Two countries, the same question, answered from documents
Kazakhstan vs Kyrgyzstan for MBBS: what the documents say
Agent sites rank the two countries without saying how. This page does not rank. It sets the verifiable facts side by side, each with its source and date: how each country accredits its medical schools, what happened in Kyrgyzstan in 2026, how long the course is, what the universities themselves charge, where you will live, how graduates did in the Indian licensing exam, and how you apply.
At a glance
| Question | Kyrgyzstan | Kazakhstan |
|---|---|---|
| Who accredits medical schools | Since 2026 the Ministry of Health, by state accreditation of every institution; before that, independent agencies under the Ministry of Education. | Independent agencies recognised by the ministry, mainly IAAR and ECAQA; both are recognised by the World Federation for Medical Education for their work inside Kazakhstan. |
| What happened in 2026 | 13 of 34 institutions failed state accreditation, 7 were accredited for one year, 7 did not apply; licences of the 13 were suspended on 7 September and their students transferred. | No state accreditation round of that kind. A six-year integrated programme (360 credits) applies to students enrolled from 2023 under the ministry order of 4 July 2022. |
| Schools that can take you | 7 without conditions (4 accredited for six years, 3 exempt by law) and 7 on a one-year term, with the Embassy of India's caveats. | 13 institutions licensed for the six-year programme, as on 11 December 2025, per the Embassy of India in Astana. |
| Course length | General Medicine on a 5-year or 6-year track, school by school, as listed in the 2026 decision. | 6 years (360 credits) for Medicine for students enrolled from 2023; 5 years plus internship for earlier cohorts. |
| Official tuition, first year | USD 3,400 to USD 7,900 a year across the schools that can enrol; state minimum USD 3,000 (KSMA 3,500). | Foreign-student prices the universities publish run from 1,320,000 tenge (USD 2,930) a year (Kozybayev University, 2025-26) to 3,000,000 tenge (USD 6,660) (KazNMU, and Astana's English stream, 2026-27), with Karaganda at USD 4,675 and Semey at 2,040,000 tenge (USD 4,530). Four licensed schools publish no figure for foreigners. Fee table below. |
| Hostel | Most schools have one; two publish a price (KSMA about 2,000 som (USD 23) a month, IHSM USD 2,150 a year with meals). | Shortage: Almaty lacks more than 5,000 places; 2026-27 dormitory prices 25,000 to 40,000 tenge (USD 55 to USD 89) a month in Astana and Almaty. The Embassy of India reports students at KazNMU denied hostel places. |
| Rent, one-room flat | Bishkek 25,000 to 55,000 som (USD 286 to USD 629) a month in 2026 press reports. | Almaty 128,000 to 189,000 tenge (USD 284 to USD 419) a month in June 2026, from Turksib to Bostandyk district. |
| How you apply | Through the state admission centre and its online system; admission outside it is treated as illegitimate; same requirements at every school. | University by university. KazNMU admits foreign citizens only through "companies cooperating with the university"; Semey publishes a direct international admissions email. The Embassy of India warns about contractors and sub-agents. |
| Entry test | No entrance exam; NEET for Indians at the regulator's and the schools' request. | Interview with a minimum score (KazNMU 60 of 100) plus an English certificate (IELTS 5.0 or equivalent) and NEET for Indians. |
| FMGE 2024 (NBEMS) | 3,792 of 15,135 candidates passed | 1,261 of 5,018 candidates passed |
| FMGE June 2025 | 976 of 6,293 candidates passed | 355 of 2,172 candidates passed |
| FMGE December 2025 | 1,503 of 7,437 candidates passed | 1,072 of 3,655 candidates passed |
| Language | English-medium programmes; clinical years in Russian. | English-medium programmes; the Embassy of India says to be prepared to learn Kazakh or Russian for the internship year. |
| Winter | Bishkek: January 2.9 °C to −7.1 °C; Osh milder. | Almaty: January 0.5 °C to −8.1 °C. Astana: January mean −14.5 °C, the second-coldest capital in the world. |
