FACTSHEET

Overview

On 3 June 2026, the Mazhilis, the lower chamber of Kazakhstan’s Parliament, approved in the first reading the draft law “On Amnesty in Connection with the Adoption of the New Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan” and accompanying legislative amendments.

The proposed legislation introduces the first large-scale administrative amnesty in Kazakhstan’s history and is directly linked to the adoption of the new Constitution in 2026 and the country’s broader programme of political and institutional reforms.

While Kazakhstan has periodically conducted criminal amnesties, administrative amnesty has never previously been applied, despite the legal possibility existing under the Code of Administrative Offences. The new initiative seeks to provide individuals who committed minor administrative offences with an opportunity to resolve outstanding liabilities and move forward.

The administrative amnesty will be conducted alongside a criminal amnesty, marking the first time both measures have been implemented simultaneously. Similar programmes aimed at reducing administrative penalties and outstanding fines have been used in various forms in several countries around the world.

Under the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan “On Amnesty in connection with the Adoption of the New Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan”
(Law No. 328-VIII of 1 July, 2026) the measures required to implement the amnesty will be carried out from 1 July to 31 December 2026.

Key Facts at a Glance

• First administrative amnesty in Kazakhstan’s history.
• Introduced in connection with the adoption of Kazakhstan’s new Constitution in 2026 and the country’s political and institutional reforms.
• Applies primarily to administrative fines.
• Expected to cover around one million fines administered through the Ministry of Internal Affairs system.
• No application from citizens will be required.
• Decisions will be processed automatically through digital government systems.
• Court-imposed fines and offences that threaten public safety, public health, or state interests are excluded.
• Conducted alongside a criminal amnesty that could affect approximately 16,500 individuals.

Why the Amnesty Is Being Introduced

• Responding to public demand for fairness: While Kazakhstan has periodically conducted criminal amnesties linked to major national milestones since independence, public discussion increasingly focused on whether similar leniency should also be extended to individuals who committed minor administrative offences.
• Recognising the lower severity of administrative offences: Administrative violations are generally less serious than criminal offences, yet unpaid fines may still lead to legal consequences, including penalty accrual, restrictions on financial transactions, and enforcement measures.
• Providing a fresh start: The amnesty offers individuals with outstanding administrative fines a one-time opportunity to regularise their situation and move forward without the burden of long-standing penalties.
• Supporting financially vulnerable citizens: The measure is intended to help resolve unpaid fines, particularly for individuals who may face difficulties in settling accumulated liabilities.
• Complementing existing incentives: The amnesty builds on Kazakhstan’s existing system, which already allows administrative fines to be paid at a 50 percent discount if settled within the prescribed early-payment period.
• Supporting Kazakhstan’s constitutional renewal: The amnesty is linked to the adoption of Kazakhstan’s new Constitution in 2026 and represents a practical expression of the principles underpinning the country’s new stage of constitutional development.
• Continuing a broader reform agenda: The initiative forms part of Kazakhstan’s wider efforts to modernise public institutions, strengthen the rule of law, and build a more responsive and citizen-centred system of governance.

Administrative Amnesty: Who Is Eligible

The administrative amnesty will be regulated under a new Article 889-1 of Kazakhstan’s Code of Administrative Offences.

The measure applies to administrative fines imposed on:

• Citizens of Kazakhstan
• Individual entrepreneurs
• Private notaries
• Private bailiffs
• Lawyers
• Legal consultants

The inclusion of individual entrepreneurs is intended to support economic activity and reduce the financial burden associated with outstanding administrative penalties.

The administrative amnesty will not apply to:

• Fines imposed by courts
• Repeat administrative offences
• Offences that threaten public safety, citizens’ lives and health, or state interests

• Excluded categories include, among others:
  • Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs
  • Driving on the wrong side of the road and other serious traffic violations
  • Illegal trafficking of weapons
  • Illegal drug trafficking
  • Offences related to public health and sanitary-epidemiological safety
  • Violations involving personal data protection
  • Other categories specified by law.

