Ilia State University — MD (MBBS) Fees & Admission 2026

Ilia State University at a glance

• Location: Tbilisi, Georgia
• Established: 2006
• University Type: Public / State
• Popular Course: MD (MBBS equivalent)
• Course Duration: 6 Years (360 ECTS)
• Medium: English
• Intake: Fall (30 Jul) & Spring (15 Dec)
• Annual Tuition: Not published for MD — confirm
• Entrance Exam: IliaUni exam + NEET (Indians)

About Ilia State University

Ilia State University (IliaUni) is a state university in Tbilisi, Georgia, at 45 I. Chavchavadze Avenue, and its one-cycle MEDICINE programme awards a Medical Doctor (MD) — Georgia's equivalent of an MBBS — over 6 years, 12 semesters and 360 ECTS, taught in English. Two cautions before you budget. First, the university publishes no tuition figure for the MD programme: its international tuition table for 2026–2027 lists only engineering, computer science and two master's programmes, so the annual fee below is an unverified record. Second, Medicine does not appear on IliaUni's own list of programmes open to international applicants for Fall 2026–2027. Confirm both points in writing before you apply or pay.

IliaUni was created in 2006 through the merger of several specialised academic institutions and runs the Faculty (School) of Natural Sciences and Medicine alongside faculties of Business, Technology and Education and of Arts and Sciences.

The university's International Students and Program Marketing Office (admissions@iliauni.edu.ge) handles applications, entrance exams and consultation for international applicants from room T 106 at 45 I. Chavchavadze Avenue.

Why choose Ilia State University?

What Ilia State University publishes about its MD programme:

• State University With An Accredited MD: IliaUni's MD programme page states the programme is accredited by the Accreditation Council of the LEPL National Centre for Educational Quality Enhancement of Georgia, which is itself recognised by the World Federation for Medical Education.
• Recognition — Verify In Writing: Course structure, recognition and admission requirements are set by the university and by the regulator in its own country, and should be confirmed in writing for your intake year before you apply.
• 360 ECTS, English Throughout: The official programme specification gives 6 years, 12 semesters and 360 ECTS, with English as the language of instruction and 60 credits to be accumulated each year.
• Clinical Skills From The Second Semester: The programme specification introduces a Clinical Skills course in the second semester, becoming more intensive in later semesters and moving into clinical rotations and workplace practice.
• A Published Application Fee That Covers The Paperwork: The US$150 application fee covers processing, translation of documents into Georgian, notarisation and certification, and processing for recognition and enrolment through Georgia's National Agency — and may be waived if you do those steps yourself.
• Two Intakes With Published Deadlines: IliaUni publishes two admission intakes a year with firm dates: 30 July for the Fall semester and 15 December for the Spring semester.

MBBS course overview

The medical programme at Ilia State University is the one-cycle undergraduate medical education programme MEDICINE at the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Medicine, awarding a Medical Doctor (MD) — the Georgian equivalent of an MBBS.

The official programme specification gives the duration as 6 years (12 semesters, 360 ECTS) with English as the language of instruction, and describes two stages: a first stage covering normal and abnormal structure and function with basic clinical skills, and an Early Clinical Activity stage across years IV–VI made up of clinical rotations and a clinical internship / workplace practice in the twelfth semester.

• Degree: MD (MBBS equivalent)
• Duration: 6 Years (12 semesters, 360 ECTS)
• Medium of instruction: English
• Intake: Fall semester (application deadline 30 July) and Spring semester (15 December)

Year-wise curriculum

• 1st Year: Normal structure and function: human anatomy, histology, biochemistry, cell biology, medical physics and biophysics, plus Clinical Skills I from the second semester
• 2nd Year: Abnormal structure and function: physiology, pathology, medical microbiology, parasitology, immunology, general pharmacology, clinical genetics, with core values of medicine and communication skills
• 3rd Year: Pathomorphology, pathophysiology, clinical pharmacology, more intensive clinical skills teaching, preventive medicine, epidemiology, bioethics
• 4th Year: Early Clinical Activity begins: internal medicine, general surgery, paediatrics, obstetrics and gynaecology, radiology and diagnostic imaging, community medicine, taught as clinical rotations
• 5th Year: Clinical rotations continue: neurology, psychiatry, oncology, ophthalmology, otorhinolaryngology, orthopaedics and traumatology, dermatology and venereology, with advanced basic science and research skills
• 6th Year: Clinical rotations and the clinical internship / workplace practice in the twelfth semester, with professionalism, communication and research skills development

