Semey Medical University — MBBS Fees & Admission 2026-27

Semey Medical University at a glance

• Location: Semey, Kazakhstan
• Established: 1953 (decree of 1952)
• University Type: Non-Commercial Joint-Stock Company (state)
• Popular Course: General Medicine (Общая медицина)
• Course Duration: 5 years + 2-year internship (7 years, per the price list)
• Medium: English
• Intake: Enrolment until 25 August
• Tuition 2026-27: 2,040,000 tenge / year (years 1-3)
• Entrance Exam: Interview; NEET cut-off 134 (GC) / 107 (SC, ST, OBC)

About Semey Medical University

Semey Medical University (officially Semey Medical University, NCJSC — the institution previously called Semey State Medical University, smu.edu.kz) is a state medical university in Semey, Abai Region. This page sets out what its own signed tuition documents say: for foreign students in 2026-2027 the rate is 2,040,000 tenge a year for years 1 to 3, 1,700,000 tenge for years 4 and 5 and 1,700,000 tenge for each of the two internship years — seven years in total, with no increase on 2025-2026. Admission is by an interview in English, and Indian applicants must submit a NEET certificate with a cut-off of 134 for General Category and 107 for SC, ST and OBC candidates. Year one is payable in full before enrolment, which closes on 25 August.

The university's history began on 1 September 1953, when the medical faculty opened and enrolled its first 320 students, on the basis of a 1952 decree of the USSR Council of Ministers and an order of the USSR Ministry of Health.

Its programme for international students is General Medicine taught in English: five academic years followed by a two-year internship, each year priced separately in the university's published tuition tables.

Equipped with modern hospital training facilities, dynamic faculty members, and research departments, SMU offers students a comprehensive clinical background that prepares them for successful healthcare careers worldwide.

Why choose Semey Medical University?

Semey Medical University provides an ideal combination of rigorous academic preparation, practical hospital exposure, and a welcoming international environment. Key features include:

• Established Public University: Teaching began in 1953, giving the university more than seventy years of medical training and research.
• Recognition and Approvals: 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.
• Tuition Published in Signed Orders: The university publishes the rector's order and the explanatory note behind each year's tuition, so you can see the 2026-2027 foreign-student rates rather than take an agent's word for them.
• English-Medium Instruction: Lectures, practical sessions, clinical rotations, and exams are conducted completely in English for foreign students.
• Hands-On Clinical Training: Students gain practical experience at university-affiliated state hospitals and specialized diagnostic centers.
• Modern Student Houses: The university states it has modern student houses for local and international students, and estimates accommodation from about US$800 a year — ask for the tenge rate and the catering arrangements in writing.

MBBS course overview

The university's own tuition tables list General Medicine across courses 1 to 5 and then courses 6 and 7 as internship, and the foreign-student table prices “all specialities” for years 1 to 5 plus two internship years — so the programme runs seven years, not six.

The program balances foundational basic medical sciences with clinical clerkships at major regional medical institutions.

• Degree: General Medicine (Общая медицина)
• Duration: 7 Years (5 academic years + 2-year internship, per the university's price lists)
• Medium of instruction: English
• Intake: Enrolment of foreign students runs until 25 August

Year-wise curriculum

• 1st Year: Human Anatomy, Histology, Medical Biochemistry, Physiology, Cell Biology, Cytology, Medical Physics
• 2nd Year: Advanced Physiology, Biochemistry, Medical Microbiology, General Pathology, Pathophysiology, General Pharmacology
• 3rd Year: Specialized Pharmacology, Clinical Pathology, Pathomorphology, Clinical Microbiology, Introduction to Surgery
• 4th Year: Internal Medicine, General Surgery, Primary Care Medicine, Pediatrics, Neurology, Diagnostic Radiology
• 5th Year: Obstetrics & Gynecology, Ophthalmology, Otorhinolaryngology (ENT), Psychiatry, Oncology, Emergency Medicine, Cardiology
• 6th-7th Year (Internship): Compulsory Rotational Clinical Internship across Surgery, Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, Emergency Care, and OB-GYN

Courses offered

• General Medicine — 5 academic years + 2-year internship
• Dentistry / Stomatology — Courses 1-5 plus a 6th year in the tuition tables
• Paediatrics, Public Health, Medical and Preventive Care — Courses 1-5 in the tuition tables
• Pharmacy — Courses 1-5, with a 3-year shortened form
• Nursing — Courses 1-5, with 2.6-year and 10-month forms
• Medical Foundation preparatory course — 10 months

Semey Medical University fee structure

The university sets tuition in tenge by order, with a separate table for foreign students. These are the 2026-2027 rates:

