MBBS in Foreign Countries Fees

Whether you study MBBS in India or abroad depends on your budget and NEET score. Most students are unaware of MBBS in foreign countries fees. Securing an MBBS seat in India is becoming increasingly difficult each year, prompting more students to explore top MBBS options abroad. Every student tries to get a seat in India first. Their priority is to get a seat in a government medical college. If students cannot secure a seat in a government medical college, they typically explore options in private institutions. If they lack the budget to pay the exuberant fees in private medical colleges in India, the students search for MBBS abroad options.

This means that while the average student secures qualifying marks in NEET, they may not have the financial means to afford the high fees of private medical colleges in India. As a result, many students are seeking affordable yet high-quality options for pursuing an MBBS abroad. We have realized that most MBBS aspirants looking to study abroad typically do not have a budget of ₹75 lakh or more. For over 10 years, Global Medical Foundation has been assisting students in pursuing MBBS degrees abroad. In our experience, 75% of students have a budget of ₹30 lakh or less and 25% have a budget of ₹50-60 lakh at max. There rarely are students willing to study MBBS abroad with a budget of more than ₹70 lakh.

As a result, many Indian students can’t secure admission in countries like the USA, UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and most European Union nations, where the required budget for studying can range from ₹1 to ₹5 crore. In some countries, the budget is about the same as private medical colleges in India. Therefore, Indian students do not study in these countries. Let us see which are the most popular countries for studying MBBS abroad.

MBBS in Foreign Countries Overview

As discussed above, almost all aspirants who wish to study abroad have a limited budget. These are the students who are unable to afford private medical college seats in India. Therefore, they won’t be able to afford to study in countries like the USA, UK, etc., as these countries are costlier. So which are the countries where most Indian students go? Let’s list down the most popular MBBS abroad destinations before we check MBBS in foreign countries fees:

Most popular options in Europe:

  • Georgia
  • Russia
  • Bosnia & Herzegovina
  • Romania (part of the EU)
  • Moldova

Most popular options in Asia:

  • Kyrgyzstan
  • Kazakhstan
  • Uzbekistan
  • Bangladesh

Popular options which are not viable anymore:

  • Ukraine due to the ongoing war
  • Philippines as it does not fulfil FMGL Regulations

Among the countries mentioned, securing admission in Bosnia & Herzegovina, Moldova, and Romania is more challenging, with budgets exceeding ₹50 lakh. The number of seats is limited, so apply between May and June to avoid missing out.

Nearly 95% of students pursuing MBBS abroad choose destinations like Russia, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Bangladesh. This is because these countries offer affordable options while providing quality education.

Importance of understanding fees before applying

Before applying for admission, the most common questions asked by students and their parents are about ‘MBBS in foreign countries fees’. First, it is important to determine your budget. It is important to contact an honest and experienced consultancy like the Global Medical Foundation. We will help you fully understand the cost of studying MBBS abroad. It is extremely important to understand the ‘MBBS in Foreign Countries Fees’ so that you can manage your expenses well enough. These are the various aspects of MBBS in Foreign Countries Fees:

  • Consultancy fee and visa fee paid in India to the consultant
  • Flight ticket cost
  • University tuition fee
  • Hostel fee
  • Indian mess fee (if applicable)
  • visa extension fee
  • medical/health insurance fee
  • One-time charges (OTC)
  • Pocket money/personal expenses
  • Other country/university-specific charges

These are the types of expenses that you will be paying throughout your MBBS abroad journey. Some costs are incurred only once like the Consultancy Fee and OTC while others like Visa Extension and Medical Insurance fees will be paid yearly in most countries. The problem that many students face is that they are misled.

Most MBBS abroad consultants deliberately mislead students. Here is an example of how many consultants mislead students:

If a student comes to Global Medical Foundation:

  • We tell the students all the expenses and fees
  • GMF representatives use existing exchange rates to tell the accurate MBBS in foreign countries fees in Indian Rupees
  • We do not hide any expenses
  • GMF representatives will tell all expenses as they are and not hide anything

If a student goes to some other consultancy:

  • They won’t tell you all the expenses so it appears that their fee structure costs lower
  • Some will deliberately not include many expenses while showing you the fee structure
  • Other consultants will use outdated exchange rates so that the MBBS in foreign countries fees in Indian Rupees appear to be less

Students who apply for admission through the Global Medical Foundation will be happy as they will pay what was told. On the contrary, you will fall into the trap of other consultants and you pay a lot more.