| Foreign students | About 40,000 foreign students, 17,000 to 18,000 of them in medical universities (deputy minister, April 2026). | About 9,500 Indian students, almost all in medicine (Embassy of India, April 2023; no later official figure found). |
Sources, by row: FAIMER DORA: Kyrgyzstan · FAIMER DORA: agencies recognised by WFME in Kazakhstan · Embassy of India, Bishkek, 8 Jun 2026 · Embassy of India, Astana: institutions licensed for CIME, as on 11 Dec 2025 · Embassy of India, Astana: education in Kazakhstan (advisory) · Embassy of India, Bishkek, 29 Apr 2026 · Semey Medical University: for foreign students · KazNMU: admission of foreign citizens, 2026-2027 (PDF) · BES.media, 31 Aug 2026: dormitory shortage and 2026-27 prices · Bizmedia, 14 Jul 2026: Almaty rent by district · Kaktus.media, 2026: Bishkek rent · open.kg, 10 Sep 2026: the Kyrgyz admission centre · NBEMS FMGE 2024 country-wise counts, via Careers360 · NBEMS FMGE performance report 2025, country-wise, via CareerMarg · Wikipedia: Astana (climate) · Wikipedia: Almaty (climate) · Wikipedia: Bishkek (climate) · AKIpress, 28 Apr 2026: foreign students in Kyrgyzstan. Checked 15 October 2026.
Accreditation: two different systems
Kyrgyzstan moved in 2026 from independent accreditation to a state check by the Ministry of Health of every institution that trains doctors. The result is public, dated and programme by programme: 4 schools accredited for six years, 3 exempt, 7 for one year, 13 failed, 7 absent. That is a hard filter a student can apply before paying anyone.
Kazakhstan keeps the independent model. Agencies recognised by the ministry, IAAR and ECAQA among them, accredit institutions and programmes for terms of up to five years, and both agencies are recognised by the World Federation for Medical Education for their work inside Kazakhstan. There was no 2026 round that closed schools. The practical check for a student is the school's current accreditation certificate and its presence on the Kazakh licence list the Embassy of India publishes, which is a list of licences, not of quality.
Sources: Kyrgyz state checks since 2015 · FAIMER DORA: agencies recognised by WFME in Kazakhstan · Embassy of India, Astana: institutions licensed for CIME, as on 11 Dec 2025
Fees: what the universities themselves publish
Kyrgyzstan's floor is set by the state: USD 3,000 a year, USD 3,500 at KSMA, announced on 24 April 2026. The schools that can enrol publish or are reported at USD 3,400 to USD 7,900 for the first year; the cost guide gives every school's figure and its source.
Kazakhstan publishes no national floor, and each university sets its own price by board decision. KazNMU's price list for 2026-27 puts foreign bachelor students at 3,000,000 tenge (USD 6,660) a year, against 1,900,000 tenge (USD 4,220) for citizens, and its admission procedure requires a bank statement covering a year's tuition plus dormitory before the contract is signed. Astana Medical University's 2026-27 list puts foreigners in the English stream at 3,000,000 tenge (USD 6,660) and fixes the first-year price for the whole course; Karaganda charges far-abroad students USD 4,675 in the first year of 2026-27, falling to USD 4,000 by year 5; Semey's order sets 2,040,000 tenge (USD 4,530) for years 1 and 2 of 2025-26; Kozybayev University in Petropavlovsk charges 1,320,000 tenge (USD 2,930). Four licensed schools, including the two biggest private medical schools in Almaty, print no figure for foreign students, and one site could not be reached. Agent sites quote USD 3,000 to USD 6,000 for the sector; the table below prints only what the universities publish.
Sources: Embassy of India, Bishkek, 29 Apr 2026 · Cost guide · Semey Medical University: for foreign students · KazNMU: admission of foreign citizens, 2026-2027 (PDF)
Admission: a state centre against company contractors
In Kyrgyzstan, since March 2026, a state admission centre checks every foreign applicant's documents through one online system, charges a fixed fee (9,000 som (USD 103) for applicants from distant countries), and treats any admission outside the system as illegitimate. An agent can help you fill the forms but cannot replace the system.
