Internship in India After a Foreign MBBS: Rules, Process and Documents

Passing the FMGE is a huge milestone, but it is not the finish line. Foreign medical graduates must then complete a 12-month supervised internship in India before full registration. Here is how it works and how to avoid delays.

The rules in brief

• Under FMGL 2021, foreign graduates who joined after 18 November 2021 complete a 12-month internship at their foreign university as part of the course, and then a 12-month supervised internship in India after passing the licensing exam.
• The Indian internship follows the NMC’s Compulsory Rotating Medical Internship (CRMI) Regulations, 2021: rotations through medicine, surgery, obstetrics and gynaecology, paediatrics, community medicine and other departments.
• Internships are done at NMC-recognised medical colleges and their hospitals, through the process set by your State Medical Council and NMC.

Step by step

1. Pass the FMGE and download your pass certificate from NBEMS.
2. Apply to your State Medical Council for provisional registration, following its current notice for foreign medical graduates.
3. Internship allotment: states allot seats through counselling or a merit list, or approve placements in colleges with vacant FMG intern seats.
4. Join the college and complete 12 months of rotations, with attendance and log book requirements.
5. Get the internship completion certificate and apply for permanent registration.

Documents usually required

• Primary medical qualification (degree) certificate, apostilled or legalised
• Transcripts or mark sheets for the whole course
• Internship completion certificate from your foreign university
• FMGE pass certificate
• Proof of eligibility to practise in the country of study, where required
• Passport with visa stamps and entry/exit records covering the study period
• NEET scorecard and Class 10 and 12 certificates
• Any NMC-specified compensation certificates for online classes, if applicable

Start collecting these in your final year abroad. Getting documents legalised from India later is slow.

Seats and stipend

NMC has allowed medical colleges to take foreign medical graduate interns up to a limit linked to their intake, and has directed that FMG interns be paid the same stipend as Indian graduates in the same institution. In practice, availability and stipends differ by state and college, and FMG associations have raised complaints about unpaid internships and fees. Check your State Medical Council’s current rules and ask colleges directly before accepting a seat.

Special cases

• Online classes during COVID-19: under NMC’s March 2026 clarification, students must have compensated online study with physical training abroad. Students admitted after 18 November 2021 complete a 12-month internship in India under CRMI. Some groups have challenged this, so check current notices.
• Students admitted before 18 November 2021 come under the older Screening Test Regulations, with different internship requirements depending on their circumstances.
• Philippines BS students covered by NMC’s December 2023 one-time relief must complete an additional internship year in India.

Rules for these groups change often. Read NMC rules in simple language and the latest NMC notices.

Sources

• NMC notices and CRMI Regulations 2021: nmc.org.in
• NMC clarification on online classes (March 2026): Medical Dialogues
• FMG internship news: Medical Dialogues

Always verify: internship rules for FMGs are updated frequently. Check NMC and your State Medical Council. Last checked: October 2026.