Transferring lawyer applications

You should receive an automatic confirmation email once you submit your form. This email will include a copy of the information you provided.

We will then review your submission and contact you within five working days to confirm whether you meet the eligibility criteria and explain the next steps. You don’t need to contact us in the meantime.

While you wait to hear from us, you may wish to start collecting the documents you'll need to submit as part of your TQL application. We can't assess your TQL application until we have all the necessary documents. However, you may want to wait until you know whether you’re eligible to submit a TQL application before paying for any of the required documents.

For a TQL application, you’ll need:

• a certificate of good standing from every regulator or professional body you're registered with (we can't accept an admission certificate instead)
• a CV listing your qualifications and jobs in date order, with your job title and main duties for each role
• certificates and transcripts for each qualification from undergraduate degree onwards, showing dates of study, your modules, marks and final grade 
• if applicable, your certificate of higher rights of audience as a solicitor in England and Wales (a letter from your training provider isn't enough)
• a certified English translation for any document/s not in English

Case list (optional)

If you've appeared as an advocate, it’s helpful for us to have a list of your significant cases, especially ones you led independently. Include any reported cases, and for each case give:

• the case name, number or citation
• the court or tribunal
• when it was heard (month and year) with a short summary and the outcome in no more than 300 words.
• details of your role, including whether you drafted written submissions or a skeleton argument, presented oral submissions, made opening or closing submissions, or conducted witness examination.

If you can, ask the court or your supervisor to confirm or sign the list.

This requirement does not apply to lawyers who have qualified in Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein.  

If we've confirmed you meet the criteria, we'll send you a TQL application form to complete. Send it back with the documents you've gathered.

You don't need to pay anything until you submit the application. Fees are below.

You are...

• qualified with and regulated by an Approved Regulator in England and Wales (other than the BSB) - Fee £610
• qualified with and regulated by another regulator outside of England and Wales - Fee £1,810

We can only start assessing your application once we have your form, supporting documents and the fee has been paid.

We're currently taking around 12-16 weeks to assess a complete application.

Once we've assessed your application and confirmed our decision, we may ask you for further assessment or pupillage documents before you can get a practising certificate, depending on whether you get an exemption.  

This requirement does not apply to lawyers who have qualified in Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein.  

• The Professional Statement
• Curriculum and Assessment Strategy
• BSB Handbook – Part 4: Qualification Rules
• Bar Qualification Manual – Part 7: Transferring Qualified Lawyers