This is the official Gazette of India notification of the National Medical Commission (Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate) Regulations, 2021, usually called the FMGL Regulations or FMGL 2021. It was published in the Gazette of India (Extraordinary, No. 581) on 18-11-2021. NMC made these regulations under section 57, read with section 15(4), of the National Medical Commission Act, 2019.
These are the rules that decide whether a foreign medical degree can lead to a licence or permanent registration to practise medicine in India. If you are planning MBBS abroad, this is the most important document to understand before you choose a college. Below we explain each part in plain words.
Key terms in the regulations
- Foreign Medical Graduate: a person whose basic medical degree (primary medical qualification) is not from a university, medical college or institution in India, and who wants a licence to practise medicine in India.
- Permanent Registration: the registration that allows a person to practise modern medicine (allopathy) independently in India.
- Supervised Internship: training of an intern under mentors so that the intern becomes a clinician who can independently provide safe care as a primary care physician and handle common emergencies.
- Schedule I: the schedule attached to the regulations that sets out the detailed criteria for the course.
The basic rule (Regulation 3)
No foreign medical graduate may practise medicine in India unless they are granted permanent registration under these regulations.
What is needed for permanent registration (Regulation 4)
A foreign medical graduate will not be granted permanent registration unless all of the following are true.
About the foreign course
- The course leading to the foreign medical degree lasted at least 54 months.
- The student completed an internship of at least 12 months in the same foreign medical institution.
- The degree was taught in English.
- The student studied the mandatory subjects listed in Schedule I.
About the licence abroad
- The graduate is registered with the professional regulatory body, or is otherwise competent to be granted a licence to practise medicine, in the country where the degree was awarded, on the same terms as a citizen of that country.
What must be done in India
- A supervised internship in India of at least 12 months, after applying to NMC for it.
- Clearing the National Exit Test (NExT), or any other test NMC requires.
Who these rules apply to (Regulation 5)
The regulations do not apply to:
- foreign medical graduates who already had their foreign medical degree before the regulations came into force;
- students who were already studying at a foreign institution before the regulations came into force; and
- foreign medical graduates specifically exempted by NMC or the Central Government by notification.
Those who already had a degree, or were already studying, before the regulations came into force are governed by the earlier regulations. The regulations also say that no permanent registration will be granted if it goes against public policy or national security.
Schedule I: the detailed criteria
Schedule I sets the guiding principle: a foreign medical graduate licensed in India must have education and training equivalent to, or in line with, that of an Indian medical graduate. It then sets these criteria.
Duration and training
The student must complete theory, practical and clinical training equivalent to India’s MBBS. In addition, the student must complete a 12-month internship in the same foreign institution that awards the degree, with hands-on clinical training in subjects including, but not limited to, Community Medicine, General Medicine, Psychiatry, Paediatrics, General Surgery, Anaesthesia, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Orthopaedics, Otorhinolaryngology (ENT), Ophthalmology, Dermatology, Emergency or Casualty services, and laboratory services.
Content of the course
The course and internship or clinical clerkship must be in line with India’s MBBS course under the Regulations on Graduate Medical Education, 1997, and later amendments, and must include the subjects recognised by NMC. The course curriculum must be available for review by the appropriate authorities and, if necessary, on the website of the institution or university at the time the student joins.
Location
The entire course, training and internship or clerkship must be done outside India, in the same foreign medical institution, throughout. No part of the medical training or internship may be done in India, or in any country other than the one that awards the degree.
Time limit
The whole foreign medical course must be completed within ten years from the date of joining.
What this means when you choose a college
Every point above can be checked before you pay. Use this list when you talk to any college or agent:
- Ask for the official course length in months. It must be at least 54 months, plus a separate 12-month internship.
- Ask where the internship happens. It must be in the same institution that awards the degree, not split across another college or country.
- Ask for the medium of instruction in writing, for theory and clinical teaching.
- Ask for the full syllabus and check it against the subjects above.
- Ask whether graduates can get a licence to practise in that country on the same terms as local citizens, and ask for the official rule that says so.
- Make sure no part of the course is planned in India or in a third country.
Common questions
Is 54 months the total course length? The 54 months is the minimum for the course itself. The 12-month internship in the same institution comes in addition.
Do I still need to do an internship in India? Yes. Under Regulation 4, a supervised internship of at least 12 months in India is also required, after applying to NMC.
Can part of the course or internship be done in India or another country? No. Schedule I says the entire course, training and internship must be done in the same foreign institution, and no part may be done in India or in a country other than the one that awards the degree.
What exam must be passed? The National Exit Test, or any other test NMC mandates.
How we use this at National Vidya Foundation
We check every college we suggest against each of these points and share the documents behind each one, before a family pays any fee. If you want help checking a college against FMGL 2021, book a free Clarity Call.
The full Gazette notification is in the PDF below.