MBBS in Uzbekistan vs MBBS in Russia: Fees, FMGE Results and the 2026 NMC Alert
Uzbekistan is the cheapest option many Kerala families hear about, and its FMGE numbers look good. But on 1 April 2026 the NMC issued an alert that names three Uzbek medical universities, and in 2025 it blacklisted one branch. This page sets the fees, the FMGE data and those warnings next to Russia, so that you can judge the saving against the risk.
In short: MBBS in Uzbekistan costs about $3,000 to $3,850 a year in tuition (₹2.9–3.7 lakh), roughly ₹17–22 lakh for six years, which is below most Russian state universities. Uzbekistan's graduates passed FMGE at 37.9% in 2025, against 25.8% for Russia, but on only 1,405 candidates. The NMC alert of 1 April 2026 names Bukhara State Medical Institute, Samarkand State Medical University and Tashkent State Medical University; the Indian Embassy calls it a precaution, not a ban. The fee figures come from Careers360 and agents, not from the universities, so get a written offer before paying.
MBBS in Uzbekistan: how the course works
Uzbek medical universities teach General Medicine in Uzbek and Russian and run English groups for foreign students. Careers360, in an article updated on 10 June 2026, describes it as a six-year course and gives two different breakdowns: five years of study and one year of clinical training, or 5.5 years followed by a one-year internship. That difference decides whether the course satisfies the NMC rule of at least 54 months of study in English plus a 12-month internship at the same university. Ask the university for the curriculum in writing, showing the number of months in each part.
NEET qualification is needed for an Indian student who wants to practise in India. Class 12 with Physics, Chemistry and Biology is the normal entry condition. Universities in Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara, Andijan and Fergana take most Indian students. The Embassy of India in Tashkent says about 16,000 Indian students study medicine in Uzbekistan; that figure was in a press release that The Tribune, which carried it on 6 July 2026, said it had not verified.
Uzbekistan MBBS fees
We could not read tuition prices on the Uzbek universities' own websites for this page. The table shows the most detailed figures we found, from Careers360's fee article of June 2026, converted at ₹95.03 per dollar. Treat them as indicative.
| University | Tuition per year | In rupees | Six years, if flat | Year one with other charges |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tashkent Medical Academy | $3,000 | ₹2.9 lakh | ₹17.1 lakh | $3,700 (₹3.5 lakh) |
| Andijan State Medical Institute | $3,500 | ₹3.3 lakh | ₹20.0 lakh | $4,200 (₹4.0 lakh) |
| Fergana Medical Institute of Public Health | $3,500 | ₹3.3 lakh | ₹20.0 lakh | $4,950 (₹4.7 lakh) |
| Samarkand State Medical University | $3,850 | ₹3.7 lakh | ₹22.0 lakh | $4,800 (₹4.6 lakh) |
The Uzbek fees are lower than Georgia's ($5,900–8,000) and lower than most Russian universities. For the same six years, a Russian state university outside Moscow costs about ₹14–33 lakh in tuition, so Uzbekistan sits at the bottom of that range. Kursk State Medical University, at about ₹16 lakh, costs slightly less than Tashkent Medical Academy at ₹17.1 lakh. Look at the lowest Russian fees in our list before you assume Uzbekistan is the cheapest option; a low Russian fee can match it.
Check an Uzbek or Russian university before you pay
Send the university name and your NEET score; we check its FMGE record and NMC notices.
What the NMC and the Indian Embassy said in 2025 and 2026
Two official warnings matter. In July 2025 the NMC blacklisted four foreign colleges, one of them the Chirchik branch of Tashkent State Medical University, citing inadequate infrastructure, poor clinical training, harassment of Indian students, excessive fees and denial of refunds. It warned that students at non-compliant colleges may be ineligible for registration in India and asked students already enrolled to check whether their university meets the FMGL Regulations 2021 (Careers360, 21 July 2025).
On 1 April 2026 the NMC issued a further alert. As reported by Medical Dialogues on 10 August 2026, the Embassy of India in Tashkent had sent the NMC these concerns: students admitted beyond the intake capacity of the institute, students not getting hands-on training because the medium of instruction is not English, alleged FMGL violations at the Termez branch of Tashkent State Medical University linked to an offshore campus in Bangalore, and malpractice by agents. The advisory named Bukhara State Medical Institute, Samarkand State Medical University, Tashkent State Medical University and the Bangalore institute. The Embassy replied that the alert is precautionary and not a ban, that it is in touch with the three Uzbek institutes on intake norms and clinical training, and that families should rely on NMC, Embassy and government sources only. The Haryana Medical Council also said its notice should not be read as an admissions ban.
What this means in practice: admission is not prohibited, but a family must check four things before paying. Is the programme taught and examined in English, including the clinical years? Is the intake within the university's sanctioned capacity? Is the 12-month internship done at the same university? Does the university give a written fee schedule with a refund policy? An agent who cannot show you the offer letter and the receipts in the university's name is the main risk in this market; agent malpractice is one of the concerns the Embassy sent to the NMC.
