If you're already a lawyer qualified in England and Wales or another jurisdiction and you want to practise as a barrister in England and Wales, you're in the right place. We call everyone who transfers this way a 'Transferring Qualified Lawyer' (or TQL). Examples of TQLs include:
- qualified lawyers who have been granted rights of audience by another Approved Regulator in England and Wales, including solicitors
- lawyers who have qualified in a jurisdiction outside England and Wales.
- people who teach the law of England and Wales
Important notice: Criteria to apply
We're currently 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 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. 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.
If you meet one or both of these criteria, or are a lawyer who has qualified in Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein, move to the next step.
Next stepIf you don't have an offer of pupillage from an authorised training provider or a role that requires a practising certificate for the Bar of England and Wales, you can’t apply at the moment.
We've temporarily paused applications from individuals without a confirmed route into practice so that we can reduce the current backlog of applications and review our existing rules. In the meantime, we're prioritising applicants who have secured a placement and have a clear pathway into practice as barristers in England and Wales.
To stay informed, please bookmark this page, as all future updates will be posted here.
You can't submit your application at the moment. We’ll save your application from where you left off and you'll be able to continue once we reopen applications.
Please make sure you meet one or both of the criteria stated above in the ‘Important notice: Criteria to apply’ section before you apply.
Our current rules have resulted in large numbers of TQLs applying for exemptions from our standard education and training requirements, particularly those qualified in overseas jurisdictions.
Many applicants only seek exemptions from the components of training which would allow them to be called to the Bar of England and Wales: however, only a very small number ever go on to practice.
This process is intended to facilitate practice by appropriately qualified people. The large number of applications that don't meet this purpose have resulted in significant backlogs in the system.
The intention is in no way to discourage anyone who can demonstrate they have the required skills and experience to practise in England and Wales from applying. Rather, we’re considering our approach to our TQLs process, so that it’s focused on those who have a realistic prospect of practising in England and Wales.
Frequently asked questions
Read our FAQs to have your questions answered about the current pause in applications, the application process and eligibility.
