National Medical Commission (NMC) India: Role, Boards, FMGE

The National Medical Commission (NMC) is India's national regulator for medical education and medical practice. It replaced the old Medical Council of India structure and sets the rules for medical colleges, postgraduate training, ethics and the medical register. For foreign-trained Indian doctors, the NMC's rules decide whether and how they can register to practise in India.

For the full country overview, read Working as a Doctor in India.

Key facts

Legal basis and history

The NMC was set up by Parliament in 2019 and took over on September 25, 2020. The Board of Governors that had been running medical regulation was superseded and dissolved.

What the NMC does

The NMC lists its aims as including:

• improving access to quality and affordable medical education;
• maintaining a medical register for India;
• enforcing high ethical standards in all aspects of medical services;
• providing an effective grievance redressal mechanism.

It does this through four autonomous boards:

State Medical Councils continue to register doctors at state level and receive FMGE results alongside the NMC.

Registration

Doctors who qualified in India register through the medical register system that the NMC maintains together with the State Medical Councils. Foreign graduates first have to pass the screening test (FMGE) to get provisional or permanent registration. Details such as internship requirements for foreign graduates are set in NMC regulations; always read the current regulation text on nmc.org.in before you plan.

FMGE: the screening test

In practice:

Eligibility conditions include:

• Indian citizenship or Overseas Citizen of India status;
• a primary medical qualification confirmed by the Indian Embassy as recognised for enrolment as a medical practitioner in the awarding country;
• a final exam result declared on or before the cut-off date for the session;
• the Eligibility Certificate (if applicable) and the Provisional Pass Certificate or Degree Certificate.

NBEMS publishes an information bulletin for each session with the format and schedule. We don't list question numbers here; read the bulletin for your session.

NExT

The NMC has announced the National Exit Test (NExT) as a future common exit exam. As of October 2026, NBEMS still lists FMGE sessions. Rollout dates have moved several times, so rely only on official NMC notices on nmc.org.in rather than news reports.

Step-by-step for foreign medical graduates

1. Before you study abroad, read the NMC's current regulations for foreign medical graduates on nmc.org.in.
2. Keep your documents complete: degree, transcript and proof that the qualification is recognised for practice in the awarding country.
3. Register for the FMGE with NBEMS within the session's deadlines.
4. Pass the FMGE and attend in-person verification for your Screening Test Pass Certificate.
5. Complete any internship requirement set by the NMC.
6. Register with the NMC/State Medical Council system.

Regular practice with clinical vignettes helps for any screening test. The MediFlow app is a simple way to keep a daily routine.

Typical mistakes

• Relying on news reports. NMC rules change through official notices; read the notice itself.
• Assuming NExT has replaced the FMGE. Check the current status first.
• Missing the result cut-off date for a session.
• Incomplete recognition proof for the foreign degree.
• Skipping biometric verification. The pass certificate is issued only after it.

Fees

NBEMS publishes the FMGE fee in each session bulletin, and the NMC and State Medical Councils publish registration fees. Amounts change, so check the current bulletin.

Contact and official links

• National Medical Commission: nmc.org.in
• NBEMS FMGE page: natboard.edu.in

Use the official contact options on these websites. Our next read: Working as a Doctor in India.