Cost of notary services: what the tariff is made up of

People usually come to this question once a transaction is already planned: selling a flat or a house, registering a car, preparing a power of attorney, a will, or entering into an inheritance. At this stage it is important to understand what parts make up the notary's bill and why the final amount changes from one situation to another. Without a sense of the structure of the tariff, it is hard to plan expenses and compare offers.

The article explains how the cost of notary services is formed for the sale and purchase of real estate and a car, for powers of attorney, wills, inheritance cases, maintenance agreements, a marriage contract, gift agreements and certification of documents. It also touches separately on situations involving a challenge to a will and inheritance disputes. For each item it sets out what exactly affects the size of the tariff and the fee for the notary's work.

What the cost of notary services is made up of: the general logic of the tariff

The notarial tariff in Kazakhstan is not a single sum for any matter. The amount of the fee is set by regulation and depends on the type of act: for a state notary it is the state duty at the rates of the Tax Code, for a private notary — the rates approved by the Ministry of Justice and in force from 1 January 2026. The proportion of the parts depends on the type of notarial act. The amounts are set by law separately for each notarial act.

The act itself, the drafting of the document and the consultation are paid for separately. If you bring a ready draft, you pay for the certification of the document and the verification of the lawfulness of its content. If the notary drafts it, that is a separate service with its own set rate. A consultation on the law of the Republic of Kazakhstan is paid for separately, even if the transaction does not go ahead.

• fee for the notarial act: for a state notary — the state duty, for a private notary — the rate approved by the Ministry of Justice
• fee for drafting the document
• fee for a consultation on the law of the Republic of Kazakhstan
• payment for additional acts: enquiries, requesting documents, sending information
• the difference between certifying a ready draft and the notary drawing up the document

Cost of notary services for the sale and purchase of a flat and a house

The tariff is not made up only of the certification of the transaction. Notarial certification of a contract for the disposal of real estate in Kazakhstan is as a general rule not mandatory: the law requires a written form and state registration of the right in the Legal Cadastre, and a notarial form is needed only if a legislative act prescribes it or the parties have agreed on it (Art. 154 of the Civil Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan). So people mostly go to a notary voluntarily — to have the documents checked and reduce the risk of a dispute, and the fee is formed under the same rules.

The structure of the tariff also includes the drafting of the contract. The notary checks the seller's title documents: the basis on which the right arose, information from the Legal Cadastre, the absence of encumbrances and prohibitions. In the sale and purchase of a house, the rights to the land plot and the compliance of the buildings with the recorded data are checked.

• fee for the certification of a contract for the disposal of real estate
• drafting of the contract and technical preparation of the document
• verification of the seller's title documents and information from the Legal Cadastre
• obtaining spousal consent, guardianship authority permits and other documents
• certification of consent or a power of attorney, if required for the transaction
• preparation and issuance of copies of the contract to each party

Cost of notary services for the purchase and sale of a car

A notarial form of the car purchase and sale contract is required to re-register the car at a special Public Service Centre: since 2024, a contract in simple written form is not accepted there, and without a notary the transaction can only be completed online — through second-tier bank applications. People also go to a notary for verification: the seller's legal capacity, ownership of the car, and absence of encumbrances. For the buyer, this reduces the risk of the transaction being challenged.

The fee is set by regulation: for a state notary it is the state duty at the rates of the Tax Code, for a private notary it is the rate approved by the Ministry of Justice. The final amount is affected by the composition of the parties (close relatives, other individuals, a legal entity), the number of participants and the need for a visit, so the calculation is always individual.

• composition of the parties: close relatives, other individuals or a legal entity
• the number of parties to the transaction and the presence of shared ownership
• the need for the consent of a spouse or another person
• the scope of the legal due diligence: pledges, arrests, prohibitions
• preparation of the draft contract and other documents
• the notary's visit to the location of the parties or the car

Cost of notary services for powers of attorney for a car and documents

The tariff depends on the type of power of attorney: a power of attorney to dispose of property and a power of attorney for motor vehicles are paid at different rates established by law. The final amount is affected by the scope of powers and the number of attorneys: these determine how long it takes to draft the text and verify the powers.

The scope of work is affected by the number of attorneys and the list of powers: a power of attorney for several persons requires more text and more checks. There are no open-ended powers of attorney in Kazakhstan — the term cannot exceed three years, and if it is not specified, the power of attorney is valid for one year from the date of issue (Art. 168 of the Civil Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan). Certification of the accuracy of copies of attached documents is also taken into account, and for a power of attorney to obtain documents — the number of authorities.

