Astrakhan State Medical University and Life in Astrakhan: MBBS Fees, FMGE, Weather and Safety for Indian Students
Astrakhan lies in the Volga delta, about 1,270 km from Moscow in a straight line, and is the home of Astrakhan State Medical University. It has milder winters than most Russian medical cities, but the fee is not officially readable and only 96 of its graduates sat FMGE in 2022–2025. This page sets out what is documented, what is only an agent figure and what to ask before you pay.
In short: Astrakhan State Medical University is a public university founded in 1918, in a Volga delta city of about 475,000 people. We could not read its price order, so the only fee we have is an agent figure of 4,100 US dollars a year (about ₹3.9 lakh) with a hostel at 1,000 dollars. Only 96 of its graduates sat FMGE in 2022–2025, and 16.7% passed against a Russian average of about 25%. Winters are the mildest of the Volga cities, with a January mean of −3.6 °C, but summers reach a July mean of 26.1 °C.
Medical universities in Astrakhan, Russia
Astrakhan State Medical University (ASMU, sometimes written Astrakhan State Medical Academy or Astrakhan Medical University) is a federal public university under the Russian Ministry of Health. Russian Wikipedia gives 7 November 1918 as its founding date. The address is Bakinskaya Street 121, Astrakhan 414000. The World Directory of Medical Schools lists it with Russian and English as languages. The university's own site says teaching is offered in Russian, English and French, and it has a Faculty of Foreign Students. A 2021 page on the site speaks of about 2,500 students from near and far abroad; it gives no number for Indians.
Fee. The university's price order for 2025/26 is No. 205 of 3 April 2025, with later amendments up to No. 40 of 6 February 2026, but the documents are kept in files we could not open, so we have no official number. An agent site quotes 4,100 US dollars a year, about ₹3.9 lakh at the Central Bank of Russia rate of 15 October 2026, and a hostel at 1,000 dollars (about ₹95,000). Agents may mix services into such figures, and a Russian state university normally bills in roubles. Ask the international office for the signed price for your intake, in roubles and in dollars if it states both, and for the fee of each of the six years.
Language. We found no official statement that General Medicine is taught fully in English. One agent website says its company stopped working with the university because Astrakhan is in a region under sanctions; we cannot say how general that is. For NMC purposes you need at least 54 months of study in English. Read the NMC rules and ask for the English share of each year in the contract.
FMGE. NBEMS reports show these results: 3 of 14 in 2022 (21.4%), 2 of 15 in 2023 (13.3%), 4 of 30 in 2024 (13.3%), 4 of 17 in June 2025 (23.5%) and 3 of 20 in December 2025 (15.0%). In total 16 of 96 passed in 2022–2025, or 16.7%, against about 25% for Russia. It is not ranked in our FMGE pass rate table: with fewer than 300 candidates in 2022–2025 there are too few for a fair rate. The numbers also show that few Indians graduate from Astrakhan. Fewer graduates means fewer seniors to guide you and a smaller Indian community.
Ask about MBBS in Astrakhan
We send what the university has published, flag what is unverified and list the questions to ask.
Astrakhan weather for Kerala students
Astrakhan stands on the dry Caspian lowland, and it is the lowest city in Russia, below sea level. The mean temperature is −3.6 °C in January and 26.1 °C in July (1991–2020, Wikipedia). That makes it one of the warmer places in our list.
- Winter: milder than Kazan or Penza, but you still need a proper winter coat, boots and thermal wear.
- Summer: hot and dry. Light cotton clothing, a hat and sunscreen are useful. Ask seniors about mosquitoes by the river in late summer.
- Time: Astrakhan is on Moscow time plus one hour, 1.5 hours behind India.
How to reach Astrakhan from Kerala
Travel from Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram or Kozhikode to Moscow through Dubai, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi, Doha or Delhi; there is no direct Russia flight from Kerala. Narimanovo Airport in Astrakhan (ASF) is open, and the flight from Moscow takes about 2.8 hours. The train from Moscow takes about 25 hours. Astrakhan is about 1,270 km from Moscow in a straight line, one of the longest onward trips from Moscow in our list.
