Frequently Asked Questions

No single country is best for everyone. For scale, the largest groups of FMGE candidates in NBEMS's 2024 report had trained in Kyrgyzstan (15,135), China (14,214), Russia (11,276) and the Philippines (9,967). Russia offers WDOMS-listed state universities with English-medium programmes, and our Russia page compares their fees. The right choice depends on your budget, the FMGE record of the specific university and your long-term goals - A.J Trust helps you choose based on your profile.

Yes, if your degree meets NMC's FMGL-2021 criteria: at least 54 months of study, a 12-month internship at the same institution, English-medium teaching, and a qualification that licenses you to practise in that country. Check that the university is WDOMS-listed too. You then clear FMGE, the screening test conducted by NBEMS (it stays the route until NExT comes into force, and no NExT date has been notified), complete a 12-month supervised internship in India, and register with a State Medical Council to practise legally.

To study MBBS in Russia you must have passed 10+2 with at least 50% aggregate in Physics, Chemistry and Biology (40% for SC/ST/OBC), be at least 17 by 31 December of the admission year, and have qualified NEET. The course is 6 years, taught on an English-medium track where the university runs one. Ask the university to state in writing how those 6 years split into study and internship, because NMC's FMGL-2021 needs at least 54 months of study plus a 12-month internship at the same institution. A valid passport and academic documents are also required.

Yes. NEET qualification is mandatory for every Indian student who wants to study MBBS in Russia and later practice in India. Some universities may admit you without a NEET score, but NMC treats your NEET result as the eligibility certificate for a medical course abroad, so without it you cannot appear for FMGE - meaning you won't be able to get a medical license in India.

There is no single fixed NEET score - you need to qualify NEET (clear the minimum qualifying percentile), and each university sets its own selection on top of that. A.J Trust matches your actual NEET score to universities where you'll realistically be accepted.

Some Russian universities may accept your application without a NEET score, but for Indian students NEET is legally mandatory to practice in India. Without a valid NEET qualification you cannot appear for FMGE and cannot obtain a medical license in India - so admission without NEET is strongly inadvisable.

At several Russian state medical universities, yes: they run General Medicine on an English-medium track for foreign students. Not every university does, so get the track and the language of every year in writing. Many Russian universities do not ask for IELTS or TOEFL - check the admission rules of the university you choose. Russian is taught as a foreign language; ask the university in which years.

The process is simple: (1) free counselling and university selection with A.J Trust, (2) submit the application with documents, (3) receive the university invitation/admission letter, (4) apply for the student visa, (5) pay the first-year tuition, and (6) travel to Russia in a guided batch. There is no fixed total, because the invitation and the visa each run on their own timelines. Russia's Ministry of Internal Affairs issues the invitation at the university's request (Sechenov quotes 21 working days for its own), and the Russian Embassy's tariff prices a student visa issued within 4–20 working days, or within 3 working days at a higher fee. Start as soon as your NEET result is out.

MBBS in Russia has two intakes - September (the main intake) and a smaller January/February intake. Applications typically open early in the year, and many universities accept forms until around August, but seats fill on a first-come basis. Apply 3–4 months ahead to secure your preferred university. A.J Trust tracks each university's current dates - verify before applying.

You need your 10th and 12th mark sheets and certificates, NEET scorecard, a passport valid for at least 1.5 years from the date the visa starts, passport-size photographs, birth certificate, an HIV certificate in English with the details Russia's Health Ministry Order 1060n requires, and a medical fitness certificate if your university asks for one. For the visa itself, Russia's official list is your passport, the application form, two photographs, the fee, the invitation issued at your university's request and an HIV certificate. Apostilled school certificates with Russian translations are for the university's admission, not for the visa. A.J Trust handles the documentation end-to-end.

You can apply for the Russian student visa only after you receive the official invitation letter, which Russia's Ministry of Internal Affairs issues at your university's request. The Russian Embassy publishes no visa time in weeks: its tariff, checked on 18 October 2026, prices a student visa issued within 4–20 working days, or within 3 working days at a higher fee, and the Embassy says a decision can be extended by up to 30 days. Start early to avoid last-minute delays, especially near the September intake. A.J Trust provides free visa assistance and guides you through documentation, translation and submission.

The estimated 6-year package for MBBS in Russia (tuition + hostel + medical insurance) is $15,400–$44,300 (approx ₹14.5–42.5 lakh) at most WDOMS-listed universities; premium Moscow and St. Petersburg institutes range from $51,300–$129,800. Annual tuition ranges from about $2,340–$21,600/yr - premium Moscow universities are higher, regional government universities lower. Flights, food, and personal expenses are extra - living costs add roughly ₹11,500–₹17,200 per month. There are no donation or capitation fees, unlike private Indian colleges. Contact A.J Trust for exact current fees.

The fee usually covers tuition; hostel, medical insurance and food are often billed separately, though some universities bundle them. Most Russian universities let you pay year by year, so you don't pay all six years upfront. Always confirm exactly what each year's fee includes before paying. A.J Trust gives you a transparent, itemized cost sheet.