Courses offered

• One-cycle MEDICINE programme (MD) — 6 Years
• Bachelor of Computer Engineering (ABET accredited) — 4 Years
• Bachelor of Computer Science — 4 Years
• Bachelor of Civil Engineering / Electrical and Electronic Engineering — 4 Years

Ilia State University fee structure

Ilia State University does not publish a tuition figure for the MD programme. Its own tuition table for international, English-taught programmes lists the four engineering and computer science bachelor's degrees (US$4,000–5,000 a year) and two master's programmes (US$3,200 a year) — and no Medicine programme at all. Medicine also does not appear on its list of programmes open to international applicants for the Fall semester of 2026–2027.

The annual figure in the table below is therefore an unverified record carried over from earlier reference data, not a university quotation. Do not pay against it. Write to admissions@iliauni.edu.ge, ask whether the English-medium MD programme is open to international applicants for your intake and what the annual fee is, and get the answer in writing before you pay.

Verified from Ilia State University's own "For degree-seeking applicants" page (international.iliauni.edu.ge), for the Fall semester of the 2026–2027 academic year: a non-refundable application fee of 150 USD, payable after preliminary approval of the application, covering processing of the application, translation of documents into Georgian, notarisation and certification, and processing for recognition and enrolment through Georgia's National Agency (eqe.ge) — and waivable if the applicant completes those procedures independently. The same page's tuition table (1 academic year / 2 semesters) lists no Medicine programme, and its list of programmes open for Fall 2026–2027 does not include Medicine. Unverified: the US$6,200 annual tuition shown above, which is an earlier record reproduced here only so you can see what has been claimed. Confirm the fee — and whether the MD programme is open to international applicants for your intake — in writing before you pay. Excluded in any case: accommodation, living costs, travel, insurance (the university requires international students to hold Georgian medical insurance) and consular fees. Fees are quoted in US dollars; any rupee figure is approximate and moves with the exchange rate.

• 1st Year: US$6,200 (unverified record — confirm in writing) — hostel Not published
• 2nd Year: US$6,200 (unverified record — confirm in writing) — hostel Not published
• 3rd Year: US$6,200 (unverified record — confirm in writing) — hostel Not published
• 4th Year: US$6,200 (unverified record — confirm in writing) — hostel Not published
• 5th Year: US$6,200 (unverified record — confirm in writing) — hostel Not published
• 6th Year: US$6,200 (unverified record — confirm in writing) — hostel Not published

Scholarships

• Application fee waiver: The US$150 application fee may be waived if the applicant completes the translation, notarisation and National Agency recognition procedures independently

Eligibility criteria

Ilia State University's official MD programme specification sets out a separate route for foreign citizens, who enter without Georgia's Unified National Examinations:

• School Qualification: Foreign citizens and stateless persons who have completed secondary or equivalent education in a foreign country may apply without the Unified National Examinations
• English Language: A recognised English qualification aligned with CEFR level B2 — an official international certificate, an English Proficiency Statement from your school, college or university, or a certificate from a language provider confirming B2. Accepted scores include TOEFL iBT 65 / PBT 513 / CBT 183, IELTS Academic 5.5, CAE 160 / level B2 and FCE 160 / grade C. The requirement is waived for native English speakers and for applicants who graduated from an English-medium school or university in a country whose official language is English; applicants without a certificate may request IliaUni's online institutional English test
• Entrance Exam: Applicants entering without the Unified National Examinations must sit an exam in chemistry or biology. IliaUni runs entrance exams online via Zoom and sends instructions by email
• NEET Exam: NEET-UG is not on IliaUni's own checklist, but it is an Indian requirement: under NMC rules an Indian student must have qualified in NEET-UG to register and practise in India after a foreign medical degree
• Age: IliaUni does not publish a minimum age. Under Indian NEET rules you must be 17 by 31 December of the admission year

Admission process 2026

IliaUni publishes a nine-step process for degree-seeking international applicants. Before you start it, confirm with admissions@iliauni.edu.ge that the English-medium MD programme is open to international applicants for your intake.

