The Kazakhstan Government Scholarship for foreign citizens pays tuition and a monthly stipend for full-time bachelor’s, master’s and PhD study at Kazakh universities. Each year it offers 550 places: 490 for bachelor’s, 50 for master’s and 10 for PhD. Anyone who is not a citizen of Kazakhstan can apply, including ethnic Kazakhs who hold another citizenship, and there is no application fee.
The 2026 round ran from 30 March to 31 May 2026 and is closed. The Ministry of Science and Higher Education announced the 550 winners on 31 July 2026, chosen from 16,098 applicants in 71 countries. If the ministry keeps this year’s calendar, the next Kazakhstan government scholarship round opens on 30 March 2027 and closes on 31 May 2027. Here is how the programme works now, including the change of operator and portal that many older guides still miss.
Kazakhstan government scholarship at a glance
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Official name | Scholarship programme for foreign citizens, including Kazakhs without Kazakhstani citizenship, to study at higher and postgraduate institutions |
| Run by | Ministry of Science and Higher Education of Kazakhstan |
| Admissions operator (2026) | JSC Center for International Programs (bolashak.gov.kz) |
| Application portal | studyin.kz/admission |
| Places a year | 490 bachelor’s, 50 master’s, 10 PhD |
| What it covers | Tuition for the full programme and a monthly stipend |
| Application fee | None |
| Languages for the application | Kazakh, Russian or English |
| Universities in 2026 | 27 universities, 886 programmes |
| Programme running since | 2019 |
One correction to the “fully funded” label used on many sites: the ministry and university pages describe the award as free tuition plus a monthly stipend. None of the official pages I checked promises free accommodation, flights or health insurance, and the stipend amount is not published on them. Budget for housing and travel until your offer letter says otherwise.
Kazakhstan government scholarship deadline: 2026 dates and next round
| Stage | 2026 round (closed) | Next round |
|---|---|---|
| Applications open | 30 March 2026 | 30 March 2027 |
| Application deadline | 31 May 2026 | 31 May 2027 |
| Online test and interviews | Between the deadline and the results | Between 31 May and 31 July 2027 |
| Results announced | 31 July 2026 | 31 July 2027 |
| Studies start | 2026/2027 academic year | 2027/2028 academic year |
(based on this year’s date; confirm on the official page when the call opens)
The 30 March to 31 May window has been used in several recent years; the 2024 call on the Higher Education Development National Center site used the same dates. In 2023 the window ran to 30 June, so check the portal when it opens.
Operator and portal changed
Older guides send you to the Higher Education Development National Center (enic-kazakhstan.edu.kz). For 2026 the call was published by JSC Center for International Programs on bolashak.gov.kz, with applications on studyin.kz/admission. Use whichever site the ministry names in the 2027 announcement.
Who can apply for the Kazakhstan government scholarship
- Nationality: any foreign citizen. Kazakhs who are not citizens of Kazakhstan are included. The 2026 winners came from 49 countries, and the largest numbers of applications came from Palestine, Indonesia, Russia, Uzbekistan and Afghanistan.
- Study mode: full-time bachelor’s, master’s or PhD.
- Bachelor’s grades: a secondary school certificate with an average of at least “good”.
- Master’s and PhD grades: a GPA of at least 3.0 out of 4.0, or the equivalent, in your previous degree.
- Language certificate (master’s and PhD): required in the language of instruction, unless that language is official or the teaching language in your country, or you graduated within the past five years.
The official pages I checked do not set an age limit. The rule that you may hold the award only for your first degree at each level appears on third-party sites but not on the official pages, so I have not treated it as confirmed.
Accepted language certificates
| Language | Accepted tests and minimum level |
|---|---|
| English | IELTS Academic 5.5, TOEFL iBT 46 or TOEFL PBT 453 |
| German | DSH or TestDaF at B2 |
| French | TFI (B2 in reading and listening), DELF B2, DALF B2, or TCF 50 points |
| Chinese | HSK level 4 or higher |
These minimums come from the most recent list published by the previous operator, for the 2024 round. They are low compared with most scholarships, but the university you choose can still set its own entry level.