Criminal Amnesty

Since independence, Kazakhstan has conducted around ten criminal amnesties linked to major national milestones and humanitarian considerations. The current initiative is distinct because it is the first to combine a criminal amnesty with a large-scale administrative amnesty.

• Who is eligible: Individuals convicted of criminal misdemeanours, minor offences, and certain medium-gravity crimes that did not result in damage, or where any damage caused has been fully compensated.
• Potential scope: According to preliminary estimates, approximately 16,500 individuals may benefit from the criminal amnesty.
• Potential releases: Around 1,500 individuals could be released from places of detention.
• Sentence reductions: Certain categories of convicted persons serving sentences for medium-gravity, serious, and especially serious crimes may qualify for reduced sentences, subject to conditions established by law.

Who is excluded: The amnesty will not apply to persons convicted of:

• Corruption-related offences
• Terrorism and extremism-related crimes
• Crimes against the sexual integrity of minors;
• Torture;
• Repeat and dangerous repeat offences;
• Other offences considered to pose a heightened threat to society.

• Judicial oversight: The final decision on the application of criminal amnesty will be made by the courts on an individual basis.

Implementation Mechanism

• Digital administration: The administrative amnesty will be implemented through Kazakhstan’s Unified Register of Administrative Proceedings.
• Automatic identification: Eligible individuals will be identified automatically using criteria established in legislation.
• Electronic processing: Amnesty decisions will be generated electronically and authenticated using the electronic digital signatures of authorised officials.
• No application required: Citizens will not need to submit applications, visit government offices, or take any additional steps to benefit from the amnesty.
• Automatic notification: Individuals covered by the amnesty will be informed through digital government services and SMS notifications.
• Reduced administrative burden: The fully digital process is designed to ensure efficient implementation and minimise bureaucracy for both citizens and government agencies.

Expected Impact

• Reduced financial burden: The measure will help citizens and small businesses resolve outstanding administrative penalties and remove long-standing liabilities.
• Resolution of unpaid fines: The amnesty is expected to address a significant number of accumulated unpaid fines that may otherwise remain difficult to collect.
• Improved administrative efficiency: By resolving accumulated administrative cases and updating relevant government databases, the amnesty is expected to simplify enforcement procedures, improve data quality, and support more efficient interactions between citizens, government agencies, and financial institutions.
• Supporting social reintegration: The measure provides eligible individuals with an opportunity to regularise their legal and financial status and move forward without the burden of historical administrative penalties.
• Supporting digital transformation: The implementation of the amnesty through fully digital procedures will further strengthen the use of modern electronic government systems and automated public services.

Beyond its immediate humanitarian and administrative objectives, the initiative forms part of Kazakhstan’s broader programme of constitutional, political, and institutional modernisation. By resolving accumulated administrative cases through a fully digital process, the amnesty is also expected to contribute to ongoing efforts to improve administrative efficiency, enhance the quality of government data systems, and support the further digital transformation of public services.

International Practice

Countries around the world periodically introduce amnesty or penalty-relief programmes to help citizens and businesses resolve outstanding administrative liabilities, reduce enforcement burdens, and encourage compliance.

Examples include:

• Italy has implemented several programmes allowing the cancellation or reduction of outstanding administrative penalties, tax debts, and related surcharges.
• Greece has introduced schemes enabling citizens to settle or reduce accumulated administrative debts and penalties, particularly during periods of economic hardship.
• Argentina has periodically implemented amnesty programmes covering unpaid taxes, penalties, and certain administrative obligations.
• The United Arab Emirates has introduced temporary amnesty initiatives that waived administrative fines associated with immigration and residency violations.
• Several U.S. states and municipalities have implemented limited amnesty programmes allowing residents to resolve overdue fines and administrative penalties without additional sanctions or interest.
• Russia has previously introduced targeted tax and debt amnesties for individuals and small businesses to regularise outstanding obligations.

Source : https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/mfa-kuveyt/press/news/details/1282401?lang=ru