In Kazakhstan, admission runs university by university. KazNMU's own rules say foreign citizens apply "to companies cooperating with the university" and submit documents "through representatives of the companies"; Semey, by contrast, gives a direct international admissions address. The Embassy of India in Astana warns that contractors have sub-agents in India who "may make unrealistic promises", and tells students to insist on a university receipt for every payment.
Sources: How admission works in Kyrgyzstan · KazNMU: admission of foreign citizens, 2026-2027 (PDF) · Semey Medical University: for foreign students · Embassy of India, Astana: education in Kazakhstan (advisory)
Living: hostels and winters
Kazakhstan's largest cities are short of student housing. In August 2026 the ministry told BES.media that the main problem remains in Almaty, which lacks more than 5,000 places, and that 2026-27 dormitory fees in Astana and Almaty run 25,000 to 40,000 tenge (USD 55 to USD 89) a month; the Embassy of India reports Indian students at KazNMU being told to find their own accommodation. A one-room flat in Almaty cost 128,000 to 189,000 tenge (USD 284 to USD 419) a month in June 2026, depending on the district. In Bishkek, Kyrgyz press put a one-room flat at 25,000 to 55,000 som (USD 286 to USD 629) in 2026, and most schools house first-year foreign students.
Winters differ by city more than by country: Astana's January mean is −14.5 °C and the city is the second-coldest capital in the world; Almaty and Bishkek have similar winters (January lows around −8 °C and −7 °C); Osh in southern Kyrgyzstan is milder. Shymkent, Turkestan and Semey each have their own climate; check the city, not the country.
Sources: BES.media, 31 Aug 2026: dormitory shortage and 2026-27 prices · Embassy of India, Astana: education in Kazakhstan (advisory) · Bizmedia, 14 Jul 2026: Almaty rent by district · Bishkek city page · Wikipedia: Astana (climate) · Wikipedia: Almaty (climate)
Official fees in Kazakhstan, by institution
The 13 institutions on the Embassy of India's licence list, with the tuition each publishes on its own site for foreign students on the six-year programme. Where no figure is printed, the row says what was found instead. Agent prices are not used. Figures are in tenge as the universities state them, with the USD equivalent at this site's reference rate of 450.6 tenge to the dollar (15 Oct 2026, National Bank of Kazakhstan).
| Institution | Official tuition, foreign students | Year and basis | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Faculty of Medicine and Health CareAlmaty | 1,600,000 tenge (USD 3,550) (no foreigners' column) | 2025-26. Per year, General Medicine, entrants from school (700,000 tenge (USD 1,550) after college, 1,000,000 tenge (USD 2,220) after a first degree); the list has no separate column for foreign citizens. Board of Directors protocol No. 2 of 13 June 2025 (scanned, in Russian). The university's foreign-applicants page says foreigners study on a paid basis and that non-citizens of Kazakh ethnicity pay the Kazakhstani price, which implies a separate foreigners' rate; the file it links for it returns an error. | KazNU: bachelor tuition 2025-26 (PDF, Russian) · KazNU: tuition for foreign citizens |
| Khoja Akhmet Yassawi International Kazakh-Turkish UniversityTurkestan | Not published on the university site | The university's price-list page covers only its healthcare MBA programmes; the admissions portal and international-students pages give grant quotas, not a contract fee. No medicine tuition figure found on ayu.edu.kz, students.ayu.edu.kz or talapker.ayu.edu.kz. | Yassawi University: tuition by programme, 2025-26 |
| Caspian University, International School of MedicineAlmaty | Not published on the university site | The university's tuition page lists every school except medicine; the medical school's own site gives no fee. Student house: 41,000 tenge (USD 91) a month. | Caspian University: cost of education · Caspian University: student house |
