Comparison Criteria

MBBS Abroad

MBBS India

Entrance Exam

Pursuing medical education overseas does not require entrance examinations, unless otherwise mentioned by a specific institution. However, most universities admit international students based on their merits.

Indian students planning to pursue their medicine back in India must be qualified for the NEET-UG, as per the NMC rules.

The NEET scorecard is deemed valid for up to three years to apply for a foreign MBBS program, from the original result date, administered by the NTA. No specific marks required.

National Eligibility cum Entrance Test - Undergraduate (NEET-UG) is the mandatory and only entrance examination in India to allow admission of MBBS students across different national institutions.

The National Testing Agency conducts and monitors the NEET-UG examination each year across India.

The qualifying students receive an allotment based on their final results, allowing them to study in any one of these – government, private, or deemed.

Eligibility Criteria

To pursue an MBBS abroad:

The Indian applicants must be at least 17 years old at the beginning of the application process.

The applicants must have passed their senior secondary education (10+2) with PCB (physics, chemistry and biology).

The general category of students must have a minimum score of 50% in PCB, while the reserved category of students (SC/ST/OBC) must have a minimum score of at least 40% aggregate.

The candidate should also have a NEET-UG qualification (valid for three years) with required marks varying depending on the institution chosen to study.

To pursue an MBBS India:

The applicant must be at least 17 years old by the 31st December in the same admission year.

The applicant must have a PCB background in their 10+2 (physics, chemistry, and biology as core subjects).

The minimum score for the general category of students is 50% aggregate, while the reserved students (SC/ST/OBC) must have a minimum score of 40% aggregate in PCB.

Course Duration

As specified in the NMC guidelines for foreign MBBS graduates of Indian origin, the minimum duration of an MBBS abroad course should be 54 months (4.5 years), along with a mandatory 12-month internship at the same institution without any break.

In India, the overall duration of an MBBS program is generally 5.5 years, which includes an academic and clinical training phase lasting up to 4.5 years, followed by a Compulsory Rotatory Medical Internship that goes up to 12 months.

MBBS Fees

MBBS fees are relatively more affordable in Russia and Georgia compared to tuition fees in the USA or the UK.

When compared to the cost of education at a private or deemed medical institution in India, studying medicine abroad in countries like Russia, Georgia, or Uzbekistan provides an affordable alternative.

Depending on the particular country and its medical institution, the tuition fees for a 6-year MBBS abroad program can range from 20 lakh to 40 lakh (on average).

MBBS fees in India are cheap at government colleges, ranging from 50 thousand to 2 lakh for the entire course duration.

Private universities and colleges can cost much more than government medical institutions, often ranging between 10 lakh and 20 lakh per year for tuition fees only, excluding donation or capitation fees.

Deemed colleges are autonomous institutions that cost nearly the same as the private institutions, ranging from 10 lakh to 30 lakh per year of tuition fees.

Medical Seats Availability

The availability at many overseas universities is not restricted or capped for international students.

The competition level of admission is lower than in India, due to an open and non-capped MBBS seat allotment process for international students.

All international candidates are selected based on merit, allowing many of those Indian medical aspirants who missed out on a chance to enrol at a government college.

MBBS seats in India are divided among the different types of medical institutions across different regions.

The competition level for admission is high due to the limited availability of the MBBS seats, i.e., approximately 1.18 lakh seats (as of mid-2025).

Private institutions occupy the largest number of MBBS seats in India (as of NMC's 2025 data). While seats might increase in the near future, the demand-to-supply ratio remains a big challenge for all Indian medical aspirants.

Quota Reservation

All medical universities in foreign countries do not have a reservation system for a systematic assessment to process the admissions of all international students.

Admissions are mainly assessed on merit and are approached on a first-come, first-served basis by all the international medical institutions.

Admission to MBBS colleges in India is implemented through a strict reservation system, as per the government’s standard procedures.

Other than the AIQ and state-based quotas, admission is done with the quota-based system, catering to Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), Other Backwards Classes (OBC), and Economically Weaker Sections (EWS).

Internship Opportunities

The final year of the MBBS program is dedicated to the 12-month clinical rotations.

Students pursuing an MBBS abroad must complete the 12-month mandatory internship at the same institution.

This process is essential for complying with the NMC guidelines and being eligible to appear for the medical licensing exam in India (FMGE/NExT).

The MBBS curriculum (5.5 years) in India integrates the 12-month internship.

Also known as “Compulsory Rotating Medical Internship (CRMI), students participate in this 12-month training period as a final transition.

Completing this internship in India is essential to register as a professional in India, complying with the NMC guidelines.

Medical Licensing Exam

After completing the MBBS abroad, all Indian graduates are eligible to appear for the medical licensing exams in India.

While the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) is currently the official medical screening test for all foreign Indian MBBS graduates, the NMC is soon implementing the National Exit Test (NExT) as the official replacement.

Once implemented across the country, all MBBS graduates (from Indian and foreign institutions) will clear the NExT and find a clinical career pathway in India.

After completing an MBBS in India, all the graduates can either pursue further studies or take the pathway to their clinical careers.

All MBBS graduates can appear for the NEET-PG for postgraduate studies. With the introduction of the National Exit Test (NExT) in India as the official replacement for the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE), graduates can find a direct, one-way career pathway to register as a medical professional and begin working anywhere in India.

Overview