No. Never pay the full 6-year fee upfront, even for a 'discount'. Russian universities generally bill tuition year by year, so ask the university itself whether any multi-year discount exists. Paying lump sums to an agent's account risks the money never reaching the university. Always pay each year's fee directly to the university. A.J Trust follows a transparent, direct-payment process with zero hidden charges.

Some Russian universities and the Russian government offer limited merit-based scholarships, though availability varies by university and year. For funding, Indian banks lend for full-time courses at foreign universities, each on its own rules. SBI's Global Ed-Vantage page lists Russia among its eligible countries (checked 18 October 2026). Confirm with the bank that your university qualifies. A.J Trust helps you check scholarship eligibility and guides you through the education-loan documentation and application.

Yes, if the degree meets NMC's Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate Regulations, 2021 (FMGL-2021): at least 54 months of study, a 12-month internship at the same institution, English-medium teaching, and a qualification that licenses you to practise in Russia. A WDOMS listing alone does not settle it, so get the study and internship split in writing from the university. To practise in India you then clear FMGE (the route until NExT comes into force; no NExT date has been notified) and complete a 12-month supervised internship in India. The degree alone doesn't grant a license; qualifying the screening exam is essential.

In NBEMS's 2024 report, 3,331 of the 11,276 candidates from Russian institutions passed FMGE (29.5%), against 20,382 of 79,000 (25.8%) across all countries. The spread between universities is wide: of the 15 Russian universities we track (about half of Russia's candidates that year), the ten with at least 100 candidates ranged from 132 of 719 (18.4%) at Stavropol State Medical University to 194 of 447 (43.4%) at Orenburg State Medical University. Pass rates differ far more between Russian universities than between Russia and the all-country average. Our FMGE pass-rate page, russianmbbs.com/resources/fmge-pass-rates, lists the record of every university we track, with denominators.

FMGE is the screening test foreign medical graduates take today. It is conducted by NBEMS, which announced on 28 August 2026 that FMGE moves from two sessions a year to three. NExT (National Exit Test) is the exam section 15 of the NMC Act, 2019 provides for, meant eventually to replace both FMGE and NEET-PG with a single licensing-plus-PG-entrance test. It has no start date: NMC's draft amendment in the Gazette of 11 August 2026 still names FMGE as the route for foreign graduates "until National Exit Test (NEXT) comes into force". Check nmc.org.in for a notification before trusting any quoted NExT start year.

NBEMS's information bulletin for the October 2026 session says there are no restrictions on the number of attempts a candidate can take; once you pass, you cannot sit FMGE again. NBEMS now holds FMGE three times a year (announced 28 August 2026), so if you don't clear it you can reappear in a later session after focused preparation. Rules can change, so read the bulletin for the session you apply to on natboard.edu.in, and start exam-oriented preparation from year one rather than after graduation.

Nobody can honestly promise that, and we won't. Indian medical students continue to study across Russia, but drone strikes have reached cities far from the border in 2026. On 17 May, the Indian Embassy said on its Telegram channel, one Indian citizen was killed and three were injured in a drone attack in the Moscow region. On 19 August, the Embassy posted, an Indian student at Bashkir State Medical University in Ufa suffered minor injuries in another. On 19–20 September Moscow had what its mayor called an unprecedented drone attack (ABC News). Check the Indian Embassy in Moscow's advisories before you choose a city, and ask us for the city-by-city briefing we give every family before admission.

Be ready for a few real challenges: harsh winters, well below freezing in most university cities, a demanding curriculum with oral exams and strict attendance, and learning basic Russian for patient interaction in clinical years. Homesickness and food adjustment are common early on. These are manageable - taking the Russian classes seriously and studying consistently makes the biggest difference.

Hostels, food and facilities differ by university. An undated Indian Embassy page says hostels at many universities could be inadequate and that students are generally expected to cook their own food, so ask your university in writing. Monthly living costs typically range ₹11,500–₹17,200 depending on lifestyle. Hostel fees vary by university and city, and mandatory medical insurance costs around ₹18,000 per year.

MBBS in Russia is worth it if you choose a WDOMS-listed university whose degree meets NMC's FMGL-2021 criteria, check its FMGE record in the NBEMS reports, and prepare for licensing exams from year one. The estimated $15,400–$44,300 (approx ₹14.5–42.5 lakh) 6-year package is a major saving over private Indian colleges (₹60 lakh–₹1.5 crore, indicative). The main risk is picking a university with a weak FMGE record - so university selection is the most important decision.

Yes. For NEET-PG, clause 4.10 of the NEET-PG 2026 bulletin asks a candidate with a foreign medical degree for an FMGE pass, registration with NMC or a State Medical Council, and an internship completed or due to finish by the session's cut-off (30 September 2026 for NEET-PG 2026). In a tie, your FMGE percentage is used where an Indian graduate's MBBS aggregate would be, after six other tie-breakers. You can also pursue PG abroad, for example in the USA (via USMLE) or the UK (via PLAB), depending on the licensing exams you are eligible for and clear.