| Asfendiyarov Kazakh National Medical UniversityAlmaty | 3,000,000 tenge (USD 6,660) | 2026-27 and 2027-28; the same 3,000,000 tenge (USD 6,660) applies to students who began in 2025-26. Per year, bachelor programmes, foreign citizens and stateless persons; citizens of Kazakhstan pay 1,900,000 tenge (USD 4,220) for Medicine. Board of Directors decision No. 5 of 15 June 2026 (scanned, in Kazakh). The foreign-applicant procedure for 2026-27 requires a bank statement covering a year's tuition plus dormitory. | KazNMU price list 2026-27 and 2027-28 (PDF, Kazakh) · KazNMU: admission of foreign citizens 2026-27 (PDF, Russian) |
| West Kazakhstan Marat Ospanov Medical UniversityAktobe | University site unreachable when checked | The university's sites (zkmu.kz and zkgmu.kz) refused every connection on 15 October 2026, so no price list could be read. Search engines index only a 2022-23 fee notice. | West Kazakhstan Marat Ospanov Medical University (site) |
| Semey Medical UniversitySemey | 2,040,000 tenge (USD 4,530) | 2025-26. Per year in years 1 and 2, 1,700,000 tenge (USD 3,770) in years 3 to 5 and in the internship, all specialities, foreign students; citizens of Kazakhstan pay 1,320,000 tenge (USD 2,930) in year 1 for General Medicine. Rector's order No. 362-С of 1 July 2025 (scanned, in Kazakh). The English-language page for international students gives the same cost as about USD 4,100 a year plus accommodation from USD 800, medical checks up to USD 100 and a visa at USD 230, and asks for the first year in full at enrolment. | Semey Medical University: tuition order 2025-26 (PDF, Kazakh, Google Drive) · Semey Medical University: bachelor's degree for international students |
| Karaganda Medical UniversityKaraganda | USD 4,675 | 2026-27 (USD 4,250 in 2025-26). Per year in year 1; the list then runs USD 4,250, 4,100, 4,100 and 4,000 in years 2 to 5 and USD 3,800 and 4,250 in the two internship years; non-residents from far-abroad countries, English or Russian medium, programme group 6B101 Healthcare. Board of Directors protocol No. 19 of 28 May 2026 (scanned, in Russian); the 2025-26 list is protocol No. 6 of 20 May 2025. Foreign applicants pay 50 per cent in advance before 4 September. | Karaganda Medical University: price list for non-residents 2026-27 (PDF, Russian) · Karaganda Medical University: paid services documents |
| South Kazakhstan Medical AcademyShymkent | Not published on the university site | The applicants' page links a 2026 price list for tuition and accommodation, but the file served at that link is a guidebook for foreign students with no fee, and the separate foreign-students file returns 404. Older FAQ pages quote 740,000 tenge (USD 1,640) for 2017-18 and 1,000,000 for 2018-19, which are out of date. | South Kazakhstan Medical Academy: for the applicant |
| Astana Medical UniversityAstana | 3,000,000 tenge (USD 6,660) | 2026-27 (2,750,000 tenge (USD 6,100) in 2025-26). Per year, Medicine, six years, foreign citizens studying in English; 2,800,000 tenge (USD 6,210) for foreign citizens in Kazakh or Russian (2,600,000 tenge (USD 5,770) in 2025-26); citizens of Kazakhstan pay 2,280,000 tenge (USD 5,060). The university's price list states that the first-year price is fixed for that intake and applies in later years unless officially revised. | Astana Medical University: price list 2026-27 · Astana Medical University: price list 2025-26 |
| Kazakh-Russian Medical UniversityAlmaty | 2,200,000 tenge (USD 4,880) (no foreigners' column) | Year not stated. Listed in the tuition column for the programme Medicine (Doctor), seven years including internship; no foreigners' rate and no statement that it is per year. The International Medical School page, which counts 810 international students for 2025-26, gives no fee and says admission runs through partner companies. | KRMU: how to apply · KRMU: International Medical School |
| Kokshetau University named after Sh. Ualikhanov, Faculty of MedicineKokshetau | 997,500 tenge (USD 2,210) (no foreigners' column) | 2026-27, for students entering in 2026. Per year, paid places, programme group 6B101 Healthcare; the list has no separate column for foreign citizens. Board decision of 13 April 2026, protocol No. 5 (scanned, in Kazakh). The international-students page separately says a medicine bachelor's costs USD 2,500, with no year stated; that figure is not relied on here. | Kokshetau University: price list 2026-27 (PDF, Kazakh) · Kokshetau University: cost and financial aid for international students |
