Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University MD: Fees, Admission and Review for Indian Students

Tbilisi State University at a glance

Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University (TSU) is Georgia's oldest university, founded in 1918 by the historian Ivane Javakhishvili and colleagues. It is a public research university with about 23,500 students and is ranked 951–1000 in the QS World University Rankings 2026 (Wikipedia). Medicine was one of its original fields in 1918; medical education was restored in 1994, and the Faculty of Medicine became an independent faculty in 2000.

TSU's international office says the one-stage, English-language Medicine programme is one of the programmes foreign students choose most often. Like every undergraduate MD programme in Georgia, it lasts six years.

TSU is not the same institution as Tbilisi State Medical University — check the full name on every document.

Fees and payment

Careers360 lists TSU's English MD at $8,000 a year, paid as $4,000 per semester (≈ ₹7.5 lakh a year). TSU itself says tuition fees "are defined each new academic year by the university", so ask for the 2027–28 figure in writing.

Accommodation is not included; our MBBS in Georgia hub estimates about $230 a month for a shared flat outside central Tbilisi and $200–690 a month for daily costs, based on Numbeo data.

Admission process for 2027

TSU's enrolment route for foreign citizens is set out on its international student page:

1. Apply with the required documents. For English-taught programmes an English level certificate is required.
2. Faculty assessment: the Faculty of Medicine may set an exam or interview.
3. Consent letter: if you pass, TSU issues a letter of consent.
4. Recognition: you take it to Georgia's National Center for Educational Quality Enhancement (NCEQE), which recognises your school certificate and forwards the file to the Ministry of Education, Science and Youth.
5. Ministry decree granting the right to study in Georgia.
6. Contract: TSU signs a contract with you (electronic signing is possible; applicants under 18 need a parent or guardian and a notarised birth certificate). You are then enrolled.

Registration deadlines are fixed by Rector's order each year, so watch TSU's site from spring 2027. Indian applicants also need a qualifying NEET-UG result (valid three years) — see our NEET guide. Questions on fees and deadlines go to TSU's Learning Process Management Department (academicaffairs@tsu.ge).

FMGE results

TSU's Faculty of Medicine has one of the better FMGE records among Georgian universities, from a relatively small number of candidates.

Source: NBEMS. Georgia's 2025 average was 30.3%; the all-country average was 21.5%. With fewer than 150 candidates a year, one session can move the rate a lot, so read the multi-year trend. Our FMGE guide explains the exam.

FMGL 2021 fit

The English, six-year programme matches FMGL's medium and duration rules; as with all Georgian universities, the licence route needs attention. Georgian authorities told the Indian Embassy that MD graduates of any nationality are not registered on graduation and must pass a national post-diploma exam — in Georgian — and complete residency before independent practice. Clinical rotations run from year 4 and fill most of the last four semesters. Ask TSU how it certifies these rotations as the 12-month internship/clerkship NMC expects, and keep your logbooks. See our FMGL rules guide.

Living in Tbilisi as a TSU student

Tbilisi is a capital city with hot summers (average highs around 32 °C in July–August), winters near freezing and generally low crime, according to the UK FCDO. The main risks for students are pickpocketing in crowded places, drink spiking, and political demonstrations around Parliament on Rustaveli Avenue, which the FCDO says can turn violent without warning — avoid them. Patients speak Georgian, so plan to learn the language alongside your English-medium classes; it will matter in your clinical years and is required if you ever want to practise in Georgia.

Is TSU a good choice?

TSU suits students who want a prestigious public university and are ready to pay at the top of the Georgian fee range. Its FMGE record has been consistently above Georgia's average. If cost is the constraint, compare European University ($6,500) and Batumi Shota Rustaveli State University ($5,000), or New Vision University ($7,000), which has a similar FMGE record.

Pros and cons of TSU

Advantages

• Georgia's oldest and best-known public university, founded in 1918
• Strong FMGE record: 46.9% in 2024 and 36.0% in 2025, above Georgia's average
• Smaller Indian cohort than at Georgia's largest medical universities
• Clear, official enrolment procedure through NCEQE and the Ministry of Education

Drawbacks

• Fee of about $8,000 a year is at the top of the Georgian range
• TSU does not publish the English MD fee on its international pages; fees are set each year
• FMGE results swing between sessions (20.5% in June 2025, 43.2% in December 2025)
• Licence to practise in Georgia requires a Georgian-language exam and residency