No, if your application has been formally withdrawn, we cannot reopen or reinstate it. This applies whether the application was withdrawn because you did not respond to requests for information or correspondence, or because you chose to withdraw it. In these circumstances, you would need to submit a new application once the current pause has ended.
It's an application where we have everything we asked you for.
We may ask for more information while we assess it. If we ask for something and you don't send it by the date we give you, we may close your application.
We are only accepting applications from Transferring Qualified Lawyers who meet at least one of the criteria below and can provide supporting evidence:
- You've been offered pupillage with an authorised pupillage training provider that is due to start before 1 January 2029.
- You've been offered tenancy or employment that requires you to hold a practising certificate for the Bar of England and Wales. Please note that offers for other types of employment will not be considered.
We'll reply to an eligibility request within five working days.
Please wait to hear from us rather than contacting us. It helps us work through requests more quickly.
The eligibility criteria above do not apply to lawyers who have qualified in Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein. Applications from these lawyers will continue to be accepted and processed under the relevant recognition of professional qualifications framework.
We'll reply to an eligibility request within five working days.
After that, we normally aim to assess a complete application within 12 to 16 weeks. However, if you're due to start pupillage, tenancy, or employment before this time, we may be able to prioritise assessing your application. Please ensure the start date of any such position is clear in your application so this can be easily identified.
Please wait to hear from us rather than contacting us. It helps us work through requests more quickly.
We'll email you a TQL application form and payment instructions. Send the form back with your documents.
We'll start assessing your application once we have your form, documents and the fee has been paid.
No. The eligibility request is free.
You'll pay when you send your full TQL application. The fee is £610 if you are qualified with and regulated by an Approved Regulator in England and Wales (other than the Bar Standards Board), or £1,810 if you are qualified with and regulated by another regulator outside of England and Wales.
We are currently only accepting applications from Transferring Qualified Lawyers who meet at least one of the criteria below and can provide supporting evidence:
- You have been offered pupillage with an authorised pupillage training provider that is due to start before 1 January 2029.
- You have been offered tenancy or employment that requires you to hold a practising certificate for the Bar of England and Wales. Offers for other types of employment will not be considered.
The eligibility criteria above do not apply to lawyers who have qualified in Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein. Applications from these lawyers will continue to be accepted and processed under the relevant recognition of professional qualifications framework.
You will need to provide a letter from your employer on their headed paper and addressed to us, confirming:
- the date you are due to start
- what the job involves (a job description is fine)
- why the role needs a practising certificate for the Bar of England and Wales
- that the work is mainly legal work under the law of England and Wales, with a real caseload. A job title, or an employer simply referring you to be a barrister, isn't enough.
- who’ll supervise you, if you need a qualified person, and that they will be available when you need them
- that you have the right to work in the UK, and that the right-to-work checks have been or will be completed before you start
