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Legal News – October, 2026 - FCHAIN

Legal News – October, 2026

In October 2026, a number of regulatory changes affecting businesses across various sectors come into force and apply in Kazakhstan. The updates concern the collection and processing of personal data, mandatory medical examinations for employees, labeling of dietary supplements, approval of signboards, construction, and energy audits of buildings. Changes also affect forensic examinations, digital data management, and certain procedures related to foreign nationals. These new requirements have practical implications for companies, as they affect internal processes, document and data management, interaction with government authorities, and, in certain sectors, specific operating requirements. Below is an overview of the key legal changes in October 2026.

 

New Personal Data Rules from October 2

From October 2, 2026, the Rules for the Collection and Processing of Personal Data have been amended. The terminology used in the Rules has been updated to include, among other concepts, the deletion, anonymization, and masking of personal data. One of the significant changes concerns the cross-border transfer of personal data. Such processing, except in cases provided for by law, the dissemination of personal data in publicly available sources, and its transfer to third parties, is permitted subject to the consent of the personal data subject. Separate requirements apply to data storage. Owners, operators, and third parties must store personal data in a database and digital object located within the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The Rules also establish procedures to be followed in the event of violations of personal data collection and processing requirements. Where there is information indicating such a violation, the data subject may require the owner, operator, or third party to block and/or anonymize their personal data. Where personal data has been collected or processed by an owner, operator, or third party in violation of the legislation of Kazakhstan, or where other grounds established by law apply, such data must be destroyed and/or deleted at the request of the data subject. However, a request for deletion is not subject to execution in the cases specified in paragraph 4 of Article 41 of the Digital Code. Organizations that collect, process, store, or transfer personal data as part of their activities should therefore take the updated rules into account, including the data storage requirements and the procedures for responding to requests from personal data subjects.

 

Digital Data Management Requirements Approved

The Government has approved requirements for digital data management. They apply to government authorities, state-owned legal entities, and quasi-public sector entities, establishing uniform rules for managing digital data. The requirements are aimed at collecting data once and subsequently using it multiple times, improving data quality, standardizing data, and enabling its use for analytical purposes. Organizations are required to create a digital data catalog and data passports on the architecture portal, appoint a data manager, and ensure that information meets established quality criteria. These criteria include accuracy, completeness, relevance, and uniqueness. Data is to be transferred to the Smart Data Ukimet unified analytical system. Requirements have also been established for integration, information security, backup, and archiving. A separate area concerns the creation of data libraries intended for training artificial intelligence models.

 

Mandatory Labeling of Dietary Supplements from October 10

From October 10, 2026, mandatory labeling of dietary supplements is being introduced in Kazakhstan. The changes directly affect manufacturers, importers, wholesalers, and retailers of such products. Manufacturers and importers must register in the Digital Product Labeling and Traceability System, register dietary supplements, and apply a unique DataMatrix GS1 code to consumer packaging. Obligations also apply to subsequent participants in the supply chain. Wholesalers must submit information on product circulation to the system, while retailers must scan the code at the point of sale. This requires cash register equipment capable of transmitting data, a DataMatrix scanner, and an agreement with a fiscal data operator. The Digital Product Labeling and Traceability System will record the movement of dietary supplements at different stages of circulation, including placing products on the market, transfers between participants, acceptance, movement, retail sales, withdrawal from circulation, and returns. Aggregation is provided for transport packaging, allowing products to be tracked without opening the packaging. A separate rule applies to products manufactured before mandatory labeling takes effect: such dietary supplements may continue to be sold until their expiration date. The new requirements are particularly relevant to pharmaceutical companies and other participants in the dietary supplements market. Organizations operating in this sector should take into account the requirements for registration, labeling, and recording the movement of products in the relevant digital system.

