New Delhi: The National Medical Commission (NMC) has proposed a $10000 fee for recognising Abroad Medical Colleges. This plan aims to make regulatory oversight strong and ensure only quality MBBS Abroad degrees are recognised for practice in India. This policy move could impact thousands of future Indian doctors.
A draft notification issued by the NMC under the National Medical Commission (Recognition of Medical Qualification) regulations mandates that any foreign university or accreditation authority seeking recognition of their medical course by India must pay this one-time fee per qualification.
“Any foreign authority in any country outside India, entrusted with the recognition shall remit $10,000 (US dollars ten thousand only) per qualification as fees to the Commission while submitting its application,” the draft states.
The move comes amid rising concerns about the varying quality of foreign medical education and the need to uphold uniform medical standards for doctors practising in India.
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National Medical Commission (Recognition of Medical Qualification) Regulations (Amendment), 2025
It amends “National Medical Commission (Recognition of Medical Qualification) Regulations, 2023″ and makes the following draft Regulations:
Now clause 7 will read as: 7. Application fee: Any foreign authority in any country outside India, entrusted with the recognition, shall remit $ 10,000 (US dollars ten thousand only) per qualification as fees to the Commission while submitting its application in a proforma.
Join NEET News 2025 These regulations may be called the “National Medical Commission (Recognition of Medical Qualification) Regulations (Amendment), 2025”.
They shall come into force from the date of their publication in the Official Gazette.
Part one of Clause 7 of the Regulations, under the heading “Application fee”, is deleted.
Every year, 20,000 to 25,000 Indian students travel abroad for medical education, largely due to the limited number of MBBS seats in India, around 1.18 lakh for over 25 lakh NEET aspirants. Popular destinations include Russia, Georgia, China and Kyrgyzstan, where the cost of a full MBBS degree ranges from ₹18 lakh to ₹48 lakh.
For these MBBS Abroad graduates, recognition by NMC is crucial to be eligible to take the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE), mandatory for obtaining a medical license in India.
The concept of charging a recognition fee for foreign medical qualifications is not new. Top medical regulators worldwide, including the World Federation for Medical Education (WFME), Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) in the US, and authorities in Canada and the UK, charge substantial amounts to process such recognitions.
For instance, the WFME charges approximately $60,000 to evaluate and accredit national medical accrediting bodies.
The NMC’s move brings India in line with these global norms, signaling a well structured and financially sustainable approach to international recognition.
An NMC official familiar with the development explained that the fee is not just a revenue-generating mechanism but a filtering tool to discourage low-quality or unaccredited foreign institutions from seeking recognition.
“This is about protecting India’s healthcare ecosystem from substandard training. The fee formalizes the process and ensures that only serious, high-quality foreign medical programs are considered,” the official said.
The NMC official added that this will streamline foreign degree vetting, reduce irregularities, and bring greater accountability to the process.
The NMC’s planned draft amendment is expected to impact current and future MBBS Abroad students. If a foreign university fails to secure NMC recognition under the new rule, its Indian graduates may face difficulties getting their degrees validated in India. It will make them ineligible to appear for licensing exams or secure internships.
As of now, no clear date has been announced for the final implementation of the rule, but experts expect it to be enforced after public consultation.
While the NMC called it as a step toward quality control, some critics have expressed concern about the potential bottlenecks this may create in the recognition process.
“There is a risk that smaller but legitimate universities may shy away from applying due to the steep fee,” said an overseas education consultant. “This could leave students in limbo if their university is not on the approved list.”
Cost of Studying Abroad vs India
| Country | Average MBBS Tuition + Living Costs |
|---|---|
| Russia | ₹30–50 lakh |
| China | ₹32–60 lakh |
| Georgia | ₹28–45 lakh |
| Kyrgyzstan | ₹25–50 lakh |
| India (Private) | ₹50 lakh-₹1.5 crore (some colleges) |
Given the high cost of private MBBS education in India, studying abroad remains the only option for thousands of students each year.
The National Medical Commision (NMC) has not yet officially commented on the proposed changes. Stakeholders await further clarification on implementation timelines, exemptions (if any), and whether the $10000 fee will be uniform for all countries and institutions.
The draft rules are likely to be opened for public and stakeholder feedback in the coming weeks. Medical experts suggest that students planning to pursue MBBS Abroad in 2025 and beyond should closely monitor NMC’s official updates, check their university’s recognition status, and factor in potential regulatory risks before making commitments.
