Legality of eSignatures in Kazakhstan

Background

Electronic signatures have rapidly remodeled and transformed the document authentication landscape in Kazakhstan and globally. This shift from paper-based handwritten signatures to electronic digital electrical signatures accelerates the completion of various dealings through efficient and environmentally conscious processes. With Kazakhstan’s rapidly growing economy, electrical signature service providers have the mandate to adhere to legal stipulations for efficient adoption in Kazakhstan.

Users should select an electrical signature platform that meets Kazakhstan’s legal standards, especially the digital code of the Republic of Kazakhstan No. 255-VIII RKZ, dated January 9, 2026. The digital code provides that electronic digital signatures have the same legal validity as their handwritten counterparts, provided they meet the legal requirements standards. Despite the progressive acceptance, it’s essential to recognize that some documents may require a paper-based handwritten signature; thus, seeking legal advice is crucial to navigate variable regional laws.

Security is also vital. The selected electronic signature service must provide robust security features, like data encryption, user authentication, and audit trails, to protect against unauthorized access and maintain document integrity. Services like BoldSign offer these imperative security features and comply with legal and security protocols.

Although electronic signatures are advantageous and widely accepted, adherence to legal regulations, ensuring security, and choosing an easy-to-use service are essential for successful deployment in Kazakhstan.

Definition of an electronic digital signature in Kazakhstan

An electronic digital signature is a digital record (set of digital data) generated through a sequence of digital symbols intended for creating an electronic digital signature and specialized electronic digital signature tools (private key), ensuring the authenticity of an electronic document, confirming its ownership, and guaranteeing the immutability of its content.

Forms of electronic signatures

An electronic signature encompasses a variety of digital forms attached to an electronic document or procedure. These forms can be:

• Using app login credentials to give permissions
• Signing with a stylus or finger on a touchscreen device
• Entering a name into an email as a form of signing off
• Confirming agreement on a web page with a click post-verification
• Adding a digitized image of a handwritten signature
• Employing a spoken command to serve as an oral consent

Overview of electrical signature laws in Kazakhstan

The legal framework for electronic signatures in Kazakhstan is primarily governed by:

• Digital Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan No. 255-VIII RKZ, dated January 9, 2026.
• Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan, dated January 7, 2003 No. 370-II; About electronic documents and electronic digital signatures.
• Civil Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan’s electronic digital signature laws ensure clarity, enforceability, and digital sovereignty, reducing ambiguity while strengthening trust in national systems. Its uniqueness lies in combining simplicity with strong legal protection, positioning Kazakhstan as a distinctive case in global digital governance.

The Digital Code No. 255-VIII RKZ provides that a document signed by a legal entity is subject to certification with a seal, an electronic document certified by an electronic digital signature of an employee of the legal entity who has the right to sign such a document in accordance with the legislation of the republic of Kazakhstan shall be recognized as equivalent to a document on paper signed by hand and certified with a seal¹.

Kazakhstan’s law only recognizes an electronic digital signature. An electronic digital signature is equivalent to a handwritten signature of the signatory, provided that the following conditions are met simultaneously²:

• When the person signing the electronic document legally possesses the private key of the electronic digital signature.
• When the authenticity of an electronic digital signature is verified using a public key with a public key certificate of an electronic digital signature.
• When the electronic digital signature is used in accordance with the information specified in the public key certificate of the electronic digital signature.
• A public key certificate of an electronic digital signature shall have equal legal force when issued by a certification center accredited in the Republic of Kazakhstan or a foreign certification center registered with a trusted third party in the Republic of Kazakhstan.

The private key of an electronic digital signature is a sequence of electronic digital symbols (digital data) intended for creating an electronic digital signature using electronic digital signature tools³.

The Public key of an electronic digital signature is a sequence of electronic digital symbols (digital data) accessible to any person and intended to confirm the authenticity of an electronic digital signature.

