Authorisations Team Service Update

Pupillage registration and completion – Autumn peak

We are on track to successfully conclude the Autumn peak in pupillage activity in the next few weeks. Completions of current pupillage and the registration of new pupillages will continue to be processed from now until the end of the calendar year.

Please note that for any pupillage that has not been registered, or any pupils requiring sign-off, we shall endeavour to resolve these as soon as possible.

Please note pupils may commence their non-practising pupillage pending receipt of confirmation of registration from us. Due to current processing times, this may be up to four weeks after you submit your form. 

In addition, please note that Provisional Practising Certificates are valid for 30 days beyond the registered completion date of the practising period of pupillage. This is to allow time for pupils to submit their completion forms to the Authorisations Team and to obtain a Confirmation of Full Qualification Letter which confirms eligibility to apply through the MyBar portal for a full Practising Certificate as a barrister.

Applications update

With new GDL and Bar Course programmes commencing in September and October, we are in the middle of a seasonal peak in waiver and exemption applications relating to the academic component of Bar training and to pupillage.

We will continue to prioritise these applications where the outcomes are required in order to confirm places on GDL and Bar Course programmes, or to secure a pupillage or tenancy offer.

This peak should come to an end within the next two months. Our next seasonal peak of activity will follow in the Spring when we will be processing non-practising pupillage completion documents and beginning the annual BSB entity renewal process.

We will be publishing further information on our current priorities across all of our application types in the coming months, so please do look out for this on our Service Update page on the Bar Standards Board website.

Please note that due to the Bar Standards Board office closure for the Christmas and New Year period, the team will not be available for application processing or correspondence (by telephone or email) from 5:00 pm on 23 December 2025 until the new year. The offices will be reopening on 5 January 2026.

Our next seasonal peak of activity will follow in the Spring when we will be processing non-practising pupillage completion documents and beginning the annual BSB entity renewal process.

We will be providing further information on our current priorities across all of our application types in the coming months, so please do look out for this on our Service Update page on the Bar Standards Board website.

Contacting the team:

For BSB entities - [email protected]

For pupillage registration, material changes and completion - [email protected]

For Transferring Qualified Lawyers - [email protected]

For all other queries - [email protected]

Applications update

We will continue to prioritise outstanding waiver/exemption applications where the outcomes are required in order to confirm places on GDL and Bar Course programmes, or to secure a pupillage or tenancy offer.

Our next seasonal peak of activity will commence in March-April when we will be processing non-practising pupillage completion documents and beginning the annual BSB entity renewal process.

We will be publishing further information on our current priorities across all of our application types in the coming months.

If you have submitted an application for:

• exemption from the components of Bar training (against the competences of the Bar Standards Board's Professional Statement); or
• any other aspect of the Bar Standards Board Handbook rules

and you are the subject of ongoing criminal proceedings and/or an investigation/disciplinary proceedings with another regulator or professional body, we will be unable to complete our assessment of your application until the conclusion of the investigation/proceedings (including any appeal process), as the outcome may be relevant to our overall assessment of your application.

If you have not yet submitted an application to us and you are the subject of criminal proceedings and/or an investigation/disciplinary proceedings with another regulator or professional body which are either ongoing or completed, please contact the Authorisations Team for further guidance before starting your application.

If you are a current undergraduate degree or Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) student intending to start vocational Bar training in the Autumn, please read our Guidance for undergraduates affected by the University and College Union (UCU) marking boycott.

The transitional process for currently authorised Pupillage Training Organisations (PTOs) seeking authorisation as pupillage provider Authorised Education and Training Organisations (AETOs) concluded at the end of July 2024. If you have not yet received the outcome of your transitional pupillage provider application, please contact us directly ([email protected]) to confirm your current status.

Authorised pupillage providers will start to receive their formal AETO Agreements from us in the coming months.

If you have received a conditional authorisation decision from us, please respond to any conditions set out in your authorisation letter, as soon as possible. We will acknowledge receipt but may not be able to provide a formal reply immediately, while we are prioritising applications from applicants that have not yet obtained pupillage provider AETO status.

Authorised pupillage providers may advertise for, and recruit, new pupils as soon as they have received an authorisation decision letter (whether conditional or unconditional).

Have we got the right contact details for your organisation? We are unable to send you the latest information relating to pupillage provider transitional arrangements without a current email address. Please contact the team via email at [email protected] to advise us of any changes.

Contact us: [email protected]

Pupillage Registration

PLEASE NOTE - you may commence pupillage pending receipt of confirmation of registration from us. Due to current processing times, this may be up to four weeks after you submit your form. 

