In accordance with paragraph 8 of the Rules for the Certification and Issuance of a Certificate to Civil Aviation Maintenance and Repair Organizations, approved by Order No. 197 of the Acting Minister for Investments and Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan dated February 24, 2015 (hereinafter referred to as the Rules), an applicant seeking to obtain a certificate for a civil aviation maintenance and repair organization must submit an official application through the "e-Government" web portal: Electronic licensing of the Republic of Kazakhstan Issue of certificate of organization for the technical maintenance and repair of the aviation technique of civil aviation

For the initial issuance of such a certificate, there is a pre-application phase that precedes the formal submission.

This phase begins with a preliminary written request (letter of intent) from the applicant. The applicant should, as far as possible, contact the authorized organization well in advance of commencing any intended maintenance activities.

Upon receipt of the written request from the prospective maintenance and repair organization, the authorized organization appoints a project manager and a certification team from among its aviation inspectors possessing the appropriate qualifications.

The certification team will review the candidate’s written request. If the submitted information is deemed acceptable, the project manager will schedule a pre-application meeting with the applicant.

During this meeting, the applicant receives comprehensive information regarding:

• The scope of activities that may be permitted.
• The information and documentation must be submitted by the applicant.
• The procedures that will be applied during the application review.

It is crucial that at this pre-application stage, the applicant already has a clear understanding of the form and content of the documents required for the formal application.

The pre-application phase also includes a parallel assessment of the applicant’s financial, economic, and legal status, as well as that of the proposed organization. Financial viability is often the most critical factor in the decision to grant or deny the certificate. The applicant must demonstrate guaranteed access to sufficient financial resources to:

• Acquire all necessary equipment, facilities, and personnel.
• Fully support operations during the initial stages, when revenue streams are low and unpredictable.

Insufficient or severely constrained resources frequently have negative consequences for flight safety and operational efficiency.

A fee is charged for the certification of a civil aviation maintenance and repair organization, as stipulated in Order No. 177 of the Acting Minister of Industry and Infrastructural Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan, dated March 24, 2023, "On Approval of the Rules for the Collection of Payments in the Field of Civil Aviation of the Republic of Kazakhstan."

The fee amount is specified in Order No. 167 of the Minister of Industry and Infrastructural Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan, dated March 17, 2023, "On Approval of the List of Chargeable Services Provided by the Authorized Body in the Field of Civil Aviation and the Rates of Payments in the Field of Civil Aviation."

You can find the payment procedure on the official website of the AAC (Aviation Administration of Kazakhstan).

Pursuant to paragraph 8 of the Rules for Certification and Issuance of Certificates to Civil Aviation Maintenance and Repair Organizations, approved by Order No. 197 of the Acting Minister of Investments and Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan dated February 24, 2015, the applicant shall submit a package of documents as specified in the List of Core Requirements for the Provision of the State Service "Issuance of a Certificate to a Civil Aviation Maintenance and Repair Organization" under Appendix 3-1 to the Rules.

• To obtain a certificate for a civil aviation maintenance and repair organization:
• - Electronic copy of the Maintenance and Repair Organization Procedures Manual.
• - Electronic copy of details about the management staff of the maintenance and repair organization.
• - Electronic copy of a document confirming payment for the service of the authorized organization.
• To amend and/or supplement the certificate of a civil aviation maintenance and repair organization:
• - Application in free form.
• - Electronic copy of the previously issued certificate (if the information is not available in the information system).
• - Electronic copy of a document confirming payment for the service of the authorized organization.

In accordance with paragraph 7 of the Rules, the total certification period shall not exceed 22 (twenty-two) working days from the date the application is received by the authorized organization. In cases where additional review or verification by aviation inspectors is required, the processing period may be extended by no more than 22 (twenty-two) working days. The applicant will be notified of such an extension within 3 (three) working days from the decision to extend the review period.

In accordance with paragraph 4 of the Rules, the certificate for a maintenance and repair organization is valid for two years.

If the scope of the certificate is modified, the new certificate will be issued for the remaining validity period of the previously issued (current) certificate.

Upon expiration of its validity period, the certificate is considered invalid.