Most MBBS abroad consultants show fewer expenses here and make students pay a lot more once they reach the university. Global Medical Foundation can say that more than 90% of consultants misguide students when it comes to MBBS in foreign countries fees.

If you don’t want to face financial losses and mental trauma, you should apply through Global Medical Foundation as we guarantee a ‘No price change’ policy. This means students will not be asked to pay anything above the fee we have shown you before your departure.

MBBS in Foreign Countries Fees Calculator

Let’s now explore the cost of studying MBBS in some of the most popular destinations, considering the various expenses discussed earlier:

MBBS in Russia Budget Calculator:

Russia is a very affordable destination for medical aspirants. There are many universities in Russia and all are government universities. This also means that the hostels provided are done so at a very affordable rate. First, you will pay consultancy and visa fees in India. This can be between ₹75,000-1,25,000. And you will be paying for the flight ticket from Delhi to Moscow. You might want to keep some pocket money with you before you go. We would recommend to keep at least ₹25,000. Then comes other expenses.

There are many universities in Russia where the tuition fee is between ₹2.5-3 lakh per year. In a handful of Russian medical universities, it is between ₹2-2.5 lakh. However, in most universities, the tuition fee ranges between ₹3-5 lakh yearly.

If we talk about the hostel facility in Russia, you will get a room in the university hostel which will be shared by 3 more students in most cases. The cost of hostel accommodation starts from as low as ₹15,ooo per year and goes up to ₹50,ooo to 1 lakh.

Indian mess facility is not available in every university in Russia. Where it is available, it will cost around ₹10,000 per month. In most cases, it is compulsory to opt and pay for the Indian mess in the 1st year. Therefore, it will cost you around ₹1 lakh for the 1st year at least. This is to be paid at once. Second year onwards, it is not compulsory and students can cook food themselves. They can do so in the kitchen provided in the hostel. If the student cooks food themselves, they can expect to spend ₹5,000 per month.

Additionally, you will be paying One-Time charges, Visa extension charges (yearly), Medical Insurance (yearly), and Biometric charges. Add to it the yearly cost of travel between India and Russia and your pocket money.

You can expect the budget to be around ₹30 lakh to study in Russia. Here is your MBBS in Russia budget calculator along with an example:

With Indian Mess for all 6 years:

Note: All figures below are indicative and are only used for example purposes. We have used ₹ for ease of understanding.

  • Consultancy & Visa from India Fee: ₹1 lakh (one-time)
  • Flight ticket between Delhi and Moscow: ₹25,000 (one-way)
  • Pocket money taken to Russia: ₹30,000 (going for the first time)
  • Pocket money: ₹10,000 (monthly)
  • Tuition fee: ₹2,50,000 (can be paid semester-wise)
  • Hostel fee: ₹20,000
  • OTC: ₹1,00,000 (one-time)
  • Biometric and Medical Check-up: ₹10,000
  • Visa Extension/Health Insurance: ₹5,000
  • Indian mess facility: ₹1 lakh

Total for 1st year = ₹7,35,000
From 2nd year onwards = ₹5,35,000/year

Total budget including pocket money, yearly travel between India and Russia, and Indian mess facility for the entire course = approx. ₹34 lakh. A breakdown of some of the cost here are =

Tuition fee = ₹15 lakh
Hostel fee = ₹1.20 lakh
Indian mess = ₹6 lakh
Flight cost = ₹3 lakh
Pocket money = ₹6 lakh (₹10,000 monthly)

The second variation is:

With Indian Mess for 1st year only:

Most of the costs discussed above will be the same:

Note: All figures below are indicative and are only used for example purposes. We have used ₹ for ease of understanding.

