MBBS Abroad for Bangladeshi Students (2027–28): BMDC Recognition, Registration Exam and Countries

Can Bangladeshi students study MBBS abroad?

Yes. Bangladeshi students can enrol in medical universities abroad, but the degree counts at home only after the Bangladesh Medical and Dental Council (BMDC) recognises it under the BMDC Act 2010. Unlike Nepal, Bangladesh has no exit permit for medical study that we could find, so the hard check comes when you return.

We also found no official count of Bangladeshis studying medicine abroad, so treat any list of "popular destinations" as marketing unless it cites official data. This page focuses on what the law and official lists actually say.

Why many Bangladeshi students stay home

Bangladesh has a large domestic medical system. As of December 2025, the Directorate General of Medical Education (DGME) lists:

• 38 government medical colleges (including the Armed Forces Medical College) with about 5,225 MBBS seats.
• 72 non-government colleges (including army- and navy-run colleges) with about 6,331 seats.

That is roughly 11,500 MBBS seats a year. Entry is by a national admission test. For 2025-26, Prothom Alo reported 100 one-mark questions (Physics 15, Chemistry 25, Biology 30, English 15, general knowledge 15), 0.25 marks deducted per wrong answer, a pass mark of 40, and a combined SSC and HSC GPA of at least 8.5 for science applicants.

Bangladeshi colleges also attract foreign students. A DGME circular for 2022-23 allowed private colleges to admit foreign students for up to 45% of their seats, and Nepal is one of the countries that sends students here. A degree from a Bangladeshi college listed in the Act's First Schedule avoids the foreign-graduate route entirely, which is the main reason to compare carefully before leaving.

Who usually looks abroad

If you pass the admission test but miss a government seat, you will probably be weighing a private college at home against a university abroad. Do not compare tuition alone. A foreign degree can add a BMDC application, an exam and an internship on provisional registration after you return, which costs time and money. Count those steps into your plan before you sign anything.

How does BMDC treat foreign medical degrees?

BMDC recognises foreign degrees institution by institution, using schedules attached to the BMDC Act 2010. If your university is not on the schedule, you must apply to the council and pass its exam.

The Act gives BMDC the power to recognise qualifications awarded by institutions outside Bangladesh, to agree mutual recognition with other countries' councils, and to evaluate degrees and amend the schedules (section 5). Section 12 then sets the rule for undergraduate medical degrees:

1. A person with an undergraduate medical degree from an institution in or outside Bangladesh must have it recognised by the council before using it in Bangladesh.
2. If the institution is not named in the relevant schedule (the First Schedule for Bangladesh, the Second Schedule for foreign institutions), the institution or the graduate must apply to the council.
3. If the foreign degree is recognised by the medical council of the country that awarded it, the applicant sits an exam set by BMDC. Passing gives provisional registration to complete an internship of a period the council sets.
4. If the council finds the qualification eligible under its criteria, it adds the institution to the schedule.

Which countries are on the Act's Second Schedule?

The Second Schedule printed with the Act on Bangladesh's official laws portal is the clearest primary list we found. BMDC can amend it with government approval, so treat this as a starting point.

Two things are missing from this list: most Chinese universities, and countries such as the Philippines, Nepal and Egypt. Graduates from unlisted institutions must use the application-and-exam route in section 12.

What section 12 means for you in practice

• Listed university. Your route is shorter on paper, but ask BMDC in writing which exam and internship it will require of you before you enrol. Practice can be stricter than a printed schedule.
• Unlisted university. Expect an application to BMDC, the council's exam and an internship. The exam route applies only if the medical council of the awarding country recognises your degree, so licence eligibility abroad matters.
• Degree title. The schedule records the title each country awards, such as MD for the former Soviet states and MBBS for China and Malaysia. Make sure your diploma matches the programme you were promised.

Is the BMDC law changing?

As of November 2026, the 2010 Act is still the law. The council was reconstituted by a health ministry notification on 20 October 2024. In December 2025 a draft Bangladesh Medical and Dental Council Ordinance was published that would replace the 2010 Act. It proposed medical tribunals, higher fines and up to five years' jail for using the title "Dr" without an MBBS or BDS. The official laws portal still lists the 2010 Act and no BMDC ordinance, so check again before you rely on any detail.

BMDC registration exam for foreign graduates: format and pass rates

The BMDC Act requires an exam set by the council, followed by provisional registration and an internship, but we could not verify a current official format or pass rate, so we do not quote one.

Graduate-written guides online describe a multiple-choice exam, but they are undated or several years old. BMDC publishes exam notices on its own website, and those notices are the only reliable source for the current syllabus, fee and dates.