• Step 1 — complete the online application form (freshman or transfer e-application).
• Step 2 — the application is reviewed and you receive feedback within 7 business days.
• Step 3 — attend the required assessments: the entrance exam in chemistry or biology, and an interview or English test if needed, conducted online via Zoom.
• Step 4 — on preliminary approval, review the terms and pay the non-refundable US$150 application fee.
• Step 5 — document processing, up to 2 weeks: your documents are translated, certified and submitted for recognition through Georgia's National Agency (eqe.ge).
• Step 6 — sign the agreement and pay the tuition within 5 days.
• Step 7 — receive the official invitation letter and supporting documents.
• Step 8 — apply for a D3 study visa if you need one.
• Step 9 — attend the pre-departure orientation, arrange travel and inform admissions of your arrival plans.

Documents required

What IliaUni's admission route requires. Ask the International Students and Program Marketing Office for the current checklist for the MD programme, because requirements vary by programme.

• Completed online application form (freshman or transfer)
• Secondary school certificate showing completion of secondary or equivalent education abroad
• Evidence of English at CEFR B2 — an international certificate, an English Proficiency Statement from your school or university, or a language-provider certificate
• Passport
• Documents for translation into Georgian, notarisation and certification (covered by the application fee, or done independently for a waiver)
• Georgian medical insurance — IliaUni states all international students are obliged to obtain medical insurance from Georgian insurance companies
• NEET-UG scorecard — needed for your Indian registration file rather than by IliaUni's own checklist

Hostel & accommodation

Ilia State University does not publish accommodation charges or a hostel offer on its pages for international students, and its published tuition table is explicit that fees do not cover accommodation or living costs. Treat housing in Tbilisi as privately rented unless the university tells you otherwise in writing.

• University accommodation: Not published on IliaUni's international pages; no hostel price is quoted, so do not assume a university hostel place
• What is excluded from tuition: IliaUni states that tuition does not include accommodation, living costs, travel costs, insurance or other expenses
• Insurance: All international students are obliged to obtain medical insurance from Georgian insurance companies
• Meals: No university mess or catering arrangement is published; do not assume an Indian mess on campus
• What to confirm: Ask admissions@iliauni.edu.ge in writing whether the university helps with housing for your intake, and never pay a deposit for a room you have not seen

Clinical training

What IliaUni's official MD programme specification sets out for practical training:

• A Clinical Skills course is integrated from the second semester, in parallel with the natural science disciplines, and becomes more intensive in the following semesters.
• The Early Clinical Activity stage covers years IV–VI, with increased focus on advanced clinical competencies and skills.
• That stage includes rotations across different clinical disciplines and ends with a clinical internship / workplace practice in the twelfth semester.
• Clinical teaching runs alongside advanced basic science disciplines, core values of medicine, professionalism, communication and research skills.
• Ask the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Medicine in writing which hospitals your cohort rotates through, and whether the twelfth-semester internship meets the 12-month, same-institution requirement in the Indian regulations.

Recognition & accreditation

The National Medical Commission states that it "does not endorse any list of Foreign Medical Institutions/ Universities for MBBS or equivalent course", so no foreign medical university is "NMC approved". What decides your eligibility to register in India is the course you take. Verify the following directly with the university, in writing:

• IliaUni's MD programme page states the programme is accredited by the Accreditation Council of the LEPL National Centre for Educational Quality Enhancement of Georgia, which is itself recognised by the World Federation for Medical Education — ask for the accreditation decision and its expiry date, and check it at eqe.ge.
• The same page states the programme is listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools and is acceptable to provincial and territorial medical regulatory authorities in Canada. Look the entry up yourself at wdoms.org: a listing records that a school exists, it is not an accreditation or an endorsement.
• The same page states that students and graduates of the medical school are eligible to apply to ECFMG for ECFMG certification and for examination; confirm your own eligibility with ECFMG.
• Check the course against the NMC's Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate (FMGL) Regulations, 2021 — at least 54 months of study, a 12-month internship at the same institution, and English as the medium of instruction throughout.
• Confirm the university is registered with the body competent to grant a licence to practise medicine in its own country, on the same terms as that country's own graduates.
• Ask IliaUni in writing whether the English-medium MD programme is accepting international applicants for your intake, because its published list of programmes open to international applicants for Fall 2026–2027 does not include Medicine.

Career opportunities

What the degree leads to — check each route with the regulator concerned, not with an agent:

• To register in India you must meet the NMC's FMGL Regulations, 2021, clear the Indian screening examination and complete a further 12 months of supervised internship in India.
• IliaUni states that students and graduates of its medical school are eligible to apply to ECFMG for certification and examination, which is the route to the USMLE; ECFMG sets its own conditions.
• IliaUni states that the programme is acceptable to provincial and territorial medical regulatory authorities in Canada; each province sets its own licensing conditions.