  • Consultancy & Visa from India Fee: ₹1 lakh (one-time)
  • Flight ticket between Delhi and Moscow: ₹25,000 (one-way)
  • Pocket money taken to Russia: ₹30,000 (going for the first time)
  • Pocket money: ₹10,000 (monthly)
  • Tuition fee: ₹2,50,000 (can be paid semester-wise)
  • Hostel fee: ₹20,000
  • OTC: ₹1,00,000 (one-time)
  • Biometric and Medical Check-up: ₹10,000
  • Visa Extension/Health Insurance: ₹5,000
  • Indian mess facility: ₹1 lakh
  • Cost of cooking for yourself = ₹5,000 (monthly)

Total for 1st year = ₹7,35,000 (compulsory Indian mess)
From 2nd year onwards = ₹4,85,000/year

Total budget including pocket money, yearly travel between India and Russia, Indian mess facility for the first year and cost of cooking food by yourself from the 2nd year = approx. ₹31.60 lakh. A breakdown of some of the cost here are =

Tuition fee = ₹15 lakh
Hostel fee = ₹1.20 lakh
Indian mess = ₹1 lakh
Food = ₹2.50 lakh
Flight cost = ₹3 lakh
Pocket money = ₹6 lakh (₹10,000 monthly)

The third variation is:

No Indian Mess:

Most of the costs discussed above will be the same except for the Indian mess:

Note: All figures below are indicative and are only used for example purposes. We have used ₹ for ease of understanding.

  • Consultancy & Visa from India Fee: ₹1 lakh (one-time)
  • Flight ticket between Delhi and Moscow: ₹25,000 (one-way)
  • Pocket money taken to Russia: ₹30,000 (going for the first time)
  • Pocket money: ₹10,000 (monthly)
  • Tuition fee: ₹2,50,000 (can be paid semester-wise)
  • Hostel fee: ₹20,000
  • OTC: ₹1,00,000 (one-time)
  • Biometric and Medical Check-up: ₹10,000
  • Visa Extension/Health Insurance: ₹5,000
  • Cost of cooking for yourself = ₹5,000 (monthly)

Total for 1st year = ₹6,85,000 (compulsory Indian mess)
From 2nd year onwards = ₹4,85,000/year

Total budget including pocket money, yearly travel between India and Russia and cost of cooking food by yourself = approx. ₹31.10 lakh. A breakdown of some of the cost here are:

Tuition fee = ₹15 lakh
Hostel fee = ₹1.20 lakh
Food = ₹3 lakh
Flight cost = ₹3 lakh
Pocket money = ₹6 lakh (₹10,000 monthly)

Please note that, though we have written the cost of cooking food by yourself and pocket money as two separate costs, in practicality, both will be considered your pocket money or monthly expenses only. There are more variations like the student staying outside the hostel from the second year onwards. However, we have equipped you with the knowledge of how to calculate the cost of studying MBBS in Russia and we hope you can use it to calculate your budget.

MBBS in Georgia Budget Calculator

Georgia is a popular destination for Indian students pursuing MBBS abroad, though it tends to be more expensive than Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan. The country has both government and private universities. Hostel facility is rarely provided by the universities in Georgia. Typically, consultants arrange apartment-style accommodations, and from the second year, most students opt to live in rented apartments.

First, you will pay consultancy and visa fees in India and the flight ticket charges between Delhi and Tbilisi. You might want to keep some pocket money with you before you go. We recommend at least ₹25,000. Then comes other expenses.

The tuition fee starts from ₹3.36 lakh per year and goes up to ₹6.72 lakh. The average tuition fee is between ₹4.20-5.04 lakh. The cost of hostel accommodation in Tbilisi is approx. ₹25,000 per month which will include Indian mess charges as well. Hostel and Indian mess will be compulsory for 1st year. From the second year onwards, students can stay in flats/apartments and cook food for themselves.

You will also pay the One-Time charges, Visa extension charges (yearly), and Medical Insurance (yearly). Add to it the yearly cost of travel between India and Georgia and your pocket money.