Certification of electronic digital signatures

A certification authority is a legal entity established per the laws of Kazakhstan that certifies the authenticity of the electronic digital signatures by verifying its ownership and validity⁴. One of the certification centers is the National Certification Authority of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Apart from certification centers, a specialized certification center is an authorized department of a state body of the Republic of Kazakhstan that certifies the correspondence of the public key of an electronic digital signature to the private key of an electronic digital signature and carries out activities related to the use of information constituting state secrets.

Recognition of foreign electronic digital signatures

Electronic digital signature shall have equal legal force when issued by a certification center accredited in the Republic of Kazakhstan or a foreign certification center registered with a trusted third party in the Republic of Kazakhstan⁵.

Trusted third party of the Republic of Kazakhstan is a digital system that⁶:

• Performs authentication of a foreign electronic digital signature.
• Performs authentication of an electronic digital signature issued in the territory of Kazakhstan within the framework of cross-border interaction.

The authorized body also approves the rules for registration and termination of the interaction of certification centers, trusted third parties of foreign states with trusted third parties of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

The scope and limitations of electronic signature transactions

The use of electronic signatures for concluding transactions is not uniformly recognized as legally valid. As a result, certain types of transactions and applications are appropriate for electronic signatures, while others are not.

Documents that can be signed

Electronic signatures can be used to affix signatures and provide countersignatures on an array of documents, such as:

• Commercial contracts
• Corporate documents and contracts
• Financial documents
• Government and administrative documents
• Invoices
• Human resource documents
• Non-disclosure agreements
• Insurance industry
• Educational field
• Software license agreements

Exempted documents

The regulatory framework in Kazakhstan does not explicitly specify the types of transactions that are not permissible to be finalized with electronic signatures. Nevertheless, it is advisable to exercise prudence when engaging in transactions such as:

• Family law documents such as divorce, marriage, and adoption documents
• Wills and inheritance documents
• Real estate transactions such as sales, mortgages, and transfers of property rights
• Certain court filings where notarization or physical presence is required

Summary analysis

To ensure the legitimacy of an electronic signature, it is advised to follow these best practices while also fulfilling all pertinent legal requirements:

• Authenticate the signatory’s identity and, in commercial transactions, verify their authority to act on behalf of the company in signing the document.
• Secure clear approval from the individual providing the signature, which should be documented within the contract or an associated legal document, to confirm their acceptance of using the specified electronic signature for the document.
• Protect the document from any changes after applying the electronic signature.
• Keep a comprehensive log of the signing process, capturing each step the individual signing performs.

How does BoldSign help

The following elements of compliance available within BoldSign can be used to comply with Kazakhstan’s electrical signature laws:

• Secure and unique signing link: A secure and unique link to sign a document is sent directly to the signer's email address. This ensures that the document is only accessed by the intended signer and cannot be tampered with.
• Password protection: Senders can specify a password that needs to be entered before viewing and signing a document. This adds another layer of security to the signing process.
• Audit trail: The IP address of the signer and timestamps for all significant events in the signing process are recorded in an audit trail. This provides a record of who signed the document, when, and where.
• Digital signature: The final document is digitally signed with an AATL-compliant certificate. This ensures that the document cannot be tampered with without invalidating the signature.
• Consent: Signers are asked to confirm their intent to sign electronically and informed that they could opt out. This ensures that the signer is aware of the implications of signing electronically and has given their consent.
• Custom terms: Get your signers to agree to a custom set of terms. This can be useful to ensure additional security or that the signer understands the terms of the document.

Disclaimer: The information on this page is intended to help businesses understand the legal framework of electronic signatures for this particular country.

However, Syncfusion’s officers, directors, stockholders, affiliates, attorneys, accountants, employees, or agents cannot provide legal advice. You should consult your personal attorney regarding your specific legal questions. Laws and regulations are subject to frequent changes, and the information may not be current or accurate. To the maximum extent permitted by law, Syncfusion provides this material on an “as-is” basis. Syncfusion disclaims and makes no representation or warranty of any kind with respect to this material, express, implied, or statutory, including representations, guarantees, warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or accuracy.

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