FMGE results of Uzbek graduates
| Country of MBBS | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 combined | 2025 candidates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Uzbekistan | 12.5% | 40.2% | 37.9% | 1,405 (533 passed) |
| Russia | 19.4% | 29.5% | 25.8% | 11,428 (2,950 passed) |
Uzbek graduates are a small group, which is why the rate jumped from 12.5% to 40.2% in a year: 64 candidates in 2023, 490 in 2024. Do not read a trend into it. By university, the 2025 sessions show:
| Uzbek university | Appeared, 2025 | Passed | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Urgench Branch of Tashkent Medical Academy | 299 | 129 | 43.1% |
| Tashkent Medical Academy | 221 | 95 | 43.0% |
| Samarkand State Medical Institute (the former name of Samarkand State Medical University) | 169 | 58 | 34.3% |
| Bukhara State Medical Institute | 504 | 166 | 32.9% |
These are respectable numbers, above the Russian average. They do not remove the questions in the NMC alert: a pass rate describes students who finished and sat the exam, not those who did not get adequate clinical training. Compare with the Russian universities in our FMGE ranking; the best of them are above 38%.
Russia vs Uzbekistan: the comparison
| Russia (state universities) | Uzbekistan | |
|---|---|---|
| First-year tuition | ₹2.4 lakh to ₹14.1 lakh for the universities with a confirmed price; most outside Moscow ₹3–5.5 lakh | $3,000–3,850, about ₹2.9–3.7 lakh (agent-level figures) |
| Tuition for the whole course | about ₹14–33 lakh outside Moscow | about ₹17–22 lakh |
| Length | 6 years | 6 years (check the 5 + 1 and 5.5 + 1 split) |
| FMGE pass rate, 2025 | 25.8% (11,428 candidates) | 37.9% (1,405 candidates) |
| NMC notices | General FMGL conditions | Blacklisting of Chirchik branch (July 2025); alert of 1 April 2026 naming three universities |
| Language of teaching | English for Indian groups | English, but the NMC alert says it is often not English in practice |
| Fee transparency | Price orders on university sites | Fees mostly from agents; refunds a recurring complaint |
| Flights from Kerala | No direct flight; via the Gulf or Delhi to Moscow | No direct flight that we could confirm; via Delhi, Mumbai or the Gulf |
Our verdict
If the choice is only about tuition, Uzbekistan and the cheapest Russian state universities are close, and Russia's price orders are public. Where Uzbekistan wins on paper is the FMGE rate of 37.9%. Where it loses is regulatory risk: three universities named in an NMC alert in 2026, one branch blacklisted in 2025, and the agent practices both documents describe.
A Russian state university with a published price order, a written English-medium track and an FMGE rate over 30% (see the list of universities) carries less regulatory risk for about the same total cost. Uzbekistan can still be a sound choice at an institute that has a clean record, publishes its fee, teaches clinical years in English and gives you the intake and internship terms in writing. If you are offered a seat at any of the three named universities, ask the Embassy of India in Tashkent for its current position before you pay a deposit.
Whichever country you pick, check the NMC rules, compare totals on the fees page, and read what happens after the degree on the FMGE page. For the Georgian alternative see Russia vs Georgia.
Get an Uzbekistan vs Russia cost sheet
We list tuition, living costs and FMGE results for one Uzbek and two Russian universities.
MBBS in Uzbekistan vs Russia: Frequently Asked Questions
What is the MBBS fee in Uzbekistan for Indian students?
Careers360 lists tuition of $3,000 at Tashkent Medical Academy, $3,500 at Andijan and Fergana and $3,850 at Samarkand, a year, which is ₹2.9–3.7 lakh. Hostel is extra, about $600 a year. These are not the universities' own prices, so ask for a written fee schedule.
Is MBBS in Uzbekistan safe for Indian students?
The NMC blacklisted the Chirchik branch of Tashkent State Medical University in July 2025 and issued an alert on 1 April 2026 naming Bukhara, Samarkand and Tashkent State Medical University. The Indian Embassy says the alert is precautionary and not a ban. Check the university's intake capacity, English teaching in the clinical years and refund terms before paying.
What is the FMGE pass rate for Uzbekistan?
NBEMS data give 37.9% for 2025 (533 of 1,405 candidates), 40.2% for 2024 and 12.5% for 2023. The groups are small, so the rate moves a lot from year to year.
Is MBBS in Uzbekistan cheaper than Russia?
About the same as the cheapest Russian state universities. Six years of tuition in Uzbekistan is about ₹17–22 lakh; at Russian state universities outside Moscow it is about ₹14–33 lakh. Russian price orders are public, which makes them easier to verify.
Is the Uzbek MBBS valid in India?
It is valid only for a course that meets the NMC FMGL rules: at least 54 months of study in English, a 12-month internship at the same university and a licence to practise in Uzbekistan. Graduates then pass FMGE and complete the Indian internship. The NMC's 2025 and 2026 notices show that not every institution is compliant.
Which Uzbek universities did the NMC name in 2026?
The NMC alert of 1 April 2026 names Bukhara State Medical Institute, Samarkand State Medical University, Tashkent State Medical University and a Bangalore institute linked to the Termez branch. In July 2025 it blacklisted the Chirchik branch of Tashkent State Medical University.
Sources: Careers360, "MBBS fees in Uzbekistan" (updated 10 June 2026) and "NMC blacklists 4 foreign medical colleges" (21 July 2025); Medical Dialogues, 10 August 2026 (NMC alert of 1 April 2026, Embassy of India Tashkent and Haryana Medical Council statements); The Tribune/ANI, 6 July 2026 (Embassy figure of 16,000 students, an unverified press release); 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 rate of 15 October 2026. Checked October 2026.