Uzbekistan has, over the past several years, grown into one of the more talked-about destinations for Indian students exploring MBBS in Uzbekistan, largely on the strength of low fees and English-medium teaching. But in April 2026, India’s National Medical Commission (NMC) issued an advisory that every applicant considering the country should read closely before applying.
What the advisory says
On 1 April 2026, the NMC’s Undergraduate Medical Education Board issued a public notice naming Tashkent State Medical University, Samarkand State Medical University and Bukhara State Medical Institute, along with an associated offshore campus, following concerns raised by the Indian Embassy in Tashkent. The concerns included admissions beyond a university’s approved intake capacity, inadequate hands-on clinical training, and, in some cases, teaching not being conducted fully in English. The NMC noted that these issues could put a graduate’s compliance with India’s Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate (FMGL) Regulations, 2021 at risk, and non-compliance can mean a graduate is unable to register to practise medicine in India after completing the degree.
This is not the first such advisory for the region. The NMC has issued similar notices about foreign medical institutions in previous years, including an earlier 2025 action concerning a branch campus in Uzbekistan over infrastructure and fee-refund concerns.
It does not mean the whole country is off-limits
Uzbekistan has other government-recognised medical universities that were not named in the April 2026 advisory, and Indian students continue to study there. What the advisory changes is the amount of homework a student needs to do before choosing a specific institution — assuming that “recognised” and “safe to join” mean the same thing for every university in the country is no longer a safe assumption.
Eligibility that still applies
Regardless of which university a student eventually chooses, the basic eligibility rules are unchanged: Class 12 with Physics, Chemistry and Biology, at least 50% aggregate marks (40% for reserved categories), and a valid NEET qualifying score. Most universities admit students directly on this basis, without a separate entrance exam.
Cost
Uzbekistan remains one of the more affordable MBBS destinations, with annual tuition at most universities ranging roughly between $3,000 and $4,500, and total six-year costs — including hostel and living expenses — often coming in under ₹30 lakh, lower than many MBBS programmes in Russia.
What to verify before paying any fee
Given the April 2026 advisory, students and parents should specifically check three things through the NMC’s website or an Indian embassy contact: whether the university currently appears on the NMC’s list of approved institutions, whether its intake numbers match its officially approved capacity, and whether clinical teaching is genuinely conducted in English. None of this should be taken solely on an agent’s word — the NMC and the WHO’s WDOMS portal are both public and free to check.
The bigger picture
Uzbekistan can still be a reasonable choice at the right university. The April 2026 advisory is best read not as a reason to avoid the country altogether, but as a reminder that low cost and recognition on paper are not automatically true of every institution — verification, this year more than most, matters as much as the decision to go abroad in the first place.