Documents for the Kazakhstan government scholarship
You upload scanned copies. In the 2024 round, each column of the full-study form took one merged file of up to 100 MB.
| Document | Bachelor’s | Master’s | PhD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Identity document (passport) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Previous certificate or diploma with transcript and notarised translation | School certificate | Bachelor’s diploma | Master’s diploma |
| Motivation essay | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Recommendation letters | 1 (school or employer) | 2 | 2 |
| Medical certificate for study abroad | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Completed application form | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Language certificate | No | Yes (see exemptions) | Yes (see exemptions) |
| Justification of the dissertation topic | No | No | Yes, in the language of instruction |
| Invitation letter from a Kazakh university | If you have one | If you have one | If you have one |
For the recommendation letters, our scholarship recommendation letter samples show what a referee should cover. Some sites list an HIV certificate and a UNRWA letter as standard requirements. The official list asks for a medical certificate for study abroad; check the 2027 form for what it must contain.
How to apply and how selection works
- Choose your programmes: the call lists the participating universities and programmes. In 2026 there were 27 universities and 886 programmes.
- Register on the portal: studyin.kz/admission, between 30 March and 31 May.
- Fill in the form and upload documents: in Kazakh, Russian or English.
- Document check: the operator verifies your file. If it meets the requirements, you get a link to an online test by email.
- Online test of adaptive potential: a psychological-style test. Passing it brings an interview invitation.
- Online interview: with representatives of the ministry, the operator and the universities.
- Results: the ministry publishes the list of winners; in 2026 this was 31 July.
The selection steps above are the ones the previous operator published for the 2023 and 2024 rounds. The 2026 announcement did not list them, so expect small changes.
Universities that took the most scholarship students in 2026
The ministry named the universities with the largest number of 2026 recipients:
- Kokshetau University named after Shokan Ualikhanov
- Astana IT University
- Kazakh National Research Technical University (Satbayev University)
- L. N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University
- Kazakh University of International Relations and World Languages named after Ablai Khan
Lists of 36 participating universities circulate online, but the 2026 round used 27. The participating list can change each year, so use the one in the 2027 call. Some universities also fund their own foreign students; L. N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University, for example, offers two Kultegin and Gumilyov places each for fee-paying bachelor’s and master’s students.
Is the Kazakhstan scholarship worth applying for?
At 16,098 applicants for 550 places in 2026, the odds are about 1 in 29 overall, and much tighter for the 10 PhD places. In its favour, there is no application fee, the English test minimums are modest, and everything happens online, including the interview. I would apply if you are realistic about living costs and comfortable studying where Kazakh and Russian are the everyday languages. For other awards that cost nothing to apply for, see our list of scholarships with no application fee.
FAQs on the Kazakhstan government scholarship
When is the Kazakhstan government scholarship 2027 deadline?
The 2026 round closed on 31 May 2026. Based on that date, the deadline is 31 May 2027, with applications opening on 30 March 2027 on studyin.kz/admission.
Is the Kazakhstan government scholarship fully funded?
It covers tuition for the whole programme and pays a monthly stipend. The official pages do not promise free housing or flights, so plan for those costs.
Do I need IELTS for the Kazakhstan scholarship?
Bachelor’s applicants do not need a language certificate. Master’s and PhD applicants need one, such as IELTS Academic 5.5 or TOEFL iBT 46, unless they qualify for an exemption.
How many Kazakhstan government scholarships are there?
550 a year: 490 for bachelor’s, 50 for master’s and 10 for PhD study.
Sources and updates
The 2026 call, dates, places and portal come from the Center for International Programs announcement of 30 March 2026. The 2026 results, applicant numbers and universities come from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education announcement of 31 July 2026 as reported by Kazinform and Interfax-Kazakhstan. Documents and language minimums come from the Higher Education Development National Center’s information page for the 2024 round; selection stages come from the previous operator’s notices reproduced by East Kazakhstan Technical University and Zhetysu University. Checked on 24 October 2026; I will update the dates when the 2027 call is published.
I am Jude Chinecherem, a final-year MBBS student at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. I know what it feels like to want an education your family cannot afford. When my parents could not pay for my schooling, I had to learn how to find scholarships and work the system out on my own, with nobody to guide me. I came out the other side, and now I share everything I learned so the next student does not have to figure it out alone. This is the advice I wish someone had given me back then.