| Manash Kozybayev North Kazakhstan UniversityPetropavlovsk | 1,320,000 tenge (USD 2,930) | 2025-26, for students entering in 2024 or 2025; 2026-27 not yet published. Per year of 60 credits at 22,000 tenge (USD 49) a credit, programme 6B10101 General Medicine, foreign students from far-abroad countries; citizens of Kazakhstan pay 919,600 tenge (USD 2,040). Board of Directors protocol No. 3 of 12 March 2025 (scanned, in Kazakh). | Kozybayev University: price list 2025-26 (PDF, Kazakh) · Kozybayev University: admission portal for international applicants |
| Kenzhegali Sagadiyev University of International Business, International Medical SchoolAlmaty | Not published on the university site | No figure on the university site. Its paid-studies contract says the per-credit price is set in each student's accession statement, and the medical school page names a single admission partner in India instead of a price. | UIB: International Medical School |
Nazarbayev University is not on the licence list and runs a four-year graduate-entry Doctor of Medicine, not the six-year programme: USD 30,000 a year for non-residents, USD 25,000 for residents, per its 2026 intake page. Source: Nazarbayev University School of Medicine: Doctor of Medicine. Licence list: Embassy of India, Astana: institutions licensed for CIME, as on 11 Dec 2025. Checked 15 October 2026.
FMGE results, as counts
The Indian licensing exam is the one measure that applies to both countries on the same terms. This site shows counts, not rates, because a rate hides the size of the group. The NBEMS country-wise figures:
| Session | Kyrgyzstan | Kazakhstan |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 (both sessions) | 3,792 of 15,135 candidates passed | 1,261 of 5,018 candidates passed |
| June 2025 | 976 of 6,293 candidates passed | 355 of 2,172 candidates passed |
| December 2025 | 1,503 of 7,437 candidates passed | 1,072 of 3,655 candidates passed |
Kazakhstan, by institution
The same NBEMS reports list every institution whose graduates sat. The rows below are printed as NBEMS prints them: candidates enter the name themselves, so one university can appear under more than one name, and this site does not merge or rank them. Groups under 30 candidates are marked; a result that size says little. Each session's rows add up to the country total above.
| Institution, as listed by NBEMS | 2024 | Jun 2025 | Dec 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Faculty of Medicine and Health Care | 95 of 186 | 38 of 101 | 19 of 62 |
| Asfendiyarov Kazakh National Medical University | 9 of 44 | 1 of 21 (small group) | 12 of 61 |
| Astana Medical University | 0 of 1 (small group) | no candidates listed | 3 of 3 (small group) |
| Caspian University, International School of Medicine | 35 of 401 | 16 of 180 | 26 of 180 |
| International Medical School, University of International Business | 0 of 1 (small group) | no candidates listed | 29 of 56 |
| JSC National Medical University | 168 of 590 | 50 of 275 | 382 of 947 |
| JSC South Kazakhstan Medical Academy | 1 of 10 (small group) | 0 of 4 (small group) | 0 of 4 (small group) |
| Karaganda Medical University | 277 of 1,142 | 55 of 461 | 154 of 667 |
| Kazakh Medical University of Continuing Education, Medical College | 2 of 12 (small group) | 1 of 7 (small group) | 1 of 7 (small group) |
| Kazakh National Medical University | 1 of 21 (small group) | 0 of 8 (small group) | 1 of 15 (small group) |
| Kazakh Russian Medical University | 95 of 400 | 22 of 160 | 51 of 220 |
| Kazakh State Medical University | 0 of 1 (small group) | 0 of 1 (small group) | 0 of 2 (small group) |
| Manash Kozybayev North Kazakhstan University | 37 of 79 | 17 of 39 | 41 of 100 |
| Nazarbayev University School of Medicine | 0 of 2 (small group) | no candidates listed | no candidates listed |
| NJSC Astana Medical University | 149 of 415 | 23 of 144 | 109 of 300 |
