Digital signature according to the new rules: issuance, validity period and revocation of the certificate

The order comes into force on September 11, 2026.

By order of the Acting Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development dated August 28, 2026 No. 522/НК, new rules for the issuance, storage and revocation of public key certificates for electronic digital signatures were approved, Uchet.kz reports.

The rules were adopted in pursuance of paragraph 5 of Article 55 of the Digital Code and replaced nine orders that had been in force since 2015. The order approved four separate sets of rules for the root certification center, the certification center of state bodies, the national certification center (NCC RK) and other certification centers. Individuals and businesses are subject to the rules of the NCA of the Republic of Kazakhstan, which issues digital signatures on the portals Pki.gov.kz and Egov.kz.

According to the new rules, a document that confirms that a public key belongs to its owner is called a public key certificate for an electronic digital signature. The former name “registration certificate” has been replaced. The document still associates the public and private keys with a specific individual or entity.

Through your personal account on the NCA RK portal, the certificate is issued within 20 minutes. When identifying remotely or contacting the registration center, the period is one business day. The state service for issuing and revoking an electronic digital signature certificate is free for individuals and legal entities.

The validity period of the EDS public key certificate depends on where the key is stored. If the key is recorded on an ID card with a chip, in cloud storage or on secure media, the certificate is valid for three years. If the key is stored on a regular electronic medium or in a digital government mobile application, the validity period is one year. For digital system certificates of individuals and legal entities, the period is three years.

Upon receipt of the certificate, the owner himself sets a password for the private key of the digital signature. The password must be at least eight characters and contain Latin letters, as well as numbers or special characters.

The revocation of the EDS certificate is carried out within one working day after the application. The application is submitted through your personal account, digital government portal or registration center. NCA RK revokes a certificate even without a statement from the owner in a number of cases. These include the death of the owner, change of last name, first name or patronymic, reorganization or liquidation of a legal entity, and a court decision that has entered into force.

There are several types of digital signature certificates available for legal entities and joint ventures. These are certificates of the first manager, an employee with signatory authority and an employee of the organization, as well as certificates for a secure website connection (SSL) and for the organization’s digital systems. A separate type is intended for participants in the “Treasury - Client” system.