Country edition: India
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MBBS Abroad: NMC Rules Before You Choose a Country

Government of India and official sources·Last checked 29 Oct 2026

A foreign medical degree is useful in India only if it meets the National Medical Commission's Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate (FMGL) Regulations, 2021. Check these before you pick Russia, Ukraine or any other country.

Choose a country
Course length
At least 54 months [1]
Internship abroad
At least 12 months, same institution [1]
Medium
English [1]
Back in India
Pass FMGE, then 12 months' internship [1]
01 FMGL Regulations 2021

The conditions your degree must meet

  • The course must last at least 54 months, followed by an internship of at least 12 months in the same foreign medical institution. [1]
  • The whole course and internship must be at the same institution: no part of the training in India or in a third country. [1]
  • The medium of instruction must be English. [1]
  • You must be registered in the country that awarded the degree, with a licence equal to what that country gives its own citizens. [1]
  • The course must be completed within ten years of joining. [1]
  • After passing the licentiate exam (FMGE today), you do a supervised internship in India for at least 12 months. [1]
  • These rules cover students whose foreign course began on or after 18 November 2021; earlier students follow the older rules. [1]
FMGE: the screening test NEET-UG (needed before you go) Study in Russia: NMC checks Ukraine: advisory and mobility
02 Back in India

Internship seats for foreign medical graduates

  • In a circular of 10 March 2026 the NMC told State Medical Councils to give foreign medical graduates 7.5% of the intern intake of established medical colleges, 100% of internship seats in new medical colleges, and 100% of seats added between 2022-23 and 2025-26 in existing colleges. [2]
  • The NMC said this followed a rise in court cases by foreign medical graduates over denial of internship. [2]
03 Students who had to leave

Ukraine's academic mobility route

  • In September 2022 the NMC accepted Ukraine's academic mobility programme: students could finish remaining semesters at universities in other countries, with the degree awarded by the parent Ukrainian university. [3]
  • The Government told the Supreme Court that the notice was not a back door into Indian medical colleges. [3]
04 Official sources & verification

Where these facts come from

Every fact above is read from the official pages below (government, embassy, regulator, test owner or university), last checked on 29 October 2026. Visa money, fees and work rules change several times a year — open the official page before you pay or apply.

  1. NMC — Rules and regulations (FMGL Regulations 2021 and FAQs) (opens in a new tab) 54 months, internship, English, licence, 10 years
  2. NMC — Circular on CRMI slots for FMGs (10 Mar 2026) (opens in a new tab) 7.5% / 100% internship seats · Last checked 29 Oct 2026
  3. Careers360 — NMC allows Ukraine-returned students to finish abroad (opens in a new tab) Academic mobility notice of 6 Sep 2022

Spotted something out of date? Email margdarshan07support10@gmail.com with the official link and we will update it.

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