Dagestan State Medical University in Makhachkala: MBBS Fees, FMGE, Travel and Dagestan Safety for Indian Students
Makhachkala is the capital of Dagestan, a city of about 623,000 people on the Caspian coast, 1,590 km from Moscow in a straight line. Dagestan State Medical University publishes a 2026-27 price order that puts the English-language first year at 420,000 roubles, about ₹4.8 lakh. Its FMGE pass rate was 11.7% in 2022–2025, the lowest of 24 ranked universities, and Dagestan has the most serious security record in this section. This page sets out the numbers and the safety facts plainly.
In short: Dagestan State Medical University (DSMU) is a public university founded in 1932. Its order No. 75-K of 2 April 2026 sets the English-language first year at 420,000 roubles, about ₹4.8 lakh, for the 2026-27 intake. In 2022–2025 only 43 of 366 FMGE candidates passed (11.7%), the lowest rate of the 24 ranked universities. Dagestan is the region of the June 2024 attacks that killed at least 20 people, and an attack on traffic police in Makhachkala in May 2025. The airport is often restricted. Many families will prefer another region; if you consider Makhachkala, read the safety section first.
Medical universities in Makhachkala, Russia
Dagestan State Medical University (DSMU or DGMU, also searched as Dagestan Medical University or Dagestan State Medical Academy) is a federal public university under the Russian Ministry of Health, founded on 15 October 1932 as a medical institute. The address is Lenin Square 1, Makhachkala 367012. We could not confirm its World Directory of Medical Schools record, so check it yourself. The university's site says that since 2018 teaching for medical faculty students has been conducted in English, and the Study in Russia portal lists "General Medicine (implemented in English)" with 40 contract places.
Fee from the 2026-27 order. The university's order No. 75-K of 2 April 2026 (Academic Council decision of 19 February 2026, protocol No. 9) sets the cost of educational services for foreign citizens in 2026-27. For the English programme it lists 420,000 roubles for the first year, 380,000 for the second course and 280,000 for the third, with years four to six "in accordance with the current contract". At the Central Bank of Russia rate of 15 October 2026 the first year is about ₹4.8 lakh. The Russian-language track for foreigners costs 350,000, 300,000, 250,000, 240,300, 177,500 and 156,500 roubles for courses one to six. The figures for the second and later courses are this year's prices for the students already on those courses, not the path of a new student, so we do not add them up. The same order says that restoration and transfer cost the same as the first year, and it lists a double-diploma line at 210,000 roubles a year. The Study in Russia portal shows 380,000 roubles and agents show 374,827 and 380,000, so the 2026 order is the figure to use, and the contract should state years four to six.
Hostel. The order lists hostels No. 4 and 5 for foreigners at 2,500 roubles a month, about ₹2,800. An agent quotes 36,000 roubles a year, about ₹41,000. Ask whether the 2,500 roubles is per student or per room, and for how many months.
Language. The university says English teaching began in 2018 for medical faculty students. We found no official statement that Russian is not introduced in later years; agents say English throughout. The NMC rules need at least 54 months in English and a 12-month internship at the same university. Read the NMC rules and ask for the language of each year, and of the clinical rotations, in writing.
FMGE. NBEMS reports show 4 of 56 passing in 2022 (7.1%), 6 of 88 in 2023 (6.8%), 21 of 107 in 2024 (19.6%), 6 of 52 in June 2025 (11.5%) and 6 of 63 in December 2025 (9.5%). In total 43 of 366, or 11.7%, passed in 2022–2025, twenty-fourth of 24 in our FMGE ranking and less than half the Russian average of about 25%. In 2020 and 2021 the rates were 6.1% and 12.9%. Every session was below the Russian average of the same period. Whatever the cause, a student here faces a more difficult road to an Indian licence than at most Russian universities.
Ask about MBBS in Makhachkala
We send the price order, explain the FMGE record and the Dagestan safety position before you decide.
Makhachkala weather for Kerala students
Makhachkala has the mildest winter in this section, on the Caspian coast. The mean temperature is 1.0 °C in January and 24.8 °C in July (1991–2020, Wikipedia). Winter is above freezing on average, with cold, windy and wet days, and summer is hot.
- Winter: a waterproof coat, warm boots with grip and a few thermal layers; you will not need Siberian-grade gear.
- Summer: light cotton clothes, a hat and sunscreen.
- Time: Moscow time, 2.5 hours behind India.
See the winter packing list.
How to reach Makhachkala from Kerala
There is no direct flight from Kerala to Russia. Fly from Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram or Kozhikode to Moscow through Dubai, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi, Doha or Delhi, then fly to Makhachkala Uytash Airport (MCX), about 2.8 hours. The train from Moscow takes about 41 hours, so almost everyone flies. Makhachkala is about 1,590 km from Moscow in a straight line, the farthest city in this section.
The airport is open, but Rosaviatsia restricts it at short notice. In early December 2025 a drone threat was declared across Dagestan, Chechnya, Kabardino-Balkaria, North Ossetia and Stavropol Krai, and flights were restricted at Makhachkala and four other airports. On 10 January 2026 flights at Makhachkala were delayed, and a flight to Tyumen waited more than 12 hours. A restriction on 8 May 2026 was lifted the same day. Keep a flexible ticket and a buffer night in Moscow, and ask DSMU who meets arrivals.
Cost of living in Makhachkala
We found no verified monthly cost figure. The university's own charges are:
| Item | What we found |
|---|---|
| Tuition, English, first year 2026-27 | 420,000 RUB, about ₹4.8 lakh (order No. 75-K) |
| Tuition, English, second and third course (current students) | 380,000 and 280,000 RUB |
| Tuition, Russian track, first year | 350,000 RUB, about ₹4.0 lakh |
| Hostel No. 4 and 5 for foreigners | 2,500 RUB a month, about ₹2,800; agent 36,000 RUB a year |
| Food, phone, transport | No verified figure; ask seniors |
| Flights | Kerala to Moscow, then about 2.8 h by air |
The fees page compares all universities.