Source: the university's “Explanatory note to the calculation of the increase in tuition fees for the 2026-2027 academic year”, published on the price-list page at smu.edu.kz, read together with rector's order No. 362-С of 1 July 2025 which set the 2025-2026 tariff. The foreign-student rows are unchanged between the two years: 2,040,000 tenge for years 1-3, 1,700,000 tenge for years 4-5 and 1,700,000 tenge for each internship year, while Kazakh students' rates rose 10%. Across five academic years plus two internship years that totals 12,920,000 tenge at the published rates. Separately, the university's own page for international students gives approximate costs in US dollars, subject to the exchange rate: tuition about US$4,100 a year, accommodation from US$800 a year, medical examination and medical services up to US$100 a year, and US$230 for the annual multiple-entry visa. Tuition excludes accommodation, medical checks and insurance, the visa, apostille and notarised translations, and travel; year one must be paid in full (100% prepayment) before the enrolment order is issued. There is no official rupee price.

• 1st year (2026-27): 2,040,000 tenge
• 2nd and 3rd year: 2,040,000 tenge
• 4th and 5th year: 1,700,000 tenge
• Internship, years 1-2 (course 6-7): 1,700,000 tenge
• Medical Foundation preparatory course (10 months): 1,500,000 tenge

Eligibility criteria

Prospective international candidates applying for the MBBS program at SMU must meet the following criteria:

• Academic Qualification: At least 50% aggregate in 12th Board Examinations with Physics, Chemistry, and Biology from a recognized board
• NEET Requirement: Citizens of India must submit a NEET certificate; the university's minimum cut-off score is 134 for General Category candidates and 107 for SC, ST and OBC candidates
• Minimum Age: Applicants must turn at least 17 years old on or before December 31st of the entry year
• English: Applicants must have studied in English or be fluent to at least intermediate level; final school grades in English are taken into account. The interview is conducted in English
• Entrance Interview: Questions on biology and chemistry at school level plus tasks testing English; it can be taken online if you cannot travel
• Payment: Enrolment requires an education agreement and 100% prepayment of the first year

Admission process 2026

The admission process at Semey Medical University is designed to be streamlined and efficient:

• Email your education documents and a copy of your passport to the university's international admissions address, admission.international@smu.edu.kz.
• Sit the entrance interview in English — biology and chemistry at school level plus tasks testing your English; it can be taken online if you cannot travel to Semey.
• The University Admission Board decides on admission from the interview result.
• For visa support, send your passport copy with your home address, date of birth, region of residence and where you will collect the visa; the visa is issued by Kazakhstan's foreign missions and Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the university's invitation (minors need notarised parental consent translated into Kazakh or Russian).
• Submit the full document set to the Admission Board, sign the education agreement and pay the first year in full; enrolment of foreign students in English-medium specialities runs until 25 August.
• The Rector issues the enrolment order; arrive in Semey and complete the form 086-U medical certificate on site.

Documents required

Key documents required to complete application and enrollment at SMU:

• Personal profile in English and an application for admission to the university
• Original and notarised copy of your passport with an officially certified translation into Kazakh and/or Russian
• Original secondary education document, or a foreign equivalent recognised in Kazakhstan, with an officially certified translation; translations must be certified by a notary in Kazakhstan or by a Kazakh diplomatic mission in the issuing country
• Consular legalisation or an apostille on the foreign secondary education document
• NEET certificate (citizens of India)
• Six 3x4 photographs
• Medical certificate form 086-U, completed after you arrive at the university, plus an X-ray image
• Vaccination passport showing the first hepatitis B vaccine
• HIV-negative certificate and a document confirming you can study and live in Kazakhstan's climate

Hostel & accommodation

SMU offers safe, convenient, and well-maintained hostel options tailored for international students:

• Cost: From about US$800 a year, on the university's own published estimate of costs for international students (it notes the figure depends on the exchange rate). Ask for the tenge rate in writing.
• Buildings: The university states it has modern student houses for local and international students
• Room Facilities: Furnished rooms; confirm occupancy, air conditioning and washroom arrangements for your intake
• Mess & Dining: Confirm current catering arrangements and whether Indian meals are available
• Other yearly costs: Medical examination and services up to US$100 a year and US$230 for the annual multiple-entry visa, per the university's own estimate

Clinical training

Practical experience forms a core part of the medical curriculum at Semey Medical University:

• Clinical clerkships held at government-authorized municipal hospitals and clinical centers in Semey.
• Bedside clinical practice supervised by experienced professors and senior physicians.
• Hands-on exposure across key disciplines including Surgery, Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, and Gynecology.
• A compulsory 1-year internship designed to develop independent clinical competence.