• A one-off power of attorney — for a single transaction or a single action.
• A special power of attorney — for several similar actions (for example, obtaining and submitting documents).
• A general power of attorney — for all powers related to the car.
• By the number of attorneys: one, several.
• By term: up to three years, or without specifying a term — then the power of attorney is valid for one year (Art. 168 of the Civil Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan).
• By scope: to obtain documents, to complete paperwork, to sell.

The rates are established by the legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan by type of power of attorney; the scope of powers and the number of representatives affect the amount of the notary's work.

Cost of notary services for a will

The cost of notary services for a will consists of separate actions, each paid for separately. Drafting the text — preparing the document taking into account the testator's wishes and the composition of the property. Certification — verifying the testator's legal capacity, explaining the consequences and making a certification inscription on the will. One copy of the certified will remains in the notary's files.

The amount is affected by how it is drafted: with a ready text, the notary's workload is smaller than when drafting from scratch. Including specific property, such as an apartment, requires describing and verifying title documents. A secret will or a will with conditions requires additional procedures: a secret will is handed to the notary in a sealed envelope in the presence of two witnesses (Article 1051 of the Civil Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan).

• drafting the text of the will from scratch or from the testator's draft
• describing and verifying documents for the property included in the will
• certification of the will by a notary
• issuing a duplicate or an additional copy if necessary

The notary's tariff almost never comes down to a single figure: the client pays for the notarial act at the rate set for it, and its scope depends on the complexity of the document and the number of participants.

Cost of notary services when entering into inheritance

The cost of notary services when entering into inheritance is determined by the rates established by regulation for each notarial act. The fee for the act itself is set by law at a fixed amount for each certificate of right to inheritance issued and does not depend on the value of the property or on the degree of kinship, so the question of how much it costs to enter into inheritance is decided on the facts of the particular case — by the scope of work and the number of certificates.

The cost of an inheritance file is built up in stages: opening the inheritance file, accepting and verifying documents, establishing the circle of heirs, issuing the certificate of right to inheritance. The fee is calculated for each certificate issued, and certificates are issued separately by composition of property and for each heir — an apartment, a house, a land plot, a vehicle, money in an account. The more certificates and heirs there are, the higher the total cost of arranging the inheritance.

• opening the inheritance file and registering the application
• verifying facts and requesting documents from state databases
• determining the composition of the inherited property and its valuation
• calculating the fee by the number of certificates of right to inheritance issued
• preparing and issuing the certificate of right to inheritance
• certifying agreements on the division of the inheritance between the heirs

The rates are set by regulation: for a state notary this is a state duty, for a private notary — the rates approved by the Ministry of Justice.

Cost of notary services for renunciation of inheritance and for handling an inheritance file under a power of attorney

Renunciation of inheritance and a power of attorney to handle an inheritance file are separate notarial acts that are not included in the fee for the certificate of right to inheritance and are paid separately. The cost of renunciation depends on how the application is submitted — in person or through a representative — and on the volume of documents, and is determined by the rate established for this type of act.

The price of a power of attorney is determined by the scope of authority, the number of objects and authorities the representative will approach, as well as verification of the principal's legal capacity and preparation of the text. The cost of opening an inheritance file depends on the place of opening and the composition of the estate; where a share is renounced, the notary checks whether the renunciation affects the interests of other persons, and the fee for a power of attorney to enter into inheritance depends on whether documents need to be obtained from the Legal Cadastre or from a securities registrar.

• the circle of persons in whose favour the renunciation of inheritance is made
• the scope of authority transferred under the power of attorney
• the need to request additional documents
• the number of objects in the estate
• the term of the power of attorney and substitution
• the manner of submitting the application — in person or by post

Cost of notary services for maintenance agreements and division of property

Notarial certification of a maintenance agreement and of an agreement on division of property are different notarial acts, and the fee is calculated separately. In the first case the notary verifies the voluntary nature of the parties' will and that the terms meet the interests of the child; in the second, the lawfulness of the regime of joint property of the spouses. The final cost depends on the volume of the notary's work — the complexity of the terms and the composition of the property — and not on the number of persons who signed the agreement.

The amount of the fee for the notarial act itself is set by law and does not depend on the amount of maintenance. What changes is the volume of work: a fixed sum, a share of income or a combination of money and property provision require different verification of terms and a different volume of text. That is why a preliminary calculation is made before the visit.