Before submitting an official application for a certificate for a civil aviation maintenance and repair organization, the applicant must familiarize themselves with the following regulatory legal acts governing the field of civil aviation:

• Law on the Use of Airspace of the Republic of Kazakhstan and Aviation Activities
• Rules for Certification and Issuance of Certificates to Civil Aviation Maintenance and Repair Organizations
• Certification Requirements  for Maintenance and Repair Organizations of Aviation Equipment
• Standard Instructions for Flight Safety Management for: Operators of civil aircraft, Airports, Air traffic services, Aircraft maintenance organizations, Civil aviation training centers whose activities involve aircraft operations during service provision.
•  Standard Training Programs for Aviation Personnel Involved in Flight Safety Assurance

The procedure for submitting an application and issuing a certificate for a civil aviation maintenance and repair organization is carried out in stages, typically in the following sequence:

1) Submission of the official application by the applicant

The official application for the issuance of a certificate for a maintenance and repair organization (MRO), along with the required documentation, must be submitted in the form prescribed by the Rules for Certification and Issuance of Certificates to Civil Aviation Maintenance and Repair Organizations, approved by Order No. 197 of the Acting Minister of Investments and Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan, dated February 24, 2015.

The authorized organization (e.g., the Aviation Administration of Kazakhstan, AAC) considers the submission of the official application as confirmation that the applicant:

• Has familiarized themselves with the norms and rules governing the proposed

operations;

• Is prepared to demonstrate methods of compliance with applicable requirements;
• Is ready for a detailed assessment of their organization.

Upon receipt of the application, the authorized organization will:

• Appoint a project manager to oversee the application process;
• Assign a team of inspectors to participate in the certification process.

2) Documentation Evaluation and Decision-Making.

The document evaluation stage involves a detailed review of all documentation and manuals submitted by the applicant to ensure that all aspects required by the regulations are included and properly addressed. This stage will also include an assessment of the Flight Safety Management System (SMS) implementation plan, which must account for the scale of the applicant’s operations and the complexity of the aviation products or services they provide.

3) Conducting the Certification Assessment.

• The certification assessment is conducted in relation to the declared scope of activity of the maintenance and repair organization (MRO).
• The certification assessment is carried out by the authorized civil aviation organization (e.g., the Aviation Administration of Kazakhstan - AAC) using instructional materials developed for aviation inspectors.
• During the certification assessment, inspection procedures are implemented to verify the organization's compliance with the certification requirements for maintenance and repair organizations, as approved by Order No. 196 of the Acting Minister of Investments and Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan, dated February 24, 2015.

At this stage, the following will be conducted:

• An inspection of the MRO's production facilities
• A review of maintenance control and planning systems to verify:
• The effectiveness of the procedures proposed by the applicant
• The actual availability of production facilities and equipment that meet certification requirements

Interviews with personnel may also be conducted to ensure that:

• Procedures have been properly communicated to staff and are understood
• Management staff understand their responsibilities
• The quality management system is functioning in accordance with the provisions of the certification requirements
• Decision-Making and Issuance (or Denial) of the Certificate

Based on the results of the certification assessment, aviation inspectors compile

a certification assessment report detailing the actual condition of the applicant’s facilities, findings, recommendations, and a conclusion on the possibility (or impossibility) of issuing the certificate. Upon completion, this report is signed by the aviation inspectors and presented to the applicant for review.

If a Level 1 non-conformity is identified during the certification assessment, the authorized organization denies the issuance of the certificate or restricts its validity in accordance with the laws of the Republic of Kazakhstan on the use of airspace and aviation activities, until the applicant rectifies the identified non-conformities.

In the case of a Level 2 non-conformity, the authorized organization:

• Approves a timeframe for rectifying the identified non-conformity, not exceeding three months from the date of its identification. The applicant must develop a corrective action plan (CAP) using the form specified in Appendix 7 and submit it to the authorized organization for approval within 10 (ten) working days of being notified of the certification assessment results.
• Based on an evaluation of the measures proposed by the applicant to address the non-conformity, either approves the CAP or returns it for revision with a justification.
• The deadline specified in the CAP may be extended by the authorized organization if the applicant provides a valid justification for the need to modify it. If the applicant fails to submit an acceptable CAP within the deadline specified in subparagraph 1), the authorized organization denies the issuance of the certificate. An acceptable CAP must include actions to eliminate the root causes and prevent the recurrence of non-conformities.
• The decision-making and issuance (or denial) of the certificate begins after the project manager (or committee chairman) of the authorized organization determines that all assessment processes have been completed satisfactorily and that the applicant has demonstrated compliance with applicable requirements and the ability to perform its duties safely.
• The project manager of the authorized organization must prepare and retain the certification assessment report with a recommendation for issuing the MRO certificate.
• After the MRO certificate is issued, the authorized organization will be responsible for conducting oversight and periodic inspections to ensure that the MRO continues to comply with the certification requirements, permissions, and limitations of the MRO certificate.

Additional recommendations for obtaining the certificate, as published on the official AAC website:

• Application for the Maintenance Certificate (Certificate of Operational Approval) 
• Methodological Guidelinesfor Developing the Maintenance and Repair Organization (MRO) Procedures Manual.