Pupils' Advocacy Course

Once your pupillage has been registered, please contact your Inn of Court or Circuit to book on to the Pupils' Advocacy Course, as soon as possible.

PLEASE NOTE:

• You will not be able to progress to the practising period of pupillage until the Pupils' Advocacy Course has been completed. The date(s) of your Advocacy Course should be noted on your non-practising period completion form.
• If you are completing a voluntary period of non-practising pupillage, arranged between yourself and your AETO (ie not required by the Bar Standards Board), you will not be required to complete the Pupils' Advocacy Course. For example, if you have been granted a reduction in pupillage by us and we have recommended that you complete only a period of practising pupillage but your AETO would prefer you to complete a short non-practising pupillage on a voluntary basis before commencing that recommended period of practising pupillage.

Professional Ethics assessment

Following a transition period, passing the Professional Ethics assessment during pupillage is now a requirement for all pupils unless they have a specific exemption authorised by the BSB. For further details, please see our guidance on the introduction of a new Professional Ethics assessment during pupillage.

Pupillage Completion (sign off)

PLEASE NOTE - you can submit Pupillage forms up to 10 days in advance of pupillage start and end dates. This helps us to help you by preventing delays in the process created by last minute submissions.

• If you have submitted a pupillage sign off form for the non-practising period you should expect this to be processed within 10 working days or before you commence the practising period whichever is sooner. 
• If you have submitted a pupillage sign off form for the practising period you should expect this to be processed within one month or before your Provisional Practising Certificate (PPC) expires whichever is sooner. 

Any anticipated delays to the pupillage administrative process will be published on this page. 

Material changes

Please note that there may be delays in the processing of these forms at times when we need to prioritise pupillage completion processes and provisional practising certificate requests.

Waivers

If you have applied for a pupillage reduction or dispensation then your application will take at least 16 weeks to process, at present. When applying, please allow enough time for your application to be considered as we cannot guarantee that it will be expedited at your request. Please note that you can commence pupillage while waiting for a decision for a reduction in pupillage and amend the duration of your registered pupillage in the event of a successful outcome to your application.

If a pupillage provider AETO has advertised for a pupillage(s) commencing on a particular date and then wishes to make offers to additional candidates who applied in the same recruitment round, they may do so provided that the additional candidate(s) will be starting their pupillages within six months (either before or after) the originally intended starting date.

If the additional candidate(s) will be starting their pupillage more than six months either before or after the other pupil(s), the pupillage provider AETO will need to apply for a waiver of the advertising requirements. This is because other candidates may have responded to the advert if they were aware that alternative starting dates were being considered.

Any additional pupillage candidates offered pupillage in this way must be fully funded in line with any other pupillages offered by the pupillage provider AETO at that time. If any variance in funding is intended, the pupillage provider AETO would need to apply for a waiver of the pupillage funding requirements.

If needed, the waiver application form and guidelines may be found in the Training & Qualification section of our website.

**UPDATE** - We are dealing with a very high volume of these applications currently. Where possible, we will aim to prioritise applications from applicants who can provide evidence of a pupillage or tenancy/employment offer, with a confirmed starting date.

Please see our new Applications page for information on how to apply as a Transferring Qualified Lawyer, including creating a CRM profile, key supporting documents, fee payments, and prioritisation requests.

BSB Entity Renewals for 2025 started in the first week of March and approximately half of the existing entities have now renewed their authorisation with us.

After some initial technical difficulties, the portal is now open and available for the completion of the renewal process.

This year the BSB is asking additional questions, similar to the annual Authorisation to Practice (ATP) questions, to update and confirm our knowledge of the BSB entity community. You will also need to email us your insurance certificate, as in previous years. If you encounter any technical difficulties with the renewal process, please contact us at the email address above, with an explanation and screenshot(s), if appropriate.

Annual BSB Entity Renewal Guidance (2025)

If you have a registered entity with us but do not wish to renew your authorisation, you will still need to complete the online process, once it has launched. You should indicate that you do not wish to renew in response to the first question on the online form. We will then get in touch with you directly about any other steps you may need to complete before your authorisation is revoked.

Please see the Entities Register for the current status of any BSB entity.

If you encounter any technical issues with the online renewal process, please do contact us on [email protected] or telephone (020 7611 1444).

There are currently 156 BSB authorised Entities – you can view the Entity Register on our website. 

Please allow six to nine months for us to complete our assessment of your application, depending on the complexity of your proposed business model.   

We request that you respond to information requests from us in relation to your application within 10 working days.

For details on the application process, please visit the Becoming a BSB Entity page on our website. To arrange an informal discussion with a member of the team, please do contact us on [email protected].