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:

• Recognized by the Ministry of Education and Science of Kazakhstan
• Degrees globally valid for medical licensing exams like FMGE/NEXT, USMLE, and PLAB
• 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.
• Look the university up yourself in the World Directory of Medical Schools (wdoms.org). A listing records that a school exists — it is not an accreditation, a recognition or an endorsement.

Career opportunities

Graduates from SMU benefit from career avenues across the globe:

• Fully eligible to sit for the FMGE/NEXT exam to register and practice medicine in India.
• Qualified to apply for international licensing examinations including USMLE (USA), PLAB (UK), and AMC (Australia).
• Well-prepared to pursue post-graduation specializations and hospital clinical appointments worldwide.

Student life

Student life at SMU is lively, supportive, and culturally diverse:

• Department of Youth Policy (DYP) actively manages student welfare across academics, living, and sports.
• Multicultural atmosphere featuring international cultural festivals, Olympiads, and student art performances.
• Extensive sports infrastructure encouraging involvement in basketball, volleyball, fencing, and athletic training.
• A strong Indian student community that helps incoming freshmen settle comfortably into campus life.

Semey Medical University (SMU) — frequently asked questions

Is Semey Medical University recognized by the NMC?

No foreign medical university holds "NMC approved" status — the National Medical Commission states that it "does not endorse any list of Foreign Medical Institutions/ Universities for MBBS or equivalent course". What decides whether you can register to practise in India is whether your course meets 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 — followed by the screening examination and a further 12 months of supervised internship in India. Confirm the current position with the university in writing before you apply.

What is the tuition fee at Semey Medical University in 2026-27?

For foreign students the university's 2026-2027 tuition table sets 2,040,000 tenge a year for years 1 to 3, 1,700,000 tenge for years 4 and 5, and 1,700,000 tenge for each of the two internship years. The Medical Foundation preparatory course (10 months) is 1,500,000 tenge. The foreign-student rates are unchanged from 2025-2026. The university separately quotes an approximate US$4,100 a year on its own international page.

What is the total cost and what is excluded?

Five academic years plus two internship years come to 12,920,000 tenge at the published rates. That excludes accommodation (from about US$800 a year on the university's own estimate), medical examination and services (up to US$100 a year), the annual multiple-entry visa (US$230), insurance, apostille and notarised translations, and travel. The first year must be paid in full before the enrolment order is issued.

How long is the General Medicine course at Semey?

Seven years. The university's tuition tables list General Medicine across courses 1 to 5 and then courses 6 and 7 as internship, and the foreign-student table prices years 1-5 plus a two-year internship. Confirm the structure in writing, especially if you need the course to meet the NMC's Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate Regulations.

What NEET score do I need for Semey Medical University?

The university states that citizens of India must submit a NEET certificate and that its minimum cut-off score for admission is 134 for General Category candidates and 107 for SC, ST and OBC candidates.

Is there an entrance exam at Semey Medical University?

Yes, an entrance interview. It is conducted in English and includes questions on biology and chemistry at school level plus tasks that assess your English, your ability to learn and your motivation. Applicants who cannot travel to the university can take it online. The Admission Board decides on admission from the result.

Is the course taught in English?

Yes — the university admits foreign citizens to study in English medium on a paid, competitive basis, and the interview itself is held in English. Applicants must have studied in English or be fluent to at least intermediate level.

What is the admission process and deadline?

Email your education documents and passport copy to admission.international@smu.edu.kz, sit the interview, receive the Board's decision, request visa support, then sign the education agreement and pay the first year in full. Enrolment of foreign citizens into English-medium specialities runs until 25 August of the current academic year, after which the Rector issues the enrolment order.

What documents are required?

A personal profile in English, an application, your passport (original plus a notarised copy with certified Kazakh or Russian translation), your secondary education document with a certified translation and an apostille or consular legalisation, a NEET certificate if you are an Indian citizen, six 3x4 photographs, medical certificate form 086-U completed after you arrive plus an X-ray image, a vaccination passport with the first hepatitis B vaccine, and an HIV-negative certificate.

How much is the hostel at Semey Medical University?

The university's own cost estimate for international students gives accommodation from US$800 a year, noting the figure depends on the exchange rate. It does not publish a tenge hostel tariff alongside the tuition orders, so ask for the current rate in writing.

Is the university still called Semey State Medical University?

No. Its current name is Semey Medical University, NCJSC (a non-commercial joint-stock company); the older rector's order still refers to “Semey State Medical University”. Use the current name on applications and check any document that uses the old one.