Based on the provisions of criminal procedure theory and criminology, the problems of international legal assistance are revealed during the pre-trial investigation for crimes of corruption in the field of official and professional activities. Special attention is paid to identifying the details of evidential activities in criminal proceedings for offences related to the provision of public services during a special pre-trial investigation (in absentia). The methodological basis of the article is a set of general and special scientific methods of legal cognition. In particular, the concept of pre-trial special investigation is formulated, its functional purpose is defined, characteristics of the carrying out of separate investigative actions (search) during the special pre-trial investigation for corruption offences. Attention is paid to issues of international cooperation to identify and search for assets in these criminal proceedings. Other problems are revealed in the use of international legal assistance to obtain evidence during the investigation of these crimes. It is concluded that a problem that arises during international cooperation during the preliminary investigation is the uncertainty in international rules on the provision of mutual legal assistance.