What is 54 Months Rule for MBBS Abroad? (NMC 2025)

As more and more Indian students choose to pursue MBBS degrees abroad in 2025, it is highly important to ensure that these foreign medical qualifications are both high-quality and meet the NMC guidelines. The National Medical Commission (NMC) has set out a set of specific guidelines aimed at regulating and maintaining the quality of medical education abroad for Indian students. A key aspect of these regulations is the 54-months rule for MBBS abroad. As per NMC, ‘the student has to undergo a minimum of four and half years (54 months) of theoretical and practical training for acquisition of primary medical qualification i.e. undergraduate medical training (MBBS) after 10+2 educational structure with an additional 12 months of internship/clinical clerkship after qualifying in the country where the medical qualification has been awarded. The MBBS education must have been in English medium.’ This rule specifies the minimum duration for an acceptable MBBS program abroad and eligibility to practice medicine in India. Understanding the eligibility criteria and rules is crucial for aspiring medical students to plan their education abroad in 2025.

This Story also Contains

1. What is the 54 Month Rule for MBBS Abroad?
2. NMC 54 Months Rule to Study MBBS Abroad Important Guidelines
3. NMC Guidelines on Internship During MBBS 2025
4. Countries Fulfilling the 54 Months Rule for MBBS Abroad
5. NMC Approved Colleges for MBBS Abroad
6. Eligibility Criteria to Study MBBS Abroad

Another crucial aspect is that NEET is one of the primary and important exams for doing MBBS abroad for Indian students. As per the latest NMC data, there were more than 24 lakh NEET UG registrations in 2024. Whereas the available seats were 1,18,000 seats across 700 medical colleges in India. This means that the competition for these MBBS seats in India is incredibly high. This serves as one of the reasons why students choose to study MBBS abroad. The NMC has recently issued another advisory expressing its concerns about Indian students who are looking to enroll in foreign medical schools. Even after previous warnings, many students still choose to attend private medical colleges abroad that fail to meet the NMC's established standards.

Update: The FMGE exam might get replaced by the NExT exam; however, currently, no date has been announced by NMC officially.

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What is the 54 Month Rule for MBBS Abroad?

In 2025, NMC introduced the 54 month rule for candidates who wish to pursue MBBS abroad in its FMGL Regulations 2021. The rule clearly states that an MBBS student is required to complete a minimum of 54 months, that is, 4.5 years of study at the same institution or university abroad. This rule was released through an official gazette called the Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiates (FMGL). The curriculum must include essential subjects like

• General Medicine

• Surgery

• Community Medicine

• Psychiatry

• Paediatrics

• Anaesthesia

• Obstetrics & Gynecology

• Orthopedics

• Ophthalmology

An important note is that the course should not take more than 10 years after the date of admission to complete. In addition, your entire MBBS course should be completed in the English language only.

NMC 54 Months Rule to Study MBBS Abroad Important Guidelines

As discussed above as well, the 54-month rule is an advisory issued by the National Medical Commission (NMC) for Indian students looking to study MBBS abroad. It states that students must complete a minimum of 54 months of theoretical medical education with a compulsory 1-year internship afterwards with the same university. Along with this mandatory rule, there are some important NMC guidelines to study MBBS abroad for Indian applicants. Here are the following:

1.) Minimum MBBS course duration: The MBBS degree must be at least 54 months or 4.5 years with some mandatory subjects including General Medicine, Surgery, Community Medicine, Psychiatry, Paediatrics, Anaesthesia, Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Orthopaedics, and Ophthalmology.

2.) English taught course: The medium of instruction of an MBBS course abroad must be in English.

3.) Same university for education and internship: It is mandatory for students to complete their MBBS course and then 12 month internship with the same university. They must not change the university, college, or country for an internship.

4.) Registration for practice medicine: After completing the MBBS course abroad, students must register with the professional body (FMGE in India) and meet their requirements. This allows them to practice medicine.

5.) Course completion within 10 year: Students must complete their entire MBBS course within a maximum duration of 10 years from the date of admission into the medical university. So, medical education+internships must be completed within 10 year timeframe.

NMC Guidelines on Internship During MBBS 2025

Apart from the 54 months rule for MBBS abroad, NMC has also stated rules for internship. Students must undergo clinical, theoretical, and practical training aligned with the Indian MBBS course. This internship experience should be for 12 months. These 12 months are not a part of the 54 month rule for MBBS abroad. This means that after 54 months or 4.5 years, an additional 1 year of internships is required. In addition, make sure that the internship that you partake in helps you get hands-on training on the subjects that you covered during your 54 months of MBBS degree abroad.

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Countries Fulfilling the 54 Months Rule for MBBS Abroad

For aspiring medical professionals who are planning where to study MBBS abroad, it is recommended that you check for countries that fulfil the 54 months rule for MBBS abroad. Before applying for universities abroad, make sure they provide a minimum of a 4.5-year curriculum. Some of the countries include.

Note: NMC does not approve or recognise any foreign medical college, university, or country. The countries mentioned are simply where NMC guidelines are followed.

Also Read: NMC Approved Medical Colleges in Russia

NMC Approved Colleges for MBBS Abroad

An important fact regarding the NMC approved universities or countries for MBBS is that NMC does not endorse or recommend any universities or countries to study MBBS abroad. Instead, they have provided a set of guidelines for MBS aspirants. Any university or country that fulfils these rules is accepted by NMC. Similarly, the following colleges follow NMC guidelines for MBBS abroad.

• Cairo University

• University of Georgia

• Georgian National University

• Yaroslav The Wise Novgorod State University

• Kazakh National Medical University

• Alexandria University

• Monash University

• University of Vienna

• University Heidelburg

• Royal Australasian College of Physicians

• Medical University of Bahrain

• Jimma University

• Charles University

• Humboldt University

• Phillips University

• National College of Ireland

• University of Pisa

• Kabardino Balkarian State University

• University of Florence

• University of Otago

• Altai State Medical University

• Orenburg State Medical University

• University of Sharjah

• University of California

• University of Florida

• University of Glasgow

• University of Liverpool

• University of Leeds

Eligibility Criteria to Study MBBS Abroad

Apart from the rules specified by NMC, here are a few general eligibility criteria to be followed by an MBBS abroad aspirant.

1. Academic Requirement - Completed secondary education (10+2) with a focus on science, specifically in subjects like Biology, Physics, and Chemistry

2. Age - Applicants should be at least 17 years old to apply for MBBS admission abroad. There is no maximum age for an MBBS applicant.

3. English Proficiency Tests - Scores are required for English proficiency of the candidate. IELTS, TOEFL, or PTE scores are required for the MBBS abroad.

4. Entrance Exams - Each country has its own specific tests for MBBS admissions abroad. The exam depends on the desired country from which you want your MBBS degree.

• MCAT in the US

• UKCAT in the UK

• UMAT in Australia

Best country for MBBS in abroad for Indian students:

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