 

Changes to Mandatory Medical Examination Rules

Changes to the Rules for Mandatory and Preliminary Medical Examinations also apply in October. The procedure for providing the public service “Preliminary Mandatory Medical Examination” has been updated. The service is provided by medical organizations through the portal, with a processing time of 30 minutes from the submission of documents. The result of the service is a medical certificate in Form No. 075/u. The service is provided on a paid basis, except for children under the age of 18 at their registered healthcare provider when enrolling in an educational institution or commencing employment. The service is provided exclusively in electronic format. Information is entered into the digital medical system and signed with the physician’s electronic digital signature. A separate change concerns employees with pronounced forms of general illnesses, signs of exposure to harmful occupational factors, as well as employees with at least eight years of continuous employment under harmful and/or hazardous working conditions. Such employees must undergo a periodic medical examination once every five years at a healthcare organization providing specialized medical care in the field of occupational pathology and examination. For employees required to undergo pre-shift medical examinations, the guarantees provided for under Article 125 of the Labor Code are preserved by agreement or collective bargaining agreement. The list of target groups subject to mandatory medical examinations has also been updated. It includes 19 target groups and specifies the relevant types of examinations and the frequency with which they must be conducted. Changes have also been made to the list of harmful and hazardous occupational factors. Employers whose activities require mandatory medical examinations of employees should take the updated rules into account when organizing the relevant procedures.

 

Rules for Issuing Sick Leave Certificates Clarified

Changes have also been made to the rules for issuing sick leave certificates and certificates of temporary incapacity for work. To obtain the relevant document, an individual must contact a medical organization and provide an identity document or an electronic document from the Digital Documents service. The public service can be obtained either by applying directly or through the Digital Government web portal. The service must be provided within no more than 30 minutes from the submission of the identity document. When obtaining the service electronically, the applicant submits the relevant request through the portal and signs it using an electronic digital signature. The result is sent to the recipient’s personal account in the form of a digital document. Certain rules for issuing sick leave certificates or certificates of temporary incapacity for work in specific medical cases have also been clarified. For employers, these changes are particularly relevant from a document management perspective, as the result of the relevant public service may be provided in digital form.

 

New Signboard Approval Rules from October 1

From October 1, 2026, new rules apply to the public service for approving the placement of signboards. The service is provided to individuals and legal entities by local executive authorities. Documents may be submitted and the result obtained either through the service provider’s administrative office or via the Digital Government web portal.

The following documents must be submitted for approval:

  1. an application;
  2. a signboard design;
  3. an identity document, including in digital form.

Once a complete set of documents has been submitted, their accuracy is verified in accordance with the requirements of the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan “On Languages in the Republic of Kazakhstan” and the relevant Rules. Following verification, the signboard design is approved. The processing period and issuance of the result is four business days from the date the documents are accepted. Companies planning to install a signboard and undergo the relevant approval procedure should take the new rules into account.

 

Changes for the Construction Sector from October 10

A separate group of October changes concerns the construction sector. From October 10, 2026, the Rules for Reviewing Documents for a Construction Project involving an Apartment Building or a Complex of Individual Residential Houses for the Purpose of Concluding a Guarantee Agreement or Agreements within the Framework of Renovation are amended. To qualify for the applicable guarantee contribution rate, a developer must score at least 50 points based on the risk factor. Additional grounds have also been established for the Unified Operator to refuse to conclude a guarantee agreement within the framework of renovation. One such ground is the failure of the developer and the authorized company to conclude in a timely manner agreements for the pledge of voting shares or participatory interests in the authorized capital of the authorized company between the developer and the Unified Operator, as well as an agreement for the trust management of the relevant shares or participatory interests. A refusal may also be issued if the guarantee agreement within the framework of renovation does not comply with the terms of the renovation agreement. Another ground for refusal is the failure of the developer and the authorized company to submit the guarantee agreement within the framework of renovation for accession by the Unified Operator within three months from the date the renovation agreement is concluded. The parameters used to determine a developer’s rating have also been updated. The multifactor model, based on the assessment of indicators and risk factors, has been revised. Construction companies should take the updated requirements into account when preparing documents and completing the relevant procedures.

 

New Building Energy Audit Rules from October 26

From October 26, 2026, the Rules for Conducting Energy Audits of Buildings are amended. One of the key changes is the requirement to take into account the seasonal characteristics of the property being inspected. The measurement, or testing, stage of the energy audit must be conducted during both winter and summer periods. The list of information collected during the preparatory stage of the energy audit has also been updated. Following a mandatory energy audit, a conclusion on energy conservation and improved energy efficiency is prepared. The energy auditing organization must enter this conclusion into the Unified Information System. The changes also affect the procedure for conducting an express energy audit. Companies to which the relevant requirements apply should take into account the updated procedure for conducting energy audits and documenting their results.

