Kazakhstan: notarial and documentary services guide
Documents, certificates, letters and notes available at the British Embassy Astana (formerly Nur-Sultan).
Appointments for notarial and document services are limited to once a week (Tuesdays only). If you think you have an urgent need for a notarial service, please contact +7 7172 556 200.
Overview
The British Embassy Astana can provide a range of notarial and documentary services for British nationals in Kazakhstan.
Where local notaries can provide services, the consular section of the British Embassy Astana will not provide them. In many cases UK notary public and local notaries or lawyers in Kazakhstan can sometimes provide these services more conveniently, quickly and cheaply than the British Embassy.
Access to Embassy is by appointment only. Use the booking links in each service to make an appointment. Before booking, make sure you have selected the correct service and that the document will be accepted by the relevant authority. This could be the local town hall, registry office, tax authorities, immigration office or another authority either in Kazakhstan, the UK or a third country.
Services we provide in Kazakhstan
Consular staff in Kazakhstan can:
- administer an oath, affirmation or affidavit
- witness a signature
- make a certified copy of a document
- unite documents
- prepare a document in English or the local language
The British embassy will provide these services for private individuals only where there is a direct connection to the UK and where we assess that we have competence to perform the service. We reserve the right to decline services where these conditions are not met.
For information about documents relating to marriage, such as a certificate of no impediment (CNI) and affirmations or affidavits of marital status, see getting married abroad.
If you can’t find the service you are looking for on this page, see other services provided by the British Embassy Astana
What to bring to your appointment
See the individual services below for details of supporting documents to bring. Make sure you have acceptable proof of address and identity, and payment for any fees. See the full list of the consular fees.
Payment
We accept payment by Visa, Mastercard or cash in the local currency (Tenge). Please note that consular fees are not refundable. Refunds of consular fees are not given for certificates or notarial services that are not accepted by the requesting authority.
Proof of address and identity
For all appointments for notarial services you will need to bring acceptable proof of your identity and address. We accept passports as proof of identity.
We accept confirmation of registration with the Migration Service, local residency card, renting contract, hotel reservations or employer’s letter as proof of your address.
Administer an oath, affirmation or affidavit
This service is for people who need to swear an oath, make an affirmation or make an affidavit in front of a consular officer.
The consular section will not draft documents for you. First check with the consular section what format they need and then have the document drawn up or checked by a professional.
This service is not provided for commercial cases and applies only to individuals (not companies). Please note that the document should be written or printed on both sides of the paper and with no blank sheets and contents are to be divided into numbered paragraphs. If the document consists of several pages there will be a further fee for uniting. We can only deal with documents in English.
What you will need to bring with you
- the oath, affirmation or affidavit that you will swear or affirm
- the correct fee – see the list of fees and payment options
- proof of identity/address – see what we will accept as proof
Only in certain circumstances the consular section may be able to administer an oath or affirmation. Before booking an appointment please e-mail us a scan of the document in question to ensure that we can perform this service.
Book an appointment to administer an oath, affirmation or affidavit in Astana
Unite documents
This service joins documents together using ribbon and a seal and is usually only needed for legal reasons.
What you will need to bring with you
- the documents to be united
- the correct fee – see the list of fees and payment options
- proof of identity/address – see what we will accept as proof
Book an appointment to unite documents in Astana
You will be required to email us copies of your documents before a reservation can be confirmed.
Witness a signature
This service is for customers who need to sign a document and have their signature witnessed by a consular officer. The document must be prepared before your appointment. We do not handle wills or probate, or witness deed polls or powers of attorney.
Please do not sign the document before your appointment.
This service is not provided for commercial cases and applies only to individuals (not companies). Please note that the document should be written or printed on both sides. If the document consists of several pages there will be a further fee for uniting.
What you will need to bring with you:
- the document that you will sign before a witness
- proof of identity/address – see what we will accept as proof
- the correct fee – see list of fees and payment options
Book an appointment to witness a signature in Astana
You will be required to email us copies of your documents before a reservation can be confirmed.
Make a certified copy of a document
The Consular Section of the British embassy can provide certified copies of the following documents:
- British passport
- British driving licence
- British divorce decrees
- UK educational document (only those that have been issued in the UK by a recognised institution and are listed on the Legalisation Office website). This service is provided at the discretion of consular staff and we can refuse to provide it
The embassy is not able to provide certified copies of the following:
- British marriage, birth and death certificates. You need to register on the General Register Office (GRO) website to get a copy of a birth, death or marriage certificate in England and Wales. Please read how to order a copy of Birth/Death/Marriage certificate.
- foreign identity documents
Please note that if you would like a certified copy so that it can be legalised in the UK, you will need to get a copy certified by a UK notary public or solicitor.
What you will need to bring with you:
- the document to be copied
- proof of identity/address – see what we will accept as proof
- the correct fee – see the list of fees and payment options
Book an appointment to make a certified copy in Astana
Prepare a document in English or the local language
In a limited number of cases consular staff can write a statement of fact (‘preparing a certificate’) to help British nationals with various local authorities. The wording must be cleared with the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office in London, which means these documents will take longer to prepare.
We can only provide this service if we have proof that the wording/content you require is correct and unambiguous. This service is provided at the discretion of consular staff and we can refuse to provide it. Please contact the consular section of the British Embassy Astana before making an appointment. We can prepare these documents in English or in the local language. Please ensure you select the correct service and note the difference in fees.
What you will need to bring with you:
- original written evidence to support your request for a letter from the Embassy
- the correct fee – see the list of fees and payment options
- proof of identity/address – see what we will accept as proof
Book an appointment to prepare a document in English in Astana
Book an appointment to prepare a document in another language in Astana
Services provided elsewhere
- legalising UK documents/certificates: Legalisation Office
- information on marriage in the UK: GOV.UK
- certify your fingerprints: Metropolitan Police UK
- pension certificates: Department for Work & Pensions
- taxation and UK national insurance contributions certificates: HMRC
- renew British driving licences or provide certificates regarding British driving licences: DVLA
- certificates confirming British nationality: UK Border Agency
- pension certificates: DWP
- provide good conduct certificates: CRB
- certificates proving you are not British: UK Border Agency
- renunciation, naturalisation or registration as a British citizen: UK Border Agency
- criminal record checks: ACRO Criminal Records Office
Data protection
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) holds and uses data for purposes notified to the Information Commissioner under the Data Protection Act 1998. Such personal data may be disclosed to other UK government departments and public authorities.
Disclaimer
This information is provided as a general guide and is based upon information provided to the embassy by the relevant authorities and may be subject to change at any time with little or no notice. Accordingly the FCDO and the British embassy will not be liable for any inaccuracies in this information. For all notarial and legalisation services it is the responsibility of the customer to ascertain the precise requirements of the person requesting the notarial or legalisation service and to satisfy themselves that the service provided by the embassy will be accepted.
Last updated 5 June 2020 + show all updates
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British Embassy Nur-Sultan opens appointments for notarial and document services once a week
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Update to notarial and document services offered in light of coronavirus (COVID-19).
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Updated December 2017
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First published.