Study AI in France from Kazakhstan

Looking for a master’s in France as a Kazakh student? AI2 offers English-taught MSc programmes in applied AI, data science, cybersecurity and IoT near Paris, open to graduates from Kazakhstan, with a State-registered qualification at master’s level (RNCP level 7).

Kazakhstan sits outside the Études en France procedure, which keeps the route to an AI2 place fairly short: admission first, then a France-Visas application lodged in Almaty or Astana. Below you will find how the UNT and Kazakh degrees relate to AI2’s entry points, what the visa centre charges and what a year costs in tenge.

AI2 – Applied Institute of Artificial Intelligence is an applied AI school on the Écouen campus, 22 minutes from Paris Gare du Nord. Its programmes are taught in English and prepare qualifications registered by the French State with France Compétences (RNCP) at level 6 (bachelor’s level) and level 7 (master’s level).

Applying from Kazakhstan: what is specific to you

UNT results, bakalavr credits and AI2 entry points

The Unified National Testing (UNT), run by the National Testing Center of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, has been the main way of assessing applicants to Kazakh universities since 2004. It is held four times a year, its certificate carries a QR code that confirms authenticity, and the result is valid until 31 December of the year you sat it. Include the certificate alongside your certificate of general secondary education when you apply for the Bachelor in Applied AI.

At university level, ENIC Kazakhstan describes the bakalavr as a degree of at least 240 credits, the ECTS equivalent of four years of full-time study. A related Kazakh bachelor’s therefore points to the MSc Applied AI and may also be considered for the 11-month Fast-Track, subject to the academic team’s review. Two completed years of a bakalavr correspond to the BSc final-year top-up. If you hold an applied bachelor’s (prikladnoy bakalavr), which Kazakh law classes as post-secondary education, ask the admissions team which entry point suits your profile.

Visa appointments at VFS Global in Almaty and Astana

Kazakhstan does not appear on Campus France’s list of 75 Études en France countries, so no pre-consular interview applies: after admission you fill in the long-stay form on France-Visas. Files are lodged by appointment at VFS Global, either in the Grand Alatau business centre, 28V Timiryazev Street, Almaty, or at 6/1 Kabanbay Batyr Avenue, Astana. The French Embassy in Astana examines every application.

The consular fee is priced in tenge, and VFS adds a basic service fee equivalent to €32, also collected in tenge and paid at the centre. Passports are collected in the afternoon without an appointment. France-Visas recommends allowing two to three months between lodging your file and the date you leave.

Translations, IELTS, apostille and Bolashak

• Campus France Kazakhstan notes that the Alliances Françaises in Almaty and Astana can translate documents, which helps if a French authority later asks for translations.
• The British Council runs IELTS in thirteen cities: Almaty, Astana, Aktau, Aktobe, Atyrau, Karagandy, Kostanay, Oskemen, Pavlodar, Shymkent, Taldykorgan, Taraz and Turkistan. Taught in English? See studying in France without IELTS.
• Kazakhstan has applied the Hague Apostille Convention since 2001, so if a diploma ever needs authenticating for France, an apostille is the accepted format.
• Campus France Kazakhstan lists five French universities covered by the Bolashak programme; AI2 is not one of them, so plan your funding around AI2’s own scholarship and personal resources.

For rent and daily spending, use our guide to the cost of studying AI in France.

Travelling to Écouen

Paris Aéroport’s destination pages show no airline flying non-stop between Paris and either Almaty or Astana, so plan an itinerary with one connection. From Charles de Gaulle, take the train to Gare du Nord; the campus is 22 minutes from the station. See our student accommodation guide.

Sources checked in October 2026: France-Visas: applying in Kazakhstan · Campus France: countries using the Études en France procedure · National Testing Center: Unified National Testing · ENIC-NARIC: Kazakhstan · British Council Kazakhstan: IELTS dates, fees and locations · Campus France Kazakhstan: Bolashak programme

AI and data science programmes for students from Kazakhstan

All programmes and current fees: all programmes, scholarships and our guide to the cost of studying AI in France.

Entry requirements for students from Kazakhstan

• Bachelor Year 1: the certificate of general secondary education and your UNT results, with mathematics. English at B2 level: IELTS 6.0, TOEFL iBT 72 or equivalent, or schooling in English.
• MSc: a bachelor’s degree (bakalavr) in computer science, engineering, mathematics, statistics or a related field. English at B2 level: IELTS 6.0, TOEFL iBT 72 or equivalent, or schooling in English.

Why study AI in France rather than the UK or Australia?

• Tuition from €10,500 a year for an MSc, far below typical UK fees.
• Programmes taught in English, in the Paris region, at the heart of Europe.
• The right to work up to 964 hours a year during your studies, and a post-study permit for master’s-level graduates.
• Applied projects with companies, from the first semester.

Careers after an AI degree

Graduates can target AI and data roles in Kazakh fintech, banking, energy and mining companies, or in Europe. Typical roles include data scientist, machine learning engineer, AI developer, data analyst and AI security specialist.

How to come to France from Kazakhstan: step by step

Start 6 to 8 months before your intake (January, May or September). The full timeline is in our visa guidance, and daily life is covered in life in France.

Time difference for your online interview

Kazakhstan Time (UTC+5): four hours ahead of Paris in winter, three in summer.

Frequently asked questions