Webinar: Pursuing MBBS in India Thu, November 5, 2026 | 8:30 PM IST FREE
Reserve free seatFree Webinar: MBBS in India
Thu, November 5, 2026 | 8:30 PM
Free Webinar: MBBS in India
Thu, November 5, 2026 | 8:30 PM
One of South Africa's four major medical schools, in the administrative capital Pretoria, with clinical training at Steve Biko Academic Hospital. UP teaches the 6-year MBChB in English, a comparatively affordable, MBBS-style degree, though with limited places for international students.
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South Africa
Country
Pretoria
City (Gauteng, inland)
MBChB
6-year Bachelor of Medicine & Surgery
English
Medium of instruction
Introduction
The Engineering 1 building at the University of Pretoria's Hatfield main campus, Pretoria
Recognition & Prestige
The University of Pretoria is one of South Africa's largest and strongest research universities, and one of the country's four major medical schools. Its clinical training network and health-research strengths are its core credentials.
A top-5 SA medical school
One of South Africa's four major medical faculties (after UCT, Wits and Stellenbosch)
HPCSA-accredited
MBChB accredited by the Health Professions Council of South Africa
The University of Pretoria Faculty of Health Sciences, one of South Africa's four major medical schools, offers an MBChB accredited by the Health Professions Council of South Africa and listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools, with clinical training at Steve Biko Academic Hospital and partner hospitals. It does not meet the National Medical Commission's rules for practising in India (see FMGE).
WDOMS
Listed in WDOMS, the World Directory of Medical Schools.
ECFMG (USA)
As a WDOMS-listed school, graduates can pursue ECFMG certification and the USMLE for training in the United States
NMC (India)
The degree does not meet the NMC's FMGL Regulations 2021, so it does not lead to practice in India (see FMGE).
Complete Information About Studying Medicine at the University of Pretoria
Get a clear, honest picture of the MBChB pathway, the limited international quota, the real (and comparatively affordable) costs, and whether it fits your family.
Success stories
Hear directly from students who are studying medicine in Europe with futureMBBS.
Academic Excellence
UP offers a solid, English-taught, comparatively affordable