1. Religious association shall be established at the initiative of citizens of the Republic of
Kazakhstan who have reached the age of eighteen, who convene the founding meeting (
congress, conference), where the decisions on the establishment of a religious association, its
name, charter shall be made and its governing bodies shall be formed. Citizens take personal
part in the founding meeting (congress, conference) on their own free will.
2. Religious association shall have the following characteristics:
1) a single doctrine;
2) performance of religious rites, ceremonies and sermons;
3) religious education of its participants (members) and religious followers;
4) spiritual orientation of activities.
3. Republican religious associations and regional religious associations in accordance with
their charters have the right to establish in the form institutions the spiritual (religious)
educational organizations, implementing professional training programs to train priests.
4. Establishment and operation of legal entities, engaged in religious activities in a
different organizational and legal form, except as a religious association is not allowed,
except for spiritual (religious) educational organizations.
5. Establishment of organizational structures of religious associations in state bodies,
organizations and institutions, educational institutions and health care organizations are not
allowed.

1. State is separated from religion and religious associations.
2. Religious associations and citizens of the Republic of Kazakhstan, foreigners and
stateless persons regardless of relationship to religion are equal before the law.
3. No religion may be established as a state religion or an obligatory one.
4. System of education and upbringing in the Republic of Kazakhstan, except for the
spiritual (religious) organizations of education, is separated from religion and religious
associations and shall be secular.
5. Impeding the legitimate religious activities, violating the civil rights of individuals
based on attitude to religion or insulting their religious feelings, desecration of objects,
buildings and places, venerated by followers of a religion, are not allowed.
6. Everyone shall have the right to freedom of conscience.
Everyone shall have the right to adhere to religious or other beliefs, disseminate them,
participate in the activities of religious associations and engage in missionary activities in
accordance with the legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
The exercise of the right to freedom of conscience should not create or limit universal and
civil rights and obligations to the State.
7. Nobody has the right to refuse, based on their religious beliefs, to perform the duties,
prescribed by the Constitution and the laws of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
Citizens of the Republic of Kazakhstan, who are priests, missionaries, leaders or
participants (members) of religious associations, may participate in political life on an equal
basis with all other citizens of the Republic of Kazakhstan only on their own behalf.
8. According to the principle of separation of religion and religious associations from the
state, the state shall:
1) not interfere with the determination of a citizen of the Republic of Kazakhstan, a
foreigner and a stateless person of their attitude to religion and religious affiliation, in
child-rearing by parents or other legal representatives according to their beliefs, except when
such education threatens the life and health of a child, infringes on his (her) rights and limits
the liability, as well as directed against the constitutional order, sovereignty and territorial
integrity of the Republic of Kazakhstan;
2) not impose on religious associations the performance of functions of the state bodies;
3) not interfere in the activities of religious associations, if the activities of religious
associations are not contrary to the laws of the Republic of Kazakhstan;
4) facilitate mutual tolerance and respect between the citizens of the Republic of
Kazakhstan, foreigners and stateless persons who exercise religion and do nor exercise it, as
well as between different religious associations.
9. According to the principle of separation of religion and religious associations from the
state, the religious associations shall:
1) not perform the functions of the state bodies and shall not interfere with their activities;
2) not participate in the activities of political parties, and shall not provide
financial support to them, shall not engage in political activities;
3) comply with the requirements of the legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
10. Activities of religion-based parties, the establishment and activities of religious
associations, whose goals and activities are aimed at the approval of the domination of one
religion in the state, inciting religious hatred or discord, including those related to violence or
incitement to violence and other illegal activities are prohibited.
11. Activity of religious associations that are not registered in accordance with the laws of
the Republic of Kazakhstan, as well as any coercion of citizens of the Republic of Kazakhstan
, foreigners and stateless persons in determining the attitude to religion, to participate or not
participate in the activities of religious associations, in religious ceremonies and (or) in
religious instruction, are not allowed.
12. Activities of religious associations, associated with violence against citizens of the
Republic of Kazakhstan, foreigners and stateless persons or otherwise causing harm to their
health or with the divorce between spouses (family disruption) or termination of relationship,
damage to morality, violation of rights and freedoms of human and citizen, motivating
citizens to refuse to perform the duties, prescribed by the Constitution and the Laws of the
Republic of Kazakhstan, and other violations of the legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan,
are not allowed.
13. Activities of religious associations, forcibly involving into their activities the citizens
of the Republic of Kazakhstan, foreigners and stateless persons, including through charity,
and (or) preventing the secession from a religious association, including through the use of
intimidation, violence or threats of its use, using material or other dependence of citizens of
the Republic of Kazakhstan, foreigners and stateless persons or by deception shall not be
allowed.
14. Coercion of participants (members) of a religious association and religious followers
to alienate their property for the benefit of the religious association, its leaders and other
participants (members) are not allowed.
15. Making decisions and performing actions using religion and religious beliefs,
obviously able to disorganize the work of the state bodies, disrupt their uninterrupted
functioning, reduce the degree of control in the country, are not allowed.
16. The head of a religious association is obliged to take measures to prevent involvement
and (or) participation of minors in the activity of a religious association under the objection of
one of the minor's parents or other legal representatives.
Footnote. Article 3 as amended by the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan dated
16.11.2015 № 403-V (shall be enforced upon expiry of ten calendar days after the day its first
official publication); dated 29.12.2021 № 94-VII (shall enter into force upon expiry of ten
calendar days after the day of its first official publication).