Expect the exam to be your biggest hurdle. Where a neighbouring regulator does publish results, foreign-trained candidates fail far more often than locally trained ones. Our page for Nepali students shows those figures by country of training.

How much does MBBS abroad cost for Bangladeshi students?

Tuition abroad ranges from about $7,000 to $8,000 a year at the universities below, before hostel, food, visa and travel. Rates used: US$1 ≈ Tk 124.75 (Bangladesh Bank, 12 November 2026) and US$1 ≈ RUB 82.15 (Bank of Russia, 14 November 2026). All figures are approximate.

Russian fees are set in roubles, so your taka cost moves with exchange rates. The Philippine MD also follows a pre-medical bachelor's degree, which adds years. Compare more countries on our MBBS abroad fees page.

Best countries for Bangladeshi students

For a Bangladeshi student, the best countries are those whose universities already appear on BMDC's Second Schedule, because that removes one layer of uncertainty.

Step-by-step plan

1. Check the exact university and degree title against BMDC's current schedule, and ask the council if in doubt.
2. Confirm the degree gives a licence in the country that awards it. Section 12(3) refers to degrees recognised by that country's council.
3. Check legitimacy: WDOMS listing, English teaching in all years, and an internship at the same university.
4. Get the official fee schedule in writing and budget in taka with an exchange-rate buffer.
5. Prepare documents and a student visa; see our documents checklist.
6. Keep every record: transcripts, internship certificates and proof of licence eligibility abroad.
7. On return, apply to BMDC, sit the exam if required, complete the internship on provisional registration, then apply for full registration.

Red flags and risks

• "BMDC-approved" sales pitches. Ask to see the university on the council's schedule. A brochure is not proof.
• Unlisted universities. Most Chinese universities and the Philippines are not on the printed Second Schedule.
• Degree not licensable abroad. If the awarding country will not license you, the section 12(3) route may be closed.
• Language of clinical training. In Russian- or Chinese-speaking hospitals, limited language skills mean limited patient contact.
• War and sanctions. Ukraine is unsafe for new admissions, and sanctions on Russia can delay payments.
• Changing law. A draft ordinance could replace the 2010 Act. Read our guide to agent scams and red flags.

After graduation

After the council's exam and your internship on provisional registration, you apply to BMDC for full registration. Once registered, you can work and apply for postgraduate training in Bangladesh. Keep your foreign transcripts, internship certificates and proof of licence eligibility abroad together: BMDC can ask for them at each step.

If you want to practise elsewhere, see our guide to USMLE and PLAB after MBBS abroad. Students from neighbouring countries face similar choices; compare the rules in our MBBS abroad for Indian students guide.

Countries compared for Bangladeshi students

Country	Tuition / year	Total (full course)	Duration	Medium
MBBS in Russia	$3,450–$15,800	$21,000–$105,000	6 years (General Medicine, Specialist degree)	English-medium tracks at many state universities; Russian needed with patients in clinical years
MBBS in Belarus	$6,300	$37,800	6 years (General Medicine)	English-medium groups at BSMU (Russian-medium also offered); Russian needed with patients
MBBS in Kazakhstan	$4,100–$6,600	$28,000–$45,000	About 6 years for foreign entrants (incl. 12-month internship); citizens moved to 6 + 1 years from 2026	English (patients mostly speak Kazakh or Russian)
MBBS in Kyrgyzstan	$3,000–$6,000	$18,000–$42,000	5 years (most English programmes for foreigners) or 6 years — check each university	English for foreigners; patients speak Kyrgyz or Russian
MBBS in Georgia	$4,800–$8,000	$45,000–$65,000	6 years (360 ECTS MD, clinical rotations in years 4–6)	English (Georgian language taught as a subject for patient contact)
MBBS in Uzbekistan	$2,900–$4,500	$21,000–$27,000	6 years (5 years of study + 1-year internship)	English on paper for foreign students; NMC and the Indian Embassy report clinical teaching often not in English at named institutes
MBBS in Armenia	$7,200	$43,200–$69,400	6 years (General Medicine, MD Physician qualification)	English for foreign students (Armenian and Russian streams also exist)
MBBS in Azerbaijan	$6,000	$39,600–$44,600	6 years (Treatment and Prevention / General Medicine) after a ~5–6 month preparatory course	English, Russian or Azerbaijani (chosen at admission)
MBBS in China	$4,950–$6,000	$33,500–$53,000	6 years (5 years study + 1-year internship in an affiliated hospital)	English (MoE-listed universities only); Chinese to HSK-4 required for clinical work
MBBS in Malaysia	$29,000	$153,400–$157,500	5 years (MBBS/MD), followed by separate housemanship for those registered in Malaysia	English