Tbilisi State Medical University (TSMU) for International Students
A state medical university in Tbilisi with MD and dentistry in English. Fees, entry rules and honest limits.
Tbilisi State Medical University (TSMU) is a state-run medical university in Georgia's capital. It has been a separate medical institution since 1930. International students study at its International Faculty of Medicine and Stomatology, in English or Russian.
TSMU suits applicants who want a state university, a six-year MD taught in English and a campus in the capital. The English MD costs $8,000 a year at current fees, at the top of Georgia's range of around $5,900–8,000.
It is a weaker fit if you plan to practice independently in Georgia without learning Georgian: residency at TSMU is taught only in Georgian.
| Key fact | TSMU |
|---|---|
Type | State university |
Roots | Medical faculty of Tbilisi University, founded 8 February 1918 |
Independent institution since | 10 June 1930; university status since 24 November 1992 |
Faculties | Medicine, Stomatology, Pharmacy, Public Health, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation |
Faculty for international students | International Faculty of Medicine and Stomatology |
Languages of instruction | English, Russian (Georgian for local-track programs) |
MD length | 6 years, 360 ECTS (national standard in Georgia) |
Language requirement | Internationally recognized certificate, at least B1, in the language of the program |
Selection | Document review and an online interview on Zoom |
Residency language | Georgian only |
Address | 33 Vazha-Pshavela Ave., 0186 Tbilisi |
Tbilisi State Medical University tuition fees
TSMU publishes fees in US dollars per year, but its fee page does not state the academic year. The table shows the fees currently listed on the TSMU website. Next year's fees are not yet published, so treat these as a guide and confirm them before you pay.
| Program (international students) | Language | Fee per year (TSMU website) |
|---|---|---|
Medical Doctor (MD) | English | $8,000 |
Medical Doctor (MD) | Russian | $5,000 |
American MD Program | English | $13,500 |
Dental Medicine | English | $7,000 |
Dental Medicine | Russian | $5,000 |
Pharmacy | English | $3,500 |
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation | English | $3,000 |
Public Health and Management (joint Georgian-French bachelor's) | — | $4,000 |
Preparatory Course | — | $2,000 |
Tuition alone for a six-year English MD comes to about $48,000 if fees stay unchanged. TSMU's pages do not list an application fee, so we confirm it for your program before you apply. For a wider budget picture, see our guide to the cost of studying in Georgia.
What a year at TSMU costs
USD per year, current fees on the TSMU website
- American MD Program$13,500
- MD in English$8,000
- Dental Medicine in English$7,000
- MD in Russian$5,000
- Dental Medicine in Russian$5,000
- Pharmacy$3,500
- Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation$3,000
- Preparatory Course$2,000
Programs and the degree you receive
The main program for international applicants is the one-cycle Medical Doctor (MD). It runs for 6 years and 360 ECTS, as set nationally in Georgia. Clinical rotations fill the last three semesters, and the sixth year is fully clinical. The internship is built into these six years rather than added after graduation.
The degree awarded is an MD. Georgia's Ministry of Education states that the Georgian MD is equivalent to the MBBS. This is the Georgian side's position, not a decision by India's National Medical Commission (NMC).
Other programs open to international students:
- Dental Medicine in English or Russian, at the International Faculty.
- American MD Program at the Faculty of Medicine, a separate track with a higher fee.
- Pharmacy and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation in English.
- Public Health and Management, a joint Georgian-French bachelor's program.
- Preparatory Course for students who need a foundation year.
For how Georgian medical degrees compare across universities, read our overview of MBBS in Georgia.
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Admission requirements for international students
Foreign applicants enter TSMU without Georgian national exams. The university reviews your documents and interviews you online. After that, Georgia's education quality agency NCEQE (National Center for Educational Quality Enhancement) recognizes your school certificate, and the Ministry of Education issues an enrollment order. See our admission requirements page for the full process.
How to apply to TSMU
1
Check your grades and curriculum — TSMU asks for a high school certificate (it refers to "A level"). It does not publish minimum grades by curriculum, so we assess your transcript (CBSE, state boards, FSc, WAEC, Thanaweya Amma and others) before you apply.
2
Get a language certificate — an internationally recognized certificate at B1 or higher in the language of your program, English or Russian.
3
Prepare your documents — passport, school certificate and language certificate. Under-18s add a translated birth certificate and parents' passports; transfer students add a transcript.
4
Legalize and translate — Indian and Pakistani documents need an apostille; Indian education documents need the MEA apostille for the visa. Nigeria, Egypt, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman are not in the Apostille Convention, so their documents need consular legalization. All documents must be translated into Georgian and notarized, in two original copies.
