Requalifying into Scotland

We welcome applications from qualified lawyers from all over the world who are interested in requalifying into Scotland.

We are here to guide you through the qualification process from beginning to end. We can also give advice and information about working in the Scottish jurisdiction, to help you identify what career options might be available to you. If you would like some assistance in relation to career options, please contact [email protected].

Qualified Lawyers Assessment (QLA)

As of 1 November 2019, all solicitors re-qualifying from another jurisdiction can apply to undertake the Qualified Lawyers Assessment. This is a universal set of exams, which will attract various exemptions for solicitors already qualified in certain countries.

For anyone who has already commenced re-qualification before 1 November 2019 by any of the previous routes available (Intra-UK Transfer Test, Aptitude Test for EU-qualified lawyers or the route for solicitors from other non-UK/EU jurisdictions), please get in touch with us about whether and how the new regulations will affect you. Any person who has commenced training under the 2011 or 1994 regulations may request permission to qualify under the 2019 regulations.

Please contact [email protected] for more information.

Any lawyer qualified in another jurisdiction can apply to requalify as a Scottish solicitor via the Qualified Lawyers Assessment. As well as undertaking our exams, there are several essential pieces of paperwork prospective applicants must complete.  

Certificate of eligibility

A Certificate of Eligibility is the first document you must obtain as part of your application.

To apply for a Certificate of Eligibility there are various items of supporting information that you must provide:

These are;

• completed application form
• Certificate of Good Standing from Home Bar Association (for details of what this must show, see the Schedule to the Admission as Solicitor (Scotland) Regulations 2019).
• Disclosure Scotland application, including copies of relevant documents (you can request an application form at the bottom of this page)
• Non-refundable administration fee of £500 plus a £25 charge for your Disclosure check

Your application to be permitted to commence the requalification process will be considered only after we have received all of these documents.

Once you have been granted a Certificate of Eligibility, you should enrol in the required examinations using this form.

Law Society of Scotland's exams

 
There are 11 subjects that you may be required to pass, however solicitors from some jurisdictions have been granted exemptions by right.  It would also be open to you to apply for exemptions from any of these examinations on the basis of past study and qualifications.

The Society's examinations are held in Edinburgh and there are two diets each year, in February and August. It is impossible to sit all of the examinations at one diet as some are held concurrently.

Additional information

Exams must be completed within four years of first presentation for examination. No more than four attempts are permitted. You must ensure that you have enrolled for your first exam within a year of being granted your Certificate of Eligibility.

If you'd like to discuss submitting an application or you would like further guidance, please email us at [email protected].