Study in China from Kazakhstan: Chinese Government Scholarship, Deadlines and Diploma Recognition

Students from Kazakhstan can study in China on a Chinese government grant, through the competition run by the Center for International Programs (CIP), or self-funded, applying straight to a Chinese university. This guide covers the official channel, last round's dates, what to prepare, and recognising your diploma when you come home.

China's government grants for Kazakhstan

Under the agreement on cooperation in education between the education ministries of Kazakhstan and China of 3 June 2003, China gives 73 grants on Chinese government scholarships. Teaching is in Chinese or English, and CIP plans to take documents in January and February.

In the 2026-2027 competition:

• Levels: bachelor's, master's and doctoral programs.
• What the grant covers: tuition, a monthly stipend, medical insurance and a place in a university dormitory. Everything else, including the flight, the student pays.
• How to apply: register online on the China Scholarship Council's website (campuschina.org), then submit documents through the egov.kz portal or at CIP in person.
• CSCA: from 2026, international bachelor's applicants to Chinese universities need the CSCA test. CIP did not require the score when applying; candidates sat it after the selection.

CIP also said in September 2024 that the Government of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region gave Kazakhstani citizens 50 places that year, from college to doctoral level, and that 138 holders of Kazakhstan's own Bolashak scholarship have completed their studies in China.

Deadlines: last round and this round

Last round, CIP took applications from 21 January to 10 February 2026 and then extended the deadline to 18 February. CIP had not announced the 2027-2028 competition when we last checked; this table and our application deadlines page change when it does.

Chinese universities also offer their own Chinese Government Scholarship places (Type B) and self-funded places with their own deadlines; the deadlines page lists the ones we have checked.

Self-funded: apply to the university directly

You can apply to a Chinese university on its own online system and pay only its own fees. See how applying directly works, what a first year costs and the official fees on our tuition fees page.

Documents and language scores to prepare

This round's Chinese Government Scholarship notices (for example the Chinese Embassy in Indonesia's) ask for:

1. The scholarship application form, in Chinese or English
2. A passport valid for at least 12 months from the start of your studies
3. Your notarized highest diploma and transcripts, with notarized Chinese or English translations of documents in other languages
4. A pre-admission document from a Chinese university: a pre-admission notice or an invitation letter from a school or professor
5. A study plan or research proposal: at least 200 words for bachelor's, 500 for non-degree and 800 for master's and PhD
6. Two recommendation letters from professors or associate professors, for master's and PhD
7. A CSCA score report for bachelor's programs
8. HSK 4 for Chinese-taught master's and PhD programs; IELTS, TOEFL or similar for programs taught in other languages, as each university requires
9. The Foreigner Physical Examination Form, valid for six months, and a certificate of no criminal record, usually issued within six months

The same notices set the age limits: under 25 for bachelor's, under 35 for master's and under 40 for PhD. CIP's own competition may ask for more documents; follow its announcement. See also our CSCA guide, HSK requirements and application documents checklist.

Getting your diploma recognised in Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan's rules on recognising higher and postgraduate education documents (Order No. 268 of the Minister of Science and Higher Education of 12 June 2023, as amended) say:

• Apply through the e-government portal or the State Corporation "Government for Citizens".
• What is checked: that the diploma is authentic, that the university had the right to teach that program when it issued it, and, where needed, an expert assessment.
• Top-ranked universities: diplomas from universities in the first 250 places of at least two of the QS, ARWU and THE world rankings are recognised by checking authenticity only.
• Bolashak scholars do not go through recognition.
• Medicine and pharmacy: foreign medical and pharmaceutical diplomas, including internship, also get an assessment of the level of education by experts recommended by the health authority.

Keep your diploma, its supplement and your transcripts: you will need them for recognition.

MBBS and other medical degrees

If you plan to study medicine, read the recognition rule above with care: besides the authenticity check, a foreign medical diploma is assessed by experts recommended by Kazakhstan's health authority. Our MBBS guide lists the Chinese universities on the Ministry of Education's MBBS list and their checked fees.

Free help with your application

You can apply on your own using the steps above. If you'd like help choosing universities or preparing documents, ask for free application help. Help is free for students.