MBBS in Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan has become one of the larger MBBS-abroad destinations for Indian students. The Ministry of External Affairs counted about 7,500 Indian students there at the start of 2025, and its August 2025 country brief put the figure at around 10,000. Most study General Medicine at state medical universities in Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara, Andijan, Fergana and Urgench.

The attraction is simple: public universities, fees well below a private seat in India, a short flight from Delhi, and FMGE results that improved sharply in 2024 and 2025. The caution is just as clear. In 2026 the National Medical Commission (NMC) raised concerns about intake numbers, teaching that is not fully in English, and branch and offshore campuses that do not meet its rules.

This guide sets out the course, costs, visa, NMC rules and FMGE data with dated sources. It is general information, not a recommendation of any university. Check every point with the university, the NMC and the Embassy of India in Tashkent before you pay any fees.

1. 01

   Public universities

   The main options are state medical universities and institutes, overseen by Uzbekistan's health and higher-education ministries, rather than small private colleges.

2. 02

   Lower total cost

   Tuition is commonly USD 3,000–4,500 a year, and hostel and living costs are modest compared with many other destinations.

3. 03

   Improving FMGE results

   Uzbek graduates passed the December 2025 FMGE at 40.37%, against about 24% for all candidates in that session. The numbers taking the exam are still fairly small, so treat this as a trend, not a promise.

4. 04

   Close to India

   Tashkent is about three hours by direct flight from Delhi, and Uzbekistan is only 30 minutes behind Indian time, which makes trips home and calls with family easy.

5. 05

   Large Indian student community

   With thousands of Indian students in the main cities, many hostels have Indian messes, and seniors can help newcomers settle.

6. 06

   Reforms under way

   Uzbekistan is reorganising medical education, including a full final year of practical training from 2027/28, and the Embassy of India says it is discussing English teaching and clinical exposure with the authorities.

• Indian students need NEET-UG even though Uzbek universities may not ask for it. Without it you cannot register to practise in India.
• Join the main campus of a state university. Avoid branch or offshore arrangements the NMC has warned about.
• Check the full fee schedule. Some universities charge more in the first year.

• Valid passport (at least 18 months' validity is sensible)
• Class 10 mark sheet and certificate
• Class 12 mark sheet and certificate
• NEET-UG scorecard
• Birth certificate
• Passport-size photographs (35×45 mm for the visa; the university may ask for others)
• Medical certificate (Form 086/U or equivalent) from an authorised clinic
• HIV test certificate, usually issued within the last 3 months
• Vaccination records, including chickenpox where asked
• Apostilled or legalised copies of academic documents, with translations if requested
• University admission letter and signed contract
• Receipt for fees paid to the university's own bank account
• Visa invitation issued through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

1. 1Take NEET-UG and check that your Class 12 marks meet NMC requirements.
2. 2Read the NMC's April 2026 advisory and the latest Embassy of India guidance for Uzbekistan.
3. 3Shortlist main campuses of state universities. Avoid branches and offshore 'campuses' the NMC has flagged.
4. 4Ask each university in writing for the course length, the internship arrangement, the teaching language for every year, and the full fee schedule.
5. 5Apply through the university's official portal or international office (some use the Study in Uzbekistan portal), and attend any interview.
6. 6Sign the contract and pay the fees only into the university's official account.
7. 7Get the visa invitation through the university, then apply for the A-1 study visa at the Embassy of Uzbekistan.
8. 8Travel, register your stay through the university as soon as you arrive, and register with the Embassy of India.

Application timeline

1. 1

   NEET-UG result

   June

2. 2

   Shortlist universities and check the latest NMC notices

   June–July

3. 3

   Apply, interview and receive the admission letter

   July–August

4. 4

   Pay the first-year fee to the university and get the visa invitation

   August

5. 5

   Apply for the student visa

   August–September

6. 6

   Travel and register your stay on arrival

   September

7. 7

   Classes begin

   Late September–October

Universities Indian students often ask us about. Open a university for its fees, recognition, hospitals and hostel details. Listing a university doesn't mean Admission Mantra represents it.

Government universities

Compare all universities in Uzbekistan

• National Medical Commission (NMC), IndiaThe NMC does not 'approve' foreign universities. It checks each graduate against the FMGL Regulations, 2021, and it issues advisories. Read the April 2026 advisory and any later notices.
• World Directory of Medical Schools (WDOMS)Check that the exact campus is listed. A branch's listing does not answer the NMC's concerns about it.
• Uzbek ministries of health and higher educationState universities are licensed and supervised in Uzbekistan. The degree must be valid there, and the graduate must be eligible to practise there.
• International accreditation (e.g. ECAQA)Bukhara State Medical Institute says its General Medicine programme holds ECAQA accreditation until 2030. Ask each university which agency accredits it and whether WFME recognises that agency.
• Intealth (ECFMG), USAEligibility for USMLE depends on the school's WDOMS entry carrying an ECFMG note. Check this if you are considering the US route.