You can expect the budget to be around ₹45-60 lakh in Georgia. Here is your MBBS in Georgia budget calculator along with an example:

If you stay in the hostel and opt for the Indian mess for all 6 years:

Note: All figures below are indicative and are only used for example purposes. We have used ₹ for ease of understanding.

  • Consultancy & Visa from India Fee: ₹75,000 (one-time)
  • Flight ticket between Delhi and Tbilisi: ₹15,000 (one-way)
  • Pocket money taken to Georgia: ₹30,000 (going for the first time)
  • Pocket money: ₹10,000 (monthly)
  • Tuition fee: ₹4,62,000 (can be paid semester-wise)
  • Hostel and Indian mess fee: ₹25,000 (monthly)
  • OTC: ₹1,20,000 (one-time)
  • Visa Extension/Health Insurance: ₹30,000 (yearly)

Total for 1st year = ₹11 lakh
From 2nd year onwards = ₹9.22 lakh/year

Total budget including pocket money, yearly travel between India and Georgia, and Indian mess facility for the entire course = approx. ₹57 lakh. A breakdown of some of the cost here are:

Tuition fee = ₹27.72 lakh
Hostel fee & Indian mess = ₹18 lakh
Flight cost = ₹1.80 lakh
Pocket money = ₹6 lakh (₹10,000 monthly)
Visa extension and Medical Insurance = ₹1.80 lakh

For students who will stay in flats and cook food for themselves, it will still cost them around ₹20,000-25,000 in Tbilisi/Batumi and a bit less in Kutaisi. Therefore, there won’t be a major difference in the budget.

How to bring down the cost of studying MBBS in Georgia?

This is how you can reduce your expenses of studying in Georgia:

  • We have taken tuition fees to be USD 5,500. You can opt for a university with lower fees which will bring down your budget by up to ₹7.50 lakh.
  • Students can undertake part-time jobs and earn between ₹20,000 to ₹1 lakh a month. This will easily take care of many of your expenses.
  • Students can get visa extensions for 2nd-6th year at once by meeting certain criteria. This will help the students save approx. ₹75,000.
  • Medical Insurance is not compulsory from 2nd year onwards but it is highly recommended that you opt for it. If a student does not opt for it, they stand to save approx. ₹42,000.
  • Students can try to find cheaper accommodation.

Therefore, the student can easily save at least ₹8-9 lakh and bring their budget down to under ₹50 lakh. By doing part-time jobs, the students can further bring down their costs.

MBBS in Kyrgyzstan Budget Calculator

Kyrgyzstan was well known as a quality option for MBBS abroad but on a budget.  However, the budget of some of the most popular colleges in Kyrgyzstan has shot up in recent years. Universities like the International Medical University (IMU) Bishkek offer quality education at an affordable cost. It also provides an easy payment option where students can pay hostel and Indian mess charges every month. Both private and government colleges are in Kyrgyzstan.

Kyrgyzstan has one of the cheapest MBBS in the world universities. We will take the example of IMU, Bishkek to understand the budget for MBBS in Kyrgyzstan. Please note that the budget for Kyrgyz State Medical Academy and IHSM will be more.

With Indian Mess for all 6 years:

Note: All figures below are indicative and are only used for example purposes. We have used ₹ for ease of understanding.

  • Consultancy & Visa from India Fee: ₹75,000 (one-time)
  • Flight ticket between Delhi and Kyrgyzstan: ₹20,000 (one-way)
  • Pocket money taken to Kyrgyzstan: ₹30,000 (going for the first time)
  • Pocket money: ₹10,000 (monthly)
  • Tuition fee: ₹3,36,000 (can be paid semester-wise)
  • Hostel & Indian mess fee: ₹15,000 (to be paid monthly)
  • OTC: ₹25,000 (one-time)
  • Visa Extension and Medical Insurance: ₹33,500

Total for 1st year = ₹7,60,000
From 2nd year onwards = ₹6,60,000/year

Total budget including pocket money, yearly travel between India and Kyrgyzstan, and Indian mess facility for the entire course = approx. ₹35-40 lakh. This also includes costs such as:

Flight cost = ₹3 lakh
Pocket money = ₹6 lakh (₹10,000 monthly)

The budget will change if you don’t take the Indian mess from the second year onwards. It will bring down your cost by ₹2-2.5 lakh. If you stay outside the hostel, then your budget can go up. Your pocket money can also be higher or lower. All these things affect your budget. If you decide to go to IHSM, Bihskek campus, your budget will go up by at least ₹8 to 10 lakh.