The flight is the sensible choice. Ask the university whether it meets the group at Astrakhan or only at Moscow, and who arranges the first night.
Cost of living in Astrakhan
We found no verified monthly cost figure for Astrakhan, so we give none. What exists is limited:
| Item | What we found |
|---|---|
| Tuition | 4,100 USD a year, about ₹3.9 lakh (agent figure; the university order was not readable) |
| Hostel | 1,000 USD a year, about ₹95,000 (agent figure); the university lists five dormitories but no price |
| Food, phone, transport | No verified figure; ask seniors |
| Flights | Kerala to Moscow, then about 2.8 h by air or 25 h by train |
The agent tuition looks low, so check it against the contract and ask which services it includes. Compare with other cities on the fees page.
Indian students and food in Astrakhan
We found no count of Indian or Malayali students in Astrakhan and no verified Indian shops. With 96 FMGE candidates in four years, the Indian group is probably small compared with Kazan or Smolensk, but that is an inference, not a fact. Ask the university to put you in touch with two or three current Indian students before you pay. We have no verified information about vegetarian food in the city. Hostel kitchens and your own cooking are the safe plan; see Indian food in Russia.
Is Astrakhan safe for Indian students?
Astrakhan is not in the North Caucasus and is not one of the regions named in the Indian Embassy's August 2024 precaution notice for Bryansk, Belgorod and Kursk. We found no report of attacks on Indian students in Astrakhan. We also found no verified 2026 report of damage in the city itself. Drone alerts and airspace restrictions affect many southern regions, so airport delays are possible, as the UK Foreign Office warns for Russia as a whole; it advises against all travel to the country.
Take the usual precautions: do not walk alone at night, ask about guards and entry control at your hostel, carry a copy of your passport and migration registration, and keep the contact details of the Indian Embassy in Moscow. India's Ministry of External Affairs warns Indians not to accept offers to serve in the Russian armed forces. In February 2026 a teenager injured four Indian students in a hostel at Bashkir State Medical University in Ufa, a reminder to ask about hostel security. More in Is MBBS in Russia safe?.
Compare Astrakhan with other cities
Tell us your NEET score and budget; we compare Astrakhan with universities that have more FMGE data.
MBBS in Astrakhan: Frequently Asked Questions
What is the MBBS fee at Astrakhan State Medical University?
We have no readable official figure. An agent site quotes 4,100 US dollars a year (about ₹3.9 lakh) and a hostel at 1,000 dollars. The university's 2025/26 order No. 205 exists, but its amounts could not be read. Ask for the signed fee.
Is Astrakhan State Medical University good for FMGE?
Only 96 of its graduates sat FMGE in 2022–2025 and 16 passed, which is 16.7% against about 25% for Russia. The sample is too small to judge the university, but the result is below average. Ask the university for the current FMGE record of its Indian batch.
Is the MBBS course in Astrakhan taught in English?
The university says it teaches in Russian, English and French, but we found no statement that all six years of General Medicine are in English. Get the English-medium share of each year in writing before you pay.
How cold and hot is Astrakhan?
January averages −3.6 °C and July 26.1 °C. The city is below sea level on the Volga delta. Winters are milder than in Penza or Kazan, summers are hot and dry.
How do I get to Astrakhan from Kochi?
Fly from Kochi to Moscow via a Gulf hub or Delhi, then take a flight of about 2.8 hours to Astrakhan airport, which is open. The train from Moscow takes about 25 hours.
Sources: Wikipedia (Astrakhan, climate 1991–2020; Astrakhan Airport; 2021 census) and rome2rio for train time; astgmu.ru/en (Astrakhan State Medical University, via search excerpts) and its sveden/paid_edu order list; selectyouruniversity.com (agent fee); World Directory of Medical Schools; NBEMS FMGE reports 2022–2025; NMC FMGL Regulations 2021; gov.uk Foreign Office travel advice for Russia; Embassy of India Moscow advisory of 14 August 2024; Wikipedia, Bashkir State Medical University attack; Central Bank of Russia rate of 15 October 2026.