• the method of calculating maintenance: a fixed sum, a share of income or a mixed option
• the period for which the agreement is concluded and the procedure for changing the amount of payments
• the composition and value of the property to be divided, including shares and contributions
• the need to value individual items to determine their value
• the number of copies of the agreement and the volume of the notary's technical work
• the existence of a dispute between the parties requiring further verification of the terms

Cost of a notary's services for a marriage contract

The notarial tariff for a marriage contract consists of two actions: drafting the document and certifying the agreement. If the draft is brought ready-made, only certification is paid for; if the notary drafts the text, drafting is added to the tariff.

Drafting means preparing the text for a specific situation: the property regime, the treatment of income, the allocation of obligations. Certification means verifying that the terms are lawful, explaining the consequences and registering the action in the register of notarial actions. The price of drafting and the price of certification are calculated separately.

The cost of drafting is higher for a complex document: several items of property, a mixed ownership regime, clauses on debts. The wider the list of matters covered, the longer the text and the longer the legal analysis, so the cost is determined individually.

• the regime of separate or joint ownership of property;
• the procedure for forming and using joint income;
• the allocation of obligations and debts between the spouses;
• the fate of property acquired before or during the marriage;
• the procedure for bearing family expenses;
• terms in the event of divorce that do not contradict the law.

Cost of a notary's services for gifting an apartment and a house

The notary's tariff for certifying a contract of gift of immovable property consists of several parts. The law does not establish a mandatory notarial form for a contract of gift of immovable property: a written form and registration of the transfer of title in the Legal Cadastre are sufficient. People go to a notary voluntarily — to rule out disputes over the validity of the transaction, and if a minor or a person under guardianship is a party to the transaction, permission from the guardianship and trusteeship authority is additionally required.

The second part is drafting the document: the notary describes the item according to the Legal Cadastre data, determines the shares, the terms of transfer of title and the procedure for handing over the keys. Verification of documents includes checking the title documents, information on encumbrances, arrests and prohibitions on disposal, establishing the identity of the parties and their legal capacity; where a minor is involved, the consent of the guardianship authority is ascertained.

• the status of the item: apartment, residential house, share in the right
• the parties involved: legal capacity, minors, guardianship
• title documents and Legal Cadastre data
• the existence of encumbrances, arrests, prohibitions on disposal
• the need to draft the document and explain the consequences of the transaction

Cost of a notary's services for certifying copies, signatures and translations

Certifying the conformity of copies and the authenticity of signatures are the most common notarial actions. The fee is based on the volume of work: the number of pages, the number of copies, the type of document and what is required — a copy, a signature or a translation. The notary certifies the conformity of a translation himself only if he knows the relevant languages; otherwise the authenticity of the translator's signature is certified (Art. 80 of the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan on Notarial Activity). The notary does not set the price himself: the amount of the fee for each notarial action is established by regulation — for a state notary it is a state duty, for a private notary the rates are approved by the Ministry of Justice.

A distinction is made between certifying the conformity of a copy (Art. 76 of the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan on Notarial Activity) and certifying the authenticity of a signature (Art. 79). The conformity of a copy is certified by comparing the copy with the original, and the fee is calculated per page. When certifying a signature, the notary establishes the identity of the signatory and checks his authority; the fee is calculated per person, not per sheet.

• the number of pages of the document whose copy is being certified
• number of copies to be issued
• type of act: copy, signature, consent or power of attorney
• the need to establish identity and verify the authority of the signatory
• the volume of documents the notary must review before performing the act

Cost of notary services in will contests and inheritance disputes

A will contest in Kazakhstan is heard by a court, not a notary. The notary tariff does not apply to such proceedings: the notary certifies the will, while its validity is examined in civil proceedings. Therefore, the question of the cost of contesting a will comes down to the composition of court costs and the scope of the representative's work.

The value of the inheritance does not feature in the notary's tariff: for the issuance of a certificate of the right to inheritance, the fee is set by law at a fixed amount for each certificate issued. In an inheritance dispute, the financial interest affects the state duty on the claim and the scope of evidence, but not the notary tariff.

• collection and analysis of title documents for the inherited property
• preparation of a statement of claim or objections to a claim, collection of evidence
• participation in court hearings, including appeal and cassation
• where necessary — handwriting or psychiatric examination
• work with the valuation of property and calculation of the state duty
• support in enforcement of the judgment and formalisation of inheritance rights