Indian students and food in Makhachkala
We found no official count of Indian or Malayali students at DSMU. The FMGE reports, with 366 candidates in four years, show an Indian group of moderate size. We have no verified list of Indian restaurants or grocers in Makhachkala. Ask DSMU for contacts of current Malayali students and ask them how the hostel kitchens work and how they manage food. Dagestan is a Muslim-majority republic, so halal food is likely to be widely available; seniors can explain vegetarian options. See Indian food in Russia.
Is Makhachkala safe for Indian students? A Dagestan review
Dagestan is the region the UK Foreign Office names first when it describes terrorism in the North Caucasus. We set out what the sources say, and we did not find an Indian government advisory specific to Dagestan.
- Indian government: India's Ministry of External Affairs and the Embassy in Moscow have not, in anything we found, named Dagestan in a notice. The Embassy's notice of 14 August 2024 covered Bryansk, Belgorod and Kursk regions. Check mea.gov.in and the Embassy site before each trip.
- UK Foreign Office: it advises against all travel to Russia and says terrorists are active in the North Caucasus, mainly in Dagestan. It cites the June 2024 attacks in which armed men attacked synagogues, churches and police in Dagestan and killed at least 20 people, and says counter-terrorism operations can start at short notice and restrict travel. Its ability to help in the North Caucasus is very limited.
- Canada: its page for Russia, updated 18 June 2026, says terrorist attacks are frequent in Chechnya, Dagestan and Ingushetia and in the Stavropol region, and that special permission from the Interior Ministry is needed to enter certain areas of Dagestan.
- Makhachkala, May 2025: Al Jazeera reported that gunmen fired on traffic police on 5 May 2025, killing three police officers; two attackers were shot dead and at least four people were injured, including civilians. Investigators said the attackers had planned it for about six months.
- November 2025: Caucasian Knot reported the detention of six suspects in an alleged terrorist group planning attacks in Dagestan, and a knife attack on a security officer at the Dzhemikent checkpoint near Derbent on 30 November, the second such attack in seven months.
- October 2023: a crowd stormed Makhachkala airport after a flight from Israel landed, searching for Jewish passengers; it showed that unrest can start with little warning.
- Drones: airport restrictions in December 2025 and January 2026 show that drone threats reach Dagestan.
- Indian students: we found no published attack on Indian students in Makhachkala.
What a family can do: ask DSMU in writing about hostel security and guards, what students must do during a counter-terrorism operation or alert, whether teaching continues, and whether it knows of restrictions on movement that affect foreign students. Avoid crowds and demonstrations; stay calm and follow police instructions at checkpoints; carry your passport copy and migration registration; do not travel to mountain districts, border areas or neighbouring republics without telling the university; and register with the Embassy of India in Moscow, about 1,600 km away. India's Ministry of External Affairs warns against any offer of service in the Russian armed forces. In February 2026 a teenager injured four Indian students in a hostel at Bashkir State Medical University in Ufa.
Our judgement: the fee is moderate, but the FMGE record is the weakest in our ranking and the region has real terrorism and airspace risks. We would not advise a family that wants low risk to choose Makhachkala. Compare it with universities in Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod or Penza, and read Is MBBS in Russia safe?.
Talk through Dagestan with your family
We share the sources, explain the FMGE record and compare Makhachkala with universities in other regions.
MBBS in Makhachkala: Frequently Asked Questions
What is the MBBS fee at Dagestan State Medical University?
Order No. 75-K of 2 April 2026 lists the English-language first year at 420,000 roubles, about ₹4.8 lakh, and the Russian-language first year at 350,000. Years four to six are "in accordance with the current contract", so get the full schedule in writing.
What is the FMGE pass rate of Dagestan State Medical University?
43 of 366 graduates passed in 2022–2025, which is 11.7%, the lowest of 24 ranked universities, against about 25% for Russia. The best session was 2024 at 19.6%.
Is Makhachkala safe for Indian students?
Dagestan is the North Caucasus republic where the UK Foreign Office reports terrorist activity, including attacks that killed at least 20 people in June 2024, and an attack on police in Makhachkala in May 2025. We found no attack on Indian students there. Airport restrictions are frequent. Ask DSMU about hostel security and alerts.
Is MBBS at DSMU taught in English?
The university says that teaching for medical faculty students has been in English since 2018. We found no official statement on later years, so ask for the language of each year and of the internship in writing.
How do I get to Makhachkala from Kochi?
Fly to Moscow via a Gulf hub or Delhi, then take a flight of about 2.8 hours to Makhachkala. The train takes about 41 hours. Expect delays when drone restrictions are imposed at the airport.
Sources: Wikipedia (Makhachkala, climate 1991–2020 and 2021 census; Uytash Airport) and virail.fr for the train time; dgmu.ru order No. 75-K of 2 April 2026 (Internet Archive copy) and Study in Russia portal; matchtocollege.com and canamgroup.com (agent figures); Al Jazeera report of 5 May 2025; Caucasian Knot reports (2025–2026); NBEMS FMGE reports 2020–2025; NMC FMGL Regulations 2021; gov.uk Foreign Office travel advice for Russia; Government of Canada travel advice for Russia (updated 18 June 2026); Embassy of India Moscow advisory of 14 August 2024; Wikipedia, Bashkir State Medical University attack; Central Bank of Russia rate of 15 October 2026.