MBBS in Kazakhstan vs MBBS in Russia: Course Length, Fees and FMGE Results

Prepared by the Edumapple admissions team, Kakkanad, Kerala· Updated 15 October 2026· How we check facts

Kazakhstan was sold for years as a six-year course (five years of study and one of internship) at a fee close to Russia's. That is now uncertain. On 1 October 2026 the Embassy of India in Astana advised students that the standard medical course in Kazakhstan has become seven years from 2026-27. This page explains what the Embassy said, what the fees and FMGE results are, and how Kazakhstan compares with Russia.

The NMC and the course-length question in 2026

The NMC's FMGL Regulations 2021 need at least 54 months of study in English, followed by a 12-month internship at the same institution, plus a licence to practise in the country of study on the same terms as its citizens. A Kazakh course of six or seven years can meet the 54 months. The problem is not the length itself, but whether a graduate of the shorter, accelerated route receives the licence, and when the internship falls.

The Embassy of India in Astana has changed its position over time:

• Education page, updated 22 September 2023. The Embassy said Kazakh medical universities follow the NMC gazette of November 2021, that is five years of study and one year of internship, and told students to verify this with the university. It also explained that, under order No. DSM-63 of 4 July 2022 of the Kazakh Ministry of Health, a continuous integrated programme of at least 360 credits (six years) in Medicine and Paediatrics, and 300 credits (five years) in Dentistry, was to be included from 2023.
• Addendum, list of 11 December 2025. Kazakhstan has offered a six-year Continuous Integrated Medical Education (CIME) programme since July 2022. It combines the bachelor's, master's and internship phases and awards a "Master of Medicine" degree. The Embassy lists 13 institutions as holding the CIME licence.
• Advisory of 1 October 2026. Under a new policy, the standard duration of the medical course is seven years for students starting in 2026-27. International students may complete it in six years through an accelerated or fast-track pathway, subject to conditions set by the authority. The Embassy writes that it has no clear official confirmation about a licence for an international student who completes the six-year accelerated programme, that it has sought clarification from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education and is waiting for the reply. Students "should not assume" the course ends in six years and "should be prepared" for seven.

Our reading: for a student starting in 2026 or 2027, plan for seven years until the Ministry answers. That adds a year of tuition and living costs and a year before FMGE. Astana Medical University's 2026-27 price list still shows "6 years" for Medicine, which shows the situation has not yet reached every university's paperwork. For that reason, ask the university to state in writing the length of the course for your intake, whether the internship is part of those years and whether the accelerated route leads to a Kazakh licence.

The Embassy also says that after completing the course, Indian students can take the licensing examination that the National Centre of Independent Testing runs in Kazakh, Russian and English, like Kazakh students. It warns that universities work through "contractors" who collect fees, and advises paying the fee directly to the university against a university receipt.

Which Kazakh universities are on the Embassy list

The Embassy's list of 11 December 2025 includes 13 institutions with a CIME licence: Al Farabi Kazakh National University, Khoja Akhmet Yassawi International Kazakh-Turkish University, Caspian Public University, Asfendiyarov Kazakh National Medical University, West Kazakhstan Marat Ospanov Medical University, Semey Medical University, Karaganda Medical University, South Kazakhstan Medical Academy, Astana Medical University, Kazakh Russian Medical University, Kokshetau University named after Sh. Ualikhanov, Manash Kozybayev North Kazakhstan University and Kenzhegali Sagadiyev University of International Business. A university outside the list should explain in writing why it is not on it.

Kazakhstan MBBS fees

Kazakh universities price in tenge. The official price list we could read is that of Astana Medical University for 2026-27: Medicine, first course, costs 3,000,000 tenge for a foreign student taught in English and 2,800,000 tenge in Kazakh or Russian. The list prints the figure without a currency sign; the citizens' price of 2,280,000 shows it is the local currency. At the Central Bank of Russia rates of 15 October 2026, 3,000,000 tenge is about 5.6 lakh roubles, or about ₹6.4 lakh a year. The list gives the price for the first course only.