MBBS in Uzbekistan Budget Calculator

The number of students going to study in MBBS Uzbekistan has boomed in the last few years. Many students studying in Ukraine transferred to the medical universities in Uzbekistan after the war. Shobhit Jayaswal of Global Medical Foundation has visited Uzbekistan. He spoke with many such students and asked them to compare the quality of education and clinical exposure in Ukraine and Uzbekistan. What he heard was pleasantly surprising. Almost all the students mentioned that Uzbekistan provided better quality of education and the clinical exposure was at least 10 times more.

Uzbekistan is close to India and most of the universities are government. MBBS in Uzbekistan fee is very affordable. Let’s take a look at the budget for studying at Bukhara State Medical Institute which was ranked No.1 by the Ministry of Education of Uzbekistan:

If you stay in the hostel and opt for the Indian mess for all 6 years:

Note: All figures below are indicative and are only used for example purposes. We have used ₹ for ease of understanding.

  • Consultancy & Visa from India Fee: ₹75,000 (one-time)
  • Flight ticket between Delhi and Tashkent: ₹15,000 (one-way)
  • Pocket money taken to Georgia: ₹30,000 (going for the first time)
  • Pocket money: ₹10,000 (monthly)
  • Tuition fee: ₹2,68,000 (can be paid semester-wise)
  • Hostel fee: ₹33,500
  • Administrative charges: ₹33,500
  • Registration and Visa Extension: ₹25,000 (2nd year onwards)
  • OTC: ₹75,000 (one-time)
  • Visa Extension/Health Insurance: ₹30,000 (yearly)
  • Indian mess: ₹10,000 (payable monthly)

Total for 1st year = ₹7,65,000 lakh
From 2nd year onwards = ₹5.90 lakh/year

Total budget including pocket money, yearly travel between India and Uzbekistan, and Indian mess facility for the entire course = approx. ₹37 lakh. A breakdown of some of the cost here are =

Tuition fee = ₹16.12 lakh
Hostel fee = ₹2 lakh
Indian mess = ₹6 lakh
Flight cost = ₹1.80 lakh
Administrative charges/University development fee = ₹2 lakh
Pocket money = ₹6 lakh (₹10,000 monthly)
Visa extension and Registration = ₹1.50 lakh

If you do not opt for the Indian mess facility:

Note: All figures below are indicative and are only used for example purposes. We have used ₹ for ease of understanding.

  • Consultancy & Visa from India Fee: ₹75,000 (one-time)
  • Flight ticket between Delhi and Tashkent: ₹15,000 (one-way)
  • Pocket money taken to Georgia: ₹30,000 (going for the first time)
  • Pocket money: ₹10,000 (monthly)
  • Tuition fee: ₹2,68,000 (can be paid semester-wise)
  • Hostel fee: ₹33,500
  • Administrative charges: ₹33,500
  • Registration and Visa Extension: ₹25,000 (2nd year onwards)
  • OTC: ₹75,000 (one-time)
  • Visa Extension/Health Insurance: ₹30,000 (yearly)
  • Self-made food cost: ₹5,000 (monthly)

Total for 1st year = ₹7,15,000 lakh
From 2nd year onwards = ₹5.40 lakh/year

Total budget including pocket money and yearly travel between India and Uzbekistan, for the entire course = approx. ₹34 lakh. A breakdown of some of the cost here are =

Tuition fee = ₹16.12 lakh
Hostel fee = ₹2 lakh
Self-made food cost = ₹3 lakh
Flight cost = ₹1.80 lakh
Administrative charges/University development fee = ₹2 lakh
Pocket money = ₹6 lakh (₹10,000 monthly)
Visa extension and Registration = ₹1.50 lakh

The budget of other medical universities in Uzbekistan are similar or a bit more.