot form the basis for a construction permit application. For large-scale mixed-use or industrial development, a detailed planning scheme for the relevant zone may need to be amended before the architectural identity document can be issued, adding a preliminary public consultation and approval stage to the project timeline.<\/p>\n Performing design activity without the required licence or in excess of a licence’s scope is an administrative violation under the Code of Administrative Offences of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Sanctions include administrative fines on both the organisation and its responsible officers, suspension of operations, and invalidation of project documentation prepared in violation of the licensing requirement. Where unlicensed design work results in harm during construction or operation of the facility, the design organisation may face civil liability claims from the developer, contractor, and third parties. Project documentation prepared by an unlicensed organisation is inadmissible for State Expert Examination and will not support a valid construction permit; this creates a practical risk of project delay that can significantly exceed the cost of proper licensing at the outset.<\/p>\n Yes. Any organisation preparing architectural project documentation or performing engineering surveys for construction projects in Kazakhstan must hold a valid design licence. Foreign design firms may obtain this licence directly or operate through a locally incorporated entity. Operating without a licence renders the project documentation inadmissible for State Expert Examination.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The State Expert Examination reviews complete project documentation \u2014 architectural, structural, engineering systems, fire safety, environmental, and cost estimate sections \u2014 for compliance with technical regulations, construction norms, sanitary standards, and urban planning requirements. For projects above established thresholds, the examination is mandatory before a construction permit can be issued. Standard review takes 30 working days; complex facilities up to 60 working days.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The design organisation must monitor compliance with the approved design throughout construction, verify and sign off on hidden works before they are covered, approve any deviations, and maintain a site supervision journal. This obligation exists under statute independently of the parties’ contracts and cannot be fully contracted out.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The statutory processing period is 15 business days from submission of a complete application. In practice, preparation of documentation \u2014 including confirmation of attested specialists, premises, and technical resources \u2014 typically takes four to eight weeks. Applications are submitted through the government e-services portal.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n No. Design and construction are separate licensed sub-activities in Kazakhstan. An EPC contractor must either hold a separate design licence, engage a licensed design subcontractor, or establish a separately licensed design entity. This is a common structuring issue for international EPC contractors and should be addressed before project mobilisation.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Bond Stone has advised design organisations, EPC contractors, and international architectural practices on licensing and regulatory compliance in Kazakhstan since 2007. Client confidentiality is maintained across all matters.<\/p>\n Design Licence \u2014 Chinese EPC Contractor<\/p>\n LICENSING \u00b7 KAZAKHSTAN \u00b7 EPC<\/p>\n Advising a Chinese EPC contractor on the design licence requirement for a major industrial facility \u2014 structuring a compliant design subcontract with a licensed Kazakhstani design organisation and managing State Expert Examination timelines.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Architectural Identity Documents \u2014 Mixed-use Development<\/p>\n LICENSING \u00b7 KAZAKHSTAN \u00b7 REAL ESTATE<\/p>\n Advising a Gulf-based developer on the architectural identity document requirement and akimat approval procedure for a mixed-use development in Almaty \u2014 coordinating between the licensed design firm and local regulatory authorities.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Author’s Supervision Dispute \u2014 Infrastructure Project<\/p>\n LICENSING \u00b7 KAZAKHSTAN \u00b7 INFRASTRUCTURE<\/p>\n Acting for a foreign design firm in a dispute over scope and fees for author’s supervision services on a state-funded infrastructure project \u2014 analysis of statutory obligations under the Architecture Law and the design contract, and preparation of a claim.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Foreign Design Firm \u2014 Market Entry Structure<\/p>\n LICENSING \u00b7 KAZAKHSTAN \u00b7 CORPORATE<\/p>\n Advising a European architectural practice on market entry into Kazakhstan \u2014 analysis of licensing pathways, comparison of branch versus subsidiary structures, and design of a joint venture arrangement with a locally licensed design organisation.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n State Expert Examination \u2014 Energy Facility<\/p>\n LICENSING \u00b7 KAZAKHSTAN \u00b7 ENERGY<\/p>\n Advising the developer of a renewable energy facility on the State Expert Examination process for project documentation \u2014 scope of mandatory review, timeline, deficiency response procedure, and liaison with the authorised expert organisation.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Design Organisation Licence \u2014 Technology Park<\/p>\n LICENSING \u00b7 KAZAKHSTAN \u00b7 TECHNOLOGY<\/p>\n Assisting a newly established design organisation in obtaining a first-category design licence for a technology park project \u2014 qualification assessment, specialist attestation, documentation preparation, and e-services submission.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Why Bond Stone<\/p>\n \u2726 18+ years advising international businesses on regulatory licensing in Kazakhstan<\/p>\n \u2726 Trilingual documentation \u2014 Kazakh, Russian, and English<\/p>\n \u2726 Ranked Legal 500 EMEA and IFLR1000 \u2014 Almaty and Astana offices<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Primary authority: adilet.zan.kz<\/p>\n Contact Bond Stone for a confidential discussion about architectural design licensing in Kazakhstan.<\/p>\n Construction Licensing in Kazakhstan \u2192<\/a> Request a Confidential Consultation \u2192<\/a> REGULATORY LICENSING \u00b7 KAZAKHSTAN LICENSING \u00b7 KAZAKHSTAN \u00b7 ARCHITECTURE\u00a0\u00a0\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0CONSTRUCTION\u00a0\u00a0\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0EPC Design organisation licences, engineering surveys, State Expert Examination, and author’s supervision obligations under Kazakhstan law. Kazakhstan separates the regulated design function from construction activity. An architectural or engineering design organisation must hold its own licence before it may prepare project documentation for submission, and it remains […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-5095","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"translation":{"provider":"WPGlobus","version":"3.0.5","language":"ru","enabled_languages":["en","ru"],"languages":{"en":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"ru":{"title":false,"content":false,"excerpt":false}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bondstonelaw.com\/ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5095","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bondstonelaw.com\/ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bondstonelaw.com\/ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bondstonelaw.com\/ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bondstonelaw.com\/ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5095"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/bondstonelaw.com\/ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5095\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5097,"href":"https:\/\/bondstonelaw.com\/ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5095\/revisions\/5097"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bondstonelaw.com\/ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5095"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Legal Framework<\/h2>\n
Activities That Require a Design Licence<\/h2>\n
Licence Categories and Complexity Levels<\/h2>\n
Qualification and Staffing Requirements<\/h2>\n
Licensing Procedure<\/h2>\n
State Expert Examination of Project Documentation<\/h2>\n
Author’s Supervision<\/h2>\n
Foreign Design Firms and International Architects<\/h2>\n
Urban Planning Approvals and Architectural Identity Documents<\/h2>\n
Sanctions for Unlicensed Design Activity<\/h2>\n
Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\n
Does a foreign architectural or design firm need a Kazakhstan licence?<\/h3>\n
What is covered by the State Expert Examination of project documentation?<\/h3>\n
What is the author’s supervision obligation?<\/h3>\n
How long does it take to obtain an architectural design licence?<\/h3>\n
Can an EPC contractor perform design work under its construction licence?<\/h3>\n
Experience<\/h2>\n
\nDiscuss your Kazakhstan licensing matter<\/h2>\n
Related Guides<\/h2>\n
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\nRegulatory Licensing in Kazakhstan \u2192<\/a>
\nReal Estate & Construction Law in Kazakhstan \u2192<\/a>
\nCorporate Law in Kazakhstan \u2192<\/a>
\nForeign Investment in Kazakhstan \u2192<\/a><\/p>\n
\n\u2190 Regulatory Licensing Hub<\/a>
\nConstruction Licensing \u2192<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"