Tuition at the state medical universities in our list is usually about USD 3,000–4,500 a year, and hostels about USD 500–600 a year. Fees differ between universities and between English and Russian groups. Some universities charge more in the first year. Get the full six-year fee schedule in writing, pay only into the university's own account, and keep every receipt. Agents' service charges are extra and are not set by the university.

Other costs

Fees are indicative, set by each university and usually paid yearly in US dollars. Confirm the current fee schedule in writing before you pay. Approximate exchange rates (based on ECB reference rates, March 2026). Actual rates on your payment date will differ.

Living in a university hostel keeps costs low. Tashkent is the most expensive city. Samarkand, Bukhara, Andijan and Fergana are usually cheaper. Most students spend about USD 1,500–2,500 a year in a hostel, including food.

Tashkent figures are from Numbeo (crowdsourced, October 2026). The rest are indicative. Prices are in som, so exchange rates change the dollar cost. Budget extra for winter clothes and heating if you live outside the hostel.

Most state medical universities have hostels for international students, often two to four to a room, at about USD 500–600 a year. Many have an Indian mess run by a contractor, and some students cook for themselves.

• Ask whether you will keep a hostel place for all six years and what is included (heating, internet, laundry).
• Check who runs the mess and how its fees are paid. Mess charges are often separate from the hostel fee.
• Hostels usually have curfews and visitor rules, so read them before you sign.
• Some hostels are a bus ride from the main teaching hospitals, so allow for travel time.
• Keep your passport registration up to date. The hostel or university usually handles it.

Indian students apply for the A-1 visa, which is issued for up to a year at a time on the university's invitation. The university submits the invitation to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the student then applies at the Embassy of Uzbekistan in New Delhi. Renew it each year in Uzbekistan through the university. India's e-visa covers tourism only, not study.

To practise in India, a student must meet the NMC's Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate (FMGL) Regulations, notified on 18 November 2021. In 2025 and 2026 the NMC also issued notices that name Uzbek institutions. Read both before you choose a university.

• FMGL Regulations, 2021: the course must last at least 54 months and be taught in English throughout. It must be followed by an internship of at least 12 months at the same foreign institution.
• The whole course, internship included, must be done at one university, in the country that awards the degree, and finished within 10 years of joining. Switching university or country part-way through can disqualify you.
• You must be eligible for a licence to practise medicine in Uzbekistan on the same basis as an Uzbek citizen. After returning, you must pass the licensing exam (currently the FMGE, until NExT replaces it) and complete a 12-month supervised internship in India.
• 21 July 2025: the NMC told Indian students not to take admission to the Chirchik branch of Tashkent State Medical University, citing non-compliance with Indian standards, infrastructure, clinical training, fees and refund complaints.
• 1 April 2026: an NMC advisory, based on reports from the Embassy of India in Tashkent, named Bukhara State Medical Institute, Samarkand State Medical University and Tashkent State Medical University. It raised admissions beyond approved intake capacity and teaching not in English limiting hands-on training. It also cited alleged FMGL violations by the TSMU Termez branch and its offshore partner in Bengaluru (TIT Institute of Medical Sciences).
• Offshore study does not count. Any 'campus' in India linked to an Uzbek university does not satisfy the rule that training must take place in the country awarding the degree.
• Around 28 July 2026 the Embassy of India in Tashkent called the April advisory precautionary, not a ban, and said it was working with the three universities on intake limits and clinical training. The Haryana Medical Council said the same about its own advisory.
• Uzbek licensing: Decree UP-192 (10 September 2026) and Cabinet Resolution No. 577 (19 October 2026) bring in state registration with an exam for doctors. It is voluntary from 1 July 2027 and compulsory from 1 January 2030. The published texts do not say how foreign graduates are treated, so ask the university for written confirmation of your licence eligibility in Uzbekistan.

Check your eligibility with our NMC checklist

Uzbekistan's FMGE results have risen as larger cohorts of Indian students have graduated. Only 19 Uzbek graduates took the exam in 2022, but 976 sat the December 2025 session alone. NBEMS publishes institute-wise reports once a year. We could not open the NBEMS files directly from our network, so the country and university figures below come from summaries of those reports. No country-wise figures for June 2026 had been published at the time of writing.

Uzbek state universities offer few scholarships to self-funded international medical students. Some give small merit fee reductions after the first year, so ask the university directly. Indian government scholarships for study abroad generally do not cover MBBS. Be wary of 'scholarships' offered by agents, which are often just a discount on an inflated fee.

Education loan

Many Indian public and private banks and NBFCs lend for medical study abroad. Loans above a certain amount usually need collateral and a co-borrower (a parent). Some lenders ask for the university's fee schedule and proof that the programme meets NMC rules. Compare interest rates, moratorium periods and processing fees, and check whether you qualify for the central interest-subsidy schemes.