5
Submit and take the interview — TSMU reviews your file, asks you to complete a form and invites you to an online interview on Zoom. If you pass, you receive an offer letter.
6
NCEQE recognition — NCEQE checks your certificate. The fee depends on speed: 40 GEL for 1 month, 80 GEL for 15 working days, 120 GEL for 5 working days, 250 GEL for 1 working day.
7
Ministry order and visa — after the Ministry of Education issues the enrollment order, applicants who need a visa apply for the D3 study visa.
8
Plan your timeline — TSMU has not published intake dates yet. Start the recognition procedure 2–3 months before the semester.
Indian citizens should note one more rule. TSMU's admission pages do not mention NEET, but NMC requires Indian citizens who study medicine abroad to qualify NEET. Without it, you cannot register as a doctor in India later.
What to know before you apply
- Residency is in Georgian only. All TSMU residency programs are taught in Georgian. Plan your postgraduate path at home or in a third country from day one.
- A Georgian MD does not mean independent practice in Georgia. Graduates become junior doctors and may work only under a supervising doctor. Independent practice requires an exam, residency, a state certification exam and knowledge of Georgian by law.
- Patients speak Georgian. Teaching is in English, but Georgian universities add Georgian language courses so students can talk to patients in clinics. Take these courses seriously.
- The NMC question for Indian students. Georgia includes the internship inside the six years. NMC rules for foreign graduates require 12 months of internship on top of the course. Only NMC decides how it treats a Georgian degree, so check the current NMC rules before you apply.
- WFME recognition has an end date. NCEQE, the agency that accredits Georgian MD programs, is recognized by WFME until November 2028. A student starting now graduates after that, and renewal cannot be guaranteed in advance.
- Many sites use the TSMU name. Several third-party websites look like university pages, for example with an .in domain. The official site is tsmu.edu; check fees and requirements there.
- Do not count on local income. Since 2026, working for a Georgian employer requires a separate permit.
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Rankings and accreditation
We do not quote rankings for TSMU because we have not verified any from an official source. What is confirmed: TSMU is a state university, and MD programs in Georgia are accredited by NCEQE. NCEQE received WFME recognition in 2018 for ten years, until November 2028.
The correct wording matters for your future licensing exams. WFME recognizes accrediting agencies, not universities, so no Georgian university is "WFME-recognized" by itself. The WHO does not recognize universities or diplomas either. Before applying, check the university's listing in the World Directory of Medical Schools (WDOMS).
Housing and student life
TSMU's official pages do not describe dormitories for international students, so we confirm housing options for your intake directly. Most students rent a room or share an apartment in Tbilisi. The D3 visa also requires proof of accommodation, such as a rental agreement or a notarized letter from your host.
According to Numbeo, one person in Tbilisi spends about 1,730 GEL a month excluding rent. A one-bedroom apartment costs about 1,163 GEL outside the center and about 1,746 GEL in the center. A monthly transit pass is 40 GEL. These are average expat figures; students who share a room spend noticeably less.
Student visa
Citizens of India, Pakistan, Nigeria and Egypt need a D3 study visa. You apply online at geoconsul.gov.ge; in India, documents go through VFS Global. The consular fee is $20, plus the VFS service fee if you use VFS. Proof of funds has no fixed amount: embassies ask for 3 months of bank statements or a sponsor package.
Citizens of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman enter Georgia visa-free for one year and apply for a study residence permit inside the country. See the full checklist on our Georgia student visa page.
Other options
If TSMU's fee or entry rules do not fit, compare it with other Tbilisi universities. University of Georgia, SEU Georgian National University and Alte University are private universities with English MD programs at around $5,900–6,500 a year. Tbilisi State University is another state option with its own medical faculty. Our study in Georgia guide compares them.
14 questions to ask before you pay the deposit
Deposits are almost never refundable. Ask these by email before paying — and keep the university's answer on record.
- What to ask about the programme, accreditation and the degree
- What tuition does not include and when a deposit is refunded
- Who files the visa application — you or the university
- Five red flags that mean you should not pay
Other universities in Georgia
Compare the terms: fees, language of instruction and entry requirements differ.
SEU Georgia
Tbilisi State University
University of Georgia Tbilisi
Send us your school certificate, language certificate and passport details. We check them against TSMU's rules, tell you what to legalize and translate, and compare TSMU with 2–3 alternatives that fit your budget and home-country licensing plans. Book a free consultation through the website form, WhatsApp or Telegram, or visit our contacts page.