Indian medical students in Georgia: NMC rules and documents for India

Who does FMGL 2021 apply to, and why is it the key rule?

India is the largest source of international students in Georgia, and most of them study medicine. When they return home, the main legal document for them is the NMC's Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate Regulations, 2021 (FMGL for short). According to the NMC's official clarifications, a foreign medical graduate (FMG) is a person who obtained their primary medical education outside India and is seeking a licence to practise medicine in India.

The regulations have been in force since 18 November 2021. They do not apply to those who obtained a foreign medical degree or began studying abroad before that date; such graduates remain under the earlier rules. The FMGE information bulletin for October 2026 states directly that the eligibility of those enrolled on or after 18 November 2021 is assessed strictly under FMGL, and that if an earlier enrolment date is falsely declared, the certificate issued may be cancelled at any time.

What does the NMC require during your studies?

The table below follows the NMC's official FAQ, with references to the provisions of the regulations. The right-hand column shows the document by which each condition is usually proven; the exact list is set by the bulletin for each session.

Among the clinical subjects, the NMC lists community medicine, general medicine, psychiatry, paediatrics, general surgery, anaesthesiology, obstetrics and gynaecology, orthopaedics, otorhinolaryngology, ophthalmology, dermatology, emergency medicine and laboratory services. The NMC also clarifies that the internship is a separate stage from the clinical rotations completed during the 54 months: it begins after the course but is considered an integral part of primary medical education.

Online teaching

The NMC recognises online classes only in theory subjects, and only if they were supplemented by practical and clinical training at the university and its clinic. This must be proven with a certificate of successful completion. If part of your course was taught remotely, request this certificate from the university before you graduate.

What does ‘right to practise in Georgia’ mean?

Reg. 4(b) requires the graduate to be registered with the competent professional regulator of the country where the degree was awarded, with a right to practise equivalent to the licence granted to that country's citizens. This condition raises the most questions for those studying in Georgia.

The Law of Georgia on Medical Practice distinguishes between independent medical practice and the position of ‘junior doctor’. Under Article 5 of the Law, a graduate of a state-accredited higher medical institution may be appointed as a junior doctor and performs a doctor's functions under the direction of a person entitled to independent medical practice. Whether a particular Georgian status satisfies Reg. 4(b) is for the NMC to assess. Despite information circulating in the press on this question, we have no official document to rely on, so we do not publish a conclusion here.

Practical advice: before enrolment and before graduation, ask the university in writing which document it or the competent Georgian authority issues to graduates and how that document corresponds to Reg. 4(b). Follow the NMC's new public notices on nmc.org.in. Do not rely on an agent's verbal promises on this question.

What happens after you return to India?

1. Screening examination

   FMGL requires you to pass the National Exit Test (NExT) or another examination set by the NMC. The official NBEMS page has published the bulletins for the June and October 2026 FMGE sessions, which means that, at this stage, foreign graduates sit the FMGE. Follow the NMC's official notices for the date of the switch to NExT.

2. Provisional registration

   After the examination you need provisional registration with a State Medical Council. The bulletin warns that appearing for the FMGE does not give an automatic right to registration: the registration criteria are set by the NMC Act of 2019.

3. Internship in India

   In addition to the 12 months completed abroad, a supervised internship of at least 12 more months in India is mandatory. You apply for it to the State Medical Council through the NMC.

Before admitting you to the internship, the NMC checks all the conditions listed above together: course duration, internship abroad, teaching in English, mandatory subjects, registration in the country that awarded the degree, passing the examination and provisional registration. So keep every certificate you receive in Georgia until this stage, with copies and scans.

Which documents should you prepare in Georgia?

The key document for the FMGE is your Primary Medical Qualification (PMQ) diploma or a provisional certificate confirming that you passed the final examination. According to the October 2026 bulletin, it must be either attested by the Indian Embassy in the country where you obtained the qualification, or apostilled by the competent authority of that country under the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention. Georgia is a party to this convention, so a Georgian diploma is apostilled through the Public Service Hall, after a check by the National Center for Educational Quality Enhancement (NCEQE). The steps of the procedure are described in our guide to documents for international students.

• PMQ diploma or provisional certificate with an apostille or embassy attestation. The bulletin warns that the uploaded apostille must belong to exactly the document you uploaded as proof of your PMQ; otherwise this is treated as use of unfair means and your candidature is cancelled.
• Proof that the course was completed in time. For the October 2026 session, the final examination had to be passed by 31 August 2026.
• Eligibility Certificate, admission letter or NEET-UG proof, depending on which is required for your enrolment period.
• Identity document proving citizenship. Your name must be spelled the same way on all documents, because it cannot be corrected after the application has been submitted.
• Internship certificate, if you completed an internship abroad. NBEMS may ask you for it, together with your Class 12 certificate and other documents, at any time if in doubt.

The bulletin also states that a certificate attested after the deadline, or not attested at all, will not be considered for eligibility; for the October 2026 session, deficiencies could be rectified until 21 October. So start the apostille on the day you receive your diploma or provisional certificate, not when registration for the examination opens.

The bulletin does not set out a separate translation requirement. If your diploma or certificate is in Georgian only, check with NBEMS and your State Medical Council what form of English translation they need; we prepare such translations through our education documents translation service, with notarisation where required.

Which mistakes block your path to the FMGE?

• An apostille on the wrong document. For example, the apostille is on the supplement, while the diploma is uploaded as proof of your PMQ. Request the apostille on the document you will upload.
• A late apostille. In Georgia, an apostille on an education document takes about two working weeks, and postal delivery a few more days. The bulletin deadline will not wait.
• Changing university mid-course. FMGL requires the whole course and internship at one institution; a transfer, or part of your clinical training in India or another country, puts your eligibility at risk.
• Skipping the internship in Georgia. The 12-month internship at the same institution is mandatory and does not replace the internship in India.
• Name mismatch. According to the bulletin, if the name on your admit card does not match your photo ID, you will not be allowed into the examination centre. Show the university the spelling in your passport before your diploma is issued.
• Online theory without proof of clinical training. Such a period must be backed by a certificate of successful completion.

How can we help, and what can we not do?

We prepare the Georgian side: we submit your diploma or provisional certificate at the Public Service Hall, obtain the apostille, check that the apostille is on the right document, translate into English where needed and send the finished document to India by courier. If you have already left Georgia, we can continue the work under a remote power of attorney.

What we cannot do: we cannot promise you eligibility for the FMGE, we cannot assess whether your course meets FMGL, and we cannot act on your behalf with the NMC or NBEMS. These decisions belong to the Indian authorities. You can communicate with us in English, and if you are dealing with a regulator in another country, an overview by country is in our diploma recognition guide.

Frequently asked questions from Indian students