• Admission letter and full fee schedule from the university
• NEET-UG scorecard and Class 10 and 12 mark sheets
• Student's and co-borrower's PAN and Aadhaar
• Passport
• Co-borrower's income proof (salary slips or ITRs) and bank statements
• Collateral documents, if needed
• Completed loan application and photographs

Uzbekistan is generally considered calm and safe for students, with low rates of violent crime in the main cities. Most problems come from paperwork, scams and the climate, not from violence.

• Register your stay on time and carry your passport or a certified copy. Police check documents often.
• Medicines are tightly controlled. Bring prescriptions and a doctor's letter, and never carry someone else's medicines.
• Use registered or app-based taxis, especially at night.
• Pay fees only to the university's official account. The Embassy of India has warned students about third-party payments and unverified consultants.
• Register with the Embassy of India in Tashkent and keep its emergency numbers handy.
• Avoid border areas in the Fergana Valley, where crossing a disputed boundary, even by mistake, can be treated as an immigration offence.

Student life centres on the university, the hostel and the large Indian community, which celebrates Diwali, Holi and other festivals together. The cities are full of history: Samarkand's Registan, the old town of Bukhara and Tashkent's metro. Summers are hot and dry, winters are cold, and Uzbek cooking such as plov and fresh bread is cheap and filling.

1. 01

   Return to India: FMGE and internship

   Pass the FMGE (or NExT when it starts), complete a 12-month supervised internship in India and register with a state medical council. You can then practise or prepare for NEET-PG.

2. 02

   Postgraduate study in India

   After registration, Indian FMGs can take NEET-PG for MD/MS/DNB seats on the same terms as other registered doctors.

3. 03

   USMLE (United States)

   Possible if your school's WDOMS entry meets Intealth (ECFMG) requirements. It needs strong English and a long, expensive exam pathway.

4. 04

   UK and other countries

   Routes such as the UK's PLAB/UKMLA depend on that regulator accepting your degree and internship. Check each regulator's list before relying on it.

5. 05

   Practice in Uzbekistan

   This is unusual for Indian graduates because of language and the new state registration exam. It is mainly relevant because the NMC requires you to be eligible for a licence there.

• Language with patients: even with English lectures, ward work is in Uzbek or Russian. The NMC's 2026 advisory says this is limiting hands-on training.
• Intake numbers: the NMC has raised admissions beyond approved capacity. Large batches can mean less time with patients.
• Campus choice: avoid branches and offshore partners the NMC has flagged (the Chirchik and Termez branches, and the Bengaluru 'offshore campus').
• Changing rules: the '5+1' reform starts in 2027/28 and doctor registration starts in 2027. Confirm how both apply to your batch and to the NMC's internship and licence conditions.
• FMGE is still hard: 40% is good by FMG standards, but most Uzbek graduates still did not pass in 2025. Results also vary by university and by year.
• Agents and hidden charges: agents may add service fees, inflate 'hostel packages' or collect money in cash. Get the university's own fee letter and pay it directly.
• Climate: summers can pass 40°C and winters bring frost and occasional snow, which some students find hard.

Uzbekistan is a landlocked country in Central Asia, bordered by Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Turkmenistan. It was part of the Soviet Union until 1991, so Russian is still widely spoken alongside Uzbek. Its Silk Road cities, Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva, are famous for their tiled mosques and madrasas.

Daily life is affordable, with good bread, fruit and rice dishes, and a growing metro and rail network. India and Uzbekistan have close ties. Several Indian universities have campuses there, and the Embassy of India runs regular events.

1. Ministry of External Affairs: India–Uzbekistan bilateral brief (August 2025) (opens in a new tab)
2. Ministry of External Affairs: data on Indian students abroad (as of 1 January 2025) (opens in a new tab)
3. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan: visas to the Republic of Uzbekistan (opens in a new tab)
4. Uzbek Ministry of Higher Education, 6 Jun 2026: FMGE results news (opens in a new tab)
5. NBEMS: FMGE information and performance reports (opens in a new tab)
6. Medical Dialogues, 2 April 2026: NMC advisory on Uzbek medical institutes (opens in a new tab)
7. Medical Dialogues, 10 August 2026: Embassy and HMC clarify the advisory is not a ban (opens in a new tab)
8. Medical Dialogues, 22 July 2025: NMC alert on four institutes including the Chirchik branch of TSMU (opens in a new tab)
9. SCC Online: NMC Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate Regulations, 2021 (opens in a new tab)
10. Kun.uz, 17 September 2026: Decrees UP-191 and UP-192 on medical training and registration (opens in a new tab)
11. UzDaily, 21 October 2026: Cabinet Resolution No. 577 on registration of medical workers (opens in a new tab)
12. ThinkEdFirst summary of NBEMS 2025 report, accessed Oct 2026 (secondary) (opens in a new tab)
13. RussianMBBS compilation of NBEMS reports, accessed Oct 2026 (secondary) (opens in a new tab)
14. Careers360, Jan 2026: FMGE December 2025 session pass percentage (secondary) (opens in a new tab)
15. NewsX, 7 Jul 2026: FMGE June 2026 result (secondary) (opens in a new tab)