Student life

Practical notes for international applicants:

• The International Students and Program Marketing Office is at room T 106, 45 I. Chavchavadze Avenue, 0162 Tbilisi, with visiting hours Monday to Wednesday 3pm–6pm and Thursday and Friday 10am–1pm.
• IliaUni runs an International Students Alumni Network for graduates.
• Entrance exams and interviews are conducted online via Zoom, so you do not need to travel to sit them.
• Tbilisi is a capital city with public transport, museums, cafes and lower living costs than most European capitals.

Ilia State University (IliaUni) — frequently asked questions

What is the MD (MBBS) tuition fee at Ilia State University?

Ilia State University does not publish a tuition figure for the MD programme. Its own international tuition table lists only engineering and computer science bachelor's degrees at US$4,000–5,000 a year and two master's programmes at US$3,200 a year. The US$6,200 a year shown on this page is an unverified earlier record, not a university quotation — ask admissions@iliauni.edu.ge for the fee in writing before you pay anything.

Is the English-medium MD programme open to international applicants right now?

Confirm this before anything else. IliaUni's own list of programmes open to international applicants for the Fall semester of the 2026–2027 academic year covers four engineering and computer science bachelor's degrees and two master's programmes, and does not include Medicine. The MD programme itself is documented and accredited, but ask the International Students and Program Marketing Office in writing whether it is accepting international applicants for your intake.

Is there an application fee, and what does it cover?

Yes — US$150, non-refundable, payable after preliminary approval of your application. IliaUni states it covers processing the application, translation of documents into Georgian, notarisation and certification, and processing for recognition and enrolment through Georgia's National Agency (eqe.ge). If you complete those procedures independently, the fee may be waived.

What is excluded from the tuition fee?

IliaUni states that tuition does not include accommodation, living costs, travel costs, insurance or other expenses, and that all international students are obliged to obtain medical insurance from Georgian insurance companies. The application fee is charged separately. Fees are quoted in US dollars, so any rupee figure is approximate and moves with the exchange rate.

Does Ilia State University award an MBBS or an MD?

An MD. The official programme specification names the programme MEDICINE, with the qualification awarded as Medical Doctor (MD) — Georgia's equivalent of an MBBS — over 6 years, 12 semesters and 360 ECTS, taught in English. Indian students still have to meet the NMC's requirements for foreign medical graduates to practise in India.

What is the admission process for international students?

Nine steps: submit the online application; get feedback within 7 business days; sit the required entrance exam or interview online via Zoom; on preliminary approval pay the US$150 application fee; document processing takes up to 2 weeks; sign the agreement and pay tuition within 5 days; receive the invitation letter; apply for a D3 study visa if needed; then attend pre-departure orientation and arrange travel.

What documents are needed for admission?

The completed online application, a secondary school certificate showing you completed secondary education abroad, evidence of English at CEFR B2, and your passport. Documents then have to be translated into Georgian, notarised and certified for the National Agency recognition step, and you must obtain Georgian medical insurance. Keep your NEET-UG scorecard for your Indian registration file.

Is NEET required for Indian students at Ilia State University?

NEET-UG is not listed on IliaUni's own document checklist, but it is an Indian requirement: under NMC rules an Indian student must have qualified in NEET-UG to be eligible to register and practise in India after a foreign medical degree. Treat it as mandatory if India is where you intend to practise.

Do I need IELTS, and is there an entrance exam?

You need English at CEFR B2 — accepted evidence includes TOEFL iBT 65 (PBT 513, CBT 183), IELTS Academic 5.5, CAE 160/B2 or FCE 160/C, or a statement that English was your language of instruction; without any of those you may request IliaUni's online institutional English test. Applicants entering without Georgia's Unified National Examinations must also sit an exam in chemistry or biology, conducted online via Zoom.

When are the intakes, and does IliaUni provide accommodation?

There are two intakes a year, with application deadlines of 30 July for the Fall semester and 15 December for the Spring semester. IliaUni publishes no hostel offer or accommodation charge on its international pages and states that tuition excludes accommodation and living costs, so plan on renting privately in Tbilisi and ask the admissions office in writing what help is available.