Georgia's English-medium medical schools and the exams their graduates face

Medical and health education in Georgia

Medicine in Georgia is a single-cycle MD programme of six years (360 ECTS), taught in Georgian and in English. About twenty universities offer it, including Tbilisi State Medical University, Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University, Caucasus University, the University of Georgia and Batumi Shota Rustaveli State University. The National Center for Educational Quality Enhancement (NCEQE) authorises and accredits programmes, and the Ministry of Health regulates practice. The English-medium MD has made Georgia a leading destination for students from India, Pakistan, Nigeria, Iraq and Egypt.

For Georgian graduates, a unified final qualification exam and a certification step for independent practice are reported, but we could not verify the format or administrator. International graduates should plan for their home exam, not Georgia’s: Indian graduates the FMGE (its planned successor NExT has been deferred), Pakistani graduates the PM&DC NRE, Nigerian graduates the MDCN assessment exam, and so on. Check that the programme and university are on your home regulator’s recognised list before enrolling, and read NMC rules on course duration and internship.

A study hub with a thin public paper trail

Georgia attracts large groups of international medical students, including cohorts from India, Israel and the Middle East on English-medium MD programmes. The national exam system around them is less visible online than in neighbouring countries. The main regulator's own site was blocked for us, and the examination centre's homepage carried no exam information. We would rather tell you that than invent a format.

That makes this page different from the others in the region. The useful content is a map of who is responsible, what is reported, and the exact questions you should put to the authority before you choose a programme or book a flight.

Who needs which step

• MD graduates of Georgian universities: reported final qualification exam in medicine at the end of study.
• Doctors completing residency or postgraduate training: reported state certification exam for independent practice.
• Dental graduates: state certification is reported to apply; confirm.
• Nurses, midwives, physiotherapists: no exam identified; qualification-based.
• Pharmacists: certification route unverified; ask the Regulation Agency.

Doctors

Regulators. The Ministry sets policy; the Regulation Agency for Medical and Pharmaceutical Activities handles regulation. The Law on Medical Practice sets the legal framework, and the current text is on the Legislative Herald of Georgia.

The two exams. Georgian sources describe a unified final qualification exam taken by MD graduates, and a unified state certification exam taken after residency or postgraduate training for independent practice. The format is reported as computer-based multiple choice. We could not verify the number of items, duration or pass mark.

Language. Not confirmed. If the exams are in Georgian only, English-medium graduates who intend to practise in Georgia would need medical Georgian.

1. Write to the Regulation Agency. Ask whether the MD final exam and the certification exam are available in English.
2. Read the Law on Medical Practice. It states who needs certification and when.
3. Ask your university. Institutions normally register final-year students for the qualification exam.
4. Plan residency. Certification follows postgraduate training.
5. Keep written answers. Details can change by ministerial order.

Dentists

State certification applies to independent practice in regulated medical specialties and is reported to include dentistry. We did not confirm the format. If you are weighing a dentistry degree in Georgia, ask directly whether dentists sit the same unified certification exam or a separate one.

Nurses, midwives and physiotherapists

No national licensing exam was found. Nursing is regulated through the vocational or bachelor qualification, and midwives and physiotherapists appear to follow a similar logic. Treat this as unverified: ask the Ministry whether foreign-trained staff must complete any assessment after recognition of the diploma.

Pharmacists

The Regulation Agency for Medical and Pharmaceutical Activities is the likely authority, but the certification route was not verified. Ask whether graduates need a state exam or only registration.

At a glance

Choosing a programme with the exam in mind

Start from your destination, then work backwards. The Georgian national exams may be the least important link in that chain for foreign students who plan to practise elsewhere.

The question most applicants really have is not "How do I practise in Georgia?" but "Will this degree take me where I want to go?" For many international students the answer depends on the destination country, not on Georgia. A doctor who intends to practise in India, the Gulf or the UK will meet FMGE or NExT, a Gulf licensing exam or PLAB. These have their own eligibility rules, including requirements about the university and the length and language of the course. Check those rules for your destination before enrolling.

On the Georgian side, the practical advice is to ask three things of any university: what share of the last cohort sat the national final exam, in which language, and what support the faculty provides. Do not rely on recruitment agents for these answers; ask the faculty office in writing, and keep the reply.

What to look for in the Law on Medical Practice

The law is the one primary document that is public and stable enough to cite. When you read it, look for four things: the definition of independent medical practice, the conditions for a certificate (diploma, completed postgraduate training, and an exam), the status of foreign-trained doctors, and the body that issues the certificate. Note the date of the last amendment shown on the Legislative Herald, because secondary summaries are often out of date. If the law refers to a ministerial order for the detail, find the order as well; format, fees and calendar are usually set there.

Documents to have ready for any enquiry

• Your diploma and transcript, with an official translation where the original is not in Georgian or English.
• The curriculum, hours and clinical placements, as the authority may ask whether your training matches the national standard.
• A copy of your passport and, for foreign nationals, your residence permit.
• Proof of any postgraduate training, with dates and the accrediting body.

Having these ready shortens the reply time and shows the authority exactly which category you fall into.

Recognition and language

Georgia is not an EU member state, and we found no directive-based recognition route. Foreign diplomas are assessed under national rules; the Ministry or the Regulation Agency will tell you whether an exam applies. Georgian is the official language, with English widely used in the international programmes but not necessarily in the state exams.

Last reviewed October 2026