If the seven-year course is real for your intake, the total tuition at the dearer Kazakh universities (₹38–45 lakh) is above that of most Russian state universities, which charge about ₹14–33 lakh for six years outside Moscow. The cheaper Kazakh universities come to ₹24–30 lakh. Before comparing, read the Russian side on the fees page and the lowest-fee universities.

FMGE results of Kazakh graduates

Within Kazakhstan the gap between universities is large, as it is in Russia. Adding June and December 2025:

The largest group by far, "JSC National Medical University", has a pass rate (35.4%) above the Russian average. The other large groups are below it. A graduate of a Kazakh university where fewer than one in five candidates pass FMGE faces the same coaching burden as one from a weak Russian university; see our ranking of Russian universities, where the best exceed 38%.

Russia vs Kazakhstan: the comparison

Our verdict

Until the Kazakh Ministry answers the Embassy, Kazakhstan has an unanswered question that Russia does not have: the length of the course and the licence of the shortened route. For a family that has to budget exactly, that matters more than a small difference in fees. Russia asks for six years, publishes its price orders and has a pass rate close to Kazakhstan's, and its best universities pass FMGE at more than 38%.

Kazakhstan can still make sense for a student who is ready for seven years, who has a written confirmation of the length and licence terms from the university, and who picks one of the stronger universities in the FMGE table. In every case, check the NMC conditions on the NMC rules page, then see what the exam and the Indian internship involve on the FMGE page and in after MBBS. For other countries, see Russia vs Georgia and MBBS abroad for Kerala students.

MBBS in Kazakhstan vs Russia: Frequently Asked Questions

How many years is MBBS in Kazakhstan now?

The Embassy of India in Astana advised on 1 October 2026 that the standard duration is seven years from 2026-27, with a possible accelerated six-year route for international students. It says there is no official confirmation yet that an accelerated-route graduate gets a licence. Ask your university for the length in writing.

Is MBBS in Kazakhstan valid in India?

It is valid if the course meets the NMC FMGL rules: 54 months of study in English, a 12-month internship at the same university, a licence to practise in Kazakhstan and completion within 10 years. Graduates then take FMGE. The 2026 uncertainty is about the licence of the accelerated route and the course length.

What is the MBBS fee in Kazakhstan for Indian students?

Astana Medical University's 2026-27 list shows 3,000,000 tenge (about ₹6.4 lakh) for the first year of English-medium Medicine. Careers360 quotes $4,200 to $4,500 a year for other universities. If the course is seven years, multiply by seven, not six.

What is the FMGE pass rate of Kazakhstan graduates?

NBEMS data give 24.5% for 2025 (1,427 of 5,827 candidates), 25.1% for 2024 and 13.0% for 2023. By university, 2025 rates ranged from 11.7% to 35.4% among the larger groups.

Is Kazakhstan cheaper than Russia for MBBS?

Not clearly. The cheaper Kazakh universities cost about ₹24–30 lakh over six or seven years, in the same range as Russian state universities (₹14–33 lakh outside Moscow). The dearer Kazakh universities cost ₹38–45 lakh.

Can an Indian student sit the Kazakh licensing exam?

According to the Indian Embassy in Astana, Indian students can take the licensing examination run by the National Centre of Independent Testing in Kazakh, Russian and English, like other Kazakh students. Working in Kazakhstan is subject to its labour and immigration laws.

Sources: Embassy of India, Astana: "Important Advisory - Medical Education and Course Duration in Kazakhstan" (1 October 2026), "Education in Kazakhstan" (updated 22 September 2023) and the addendum listing CIME-licensed institutions (as of 11 December 2025); Astana Medical University price list for 2026-27 (amu.edu.kz); Careers360, "Kazakhstan MBBS fees 2026" (15 May 2026); NBEMS FMGE Performance Report 2025 (natboard.edu.in/stats), country-wise and university-wise tables; Careers360 country-wise FMGE tables for 2023 and 2024; NMC FMGL Regulations 2021; Central Bank of Russia rates of 15 October 2026. Checked October 2026.