 

Changes to the Rules for Forensic Examinations

The Ministry of Justice has amended the Rules for the Organization and Conduct of Forensic Examinations and Research. Where legal proceedings are conducted in paper format or where there is no technical capability to use digital systems, resolutions and rulings appointing an examination must be submitted in paper form. The documents may be delivered personally by the person appointing the examination, through an authorized representative acting under a power of attorney, by post, or by special communication services. A lawyer’s request for an examination must be submitted in writing together with the objects to be examined. The procedure for conducting a repeat examination has also been clarified. A repeat examination is ordered to examine the same objects and address the same questions where the previous expert opinion is insufficiently substantiated, its conclusions raise doubts, or material procedural violations occurred when the examination was appointed or conducted. A repeat examination is assigned to a panel of experts. Experts who conducted the previous examination may be present during the repeat examination and provide explanations to the panel. The resolution or ruling ordering a repeat examination must state the substantiated reasons for disagreement with the results of the previous forensic examination. An expert who accepts an assigned examination must review the submitted materials and objects and verify that they are suitable and sufficient to provide an opinion on the questions raised. The examination period must not exceed 30 days.

 

Changes to the Procedure for International Legal Assistance by Courts

The Judicial Administration has amended the Instruction on the Provision of Legal Assistance by the Courts of the Republic of Kazakhstan and Requests for Legal Assistance to the Courts of Foreign States. Requests from foreign courts and other institutions are executed by the courts of Kazakhstan provided that they are received through the Judicial Administration or its territorial divisions in the capital, regions, and cities of national significance. A different procedure may apply where it is provided for by an international treaty ratified by the Republic of Kazakhstan. Where requests from foreign courts or institutions are received in violation of the established communication procedure, they are not subject to execution and are returned to the requesting party through the relevant central or territorial authority authorized to conduct such communications in accordance with an international treaty or the legislation of Kazakhstan. In addition, the Model Agreement on Judicial Internships has been updated, and amendments have been made to the Instruction on the Organization of Anti-Terrorist Protection of Court Buildings.

 

What Businesses Should Consider in October 2026

The October changes cover several areas of legal regulation and affect both general aspects of business operations and specific industries. For a broad range of companies, the updated personal data requirements are particularly important, as they regulate data storage, cross-border transfers, blocking, anonymization, and deletion. For employers, the changes concerning mandatory medical examinations of employees and the digital issuance of certain medical documents are relevant. Companies installing signboards should take into account the new approval procedure and the established four-business-day processing period. Separate requirements apply to the pharmaceutical and construction sectors. Participants in the dietary supplements market should take into account mandatory product labeling and traceability requirements, while construction companies should consider the updated rules on guarantees, risk factor assessment, and building energy audits. Given the broad scope of these changes, companies should monitor the requirements that apply specifically to their activities and review their internal documents and procedures for compliance with the updated regulations.

 

Professional Legal Services by FChain

Legislative changes may affect various aspects of a company’s operations, from personal data processing and internal corporate procedures to specific requirements applicable to pharmaceutical and construction businesses. FChain provides legal services to businesses in Kazakhstan and supports companies on matters related to the application of current legal requirements.

The following FChain services are particularly relevant to the topics covered in this overview:

The legal changes introduced in October 2026 demonstrate that regulatory requirements continue to affect an increasing range of business processes, including personal and digital data management, interaction with government systems, employment-related procedures, and industry-specific requirements. Timely assessment of applicable changes enables companies to identify which internal documents and processes require review and to incorporate the new requirements into their ongoing operations. FChain’s legal support can be used both for individual legal matters and for a comprehensive review of business activities for compliance with the current requirements of Kazakhstan’s legislation.

 

Changes to the Procedure for Signboard Approval in Kazakhstan from October 2026

Prepared by: Anel Kosmaganbetova

Assistant to the Director

FChain Kazakhstan

 📩almaty@f-chain.com
WhatsApp: +7 771 214 1820

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