| North Kazakhstan University named after M. Kozybayev | 21 of 102 | 8 of 35 | 5 of 29 (small group) |
| S. D. Asfendiyarov Kazakh National Medical University | no candidates listed | 1 of 1 (small group) | 0 of 1 (small group) |
| S. Tentishev Asian Medical Institute (listed under Kazakhstan by NBEMS) | 0 of 1 (small group) | no candidates listed | no candidates listed |
| Semey Medical University | 2 of 10 (small group) | 0 of 8 (small group) | 5 of 20 (small group) |
| Semey State Medical University | no candidates listed | 0 of 1 (small group) | 0 of 1 (small group) |
| Shukan Ualikhanov Kokshetau State University, Faculty of Medicine | 4 of 58 | 5 of 35 | 10 of 65 |
| South Kazakhstan Medical Academy | 133 of 528 | 55 of 263 | 85 of 358 |
| State Medical University Semey | 162 of 741 | 50 of 316 | 96 of 381 |
| West Kazakhstan Marat Ospanov Medical University | 1 of 6 (small group) | no candidates listed | no candidates listed |
| West Kazakhstan State Medical University named after Marat Ospanov | 69 of 267 | 13 of 112 | 43 of 176 |
Kyrgyz counts by school and session are on the FMGE page. Kazakhstan sends roughly a third as many candidates. Sources: NBEMS institution-wise report, FMGE 2024 · NBEMS institution-wise report, FMGE 2025 · NBEMS FMGE 2024 country-wise counts, via Careers360 · NBEMS FMGE performance report 2025, country-wise, via CareerMarg · NBEMS 2025 report (official PDF).
What this page does not know
- A foreign-student price for 4 licensed Kazakh institutions that publish none on their sites, 1 whose site could not be reached, and 3 that publish a price list without a foreigners' column (all named in the fee table); and 2026-27 prices for Kozybayev University and Semey.
- A current count of Indian or Pakistani students in Kazakhstan; the embassy figure is from April 2023.
- Safety incidents in Kazakh university cities comparable to the May 2024 events in Bishkek: none were found in this search, which is not the same as none having happened.
If you hold a document that fills one of these gaps, write to corrections@kyrgyzstanmedicalschools.com.
Common questions
- Which country is better for MBBS, Kazakhstan or Kyrgyzstan?
This site does not rank countries. The table on this page puts the sourced facts side by side: Kyrgyzstan has seven schools that can enrol without conditions after the May 2026 state accreditation and official tuition from USD 3,400 to USD 7,900 a year; Kazakhstan has 13 institutions licensed for the six-year programme as of 11 December 2025 and official fees for foreign students from 1,320,000 tenge (USD 2,930) (Kozybayev University) to 3,000,000 tenge (USD 6,660) a year (KazNMU, Astana), where a figure is published at all. In the FMGE, 3,792 of 15,135 candidates from Kyrgyzstan passed in 2024 against 1,261 of 5,018 from Kazakhstan; in December 2025, 1,503 of 7,437 against 1,072 of 3,655. The choice depends on the school, not the country.
- Is the Kazakhstan CIME list an NMC approval?
No. The list published by the Embassy of India in Astana names institutions holding a Kazakh licence for the Continuous Integrated Medical Education programme. The National Medical Commission publishes no list of approved foreign universities for any country; what matters is whether the course meets the NMC's 2021 regulations and whether the graduate passes the FMGE.
- How long is the course in each country?
In Kazakhstan the integrated programme that applies to students enrolled from 2023 is 360 credits, six years, for Medicine, under the ministry order of 4 July 2022; the Embassy of India notes the internship year is taught in Kazakh or Russian. In Kyrgyzstan the 2026 accreditation lists each school's General Medicine track as five or six years; the programme tables on the school pages show which track each school holds.
- Do I need NEET for both?
Yes for Indian citizens. The NMC's 2021 regulations make a qualifying NEET result a condition for the Indian screening exam, and the universities ask for it at admission: KazNMU lists the NEET certificate among the documents for Indian applicants, and Kyrgyz schools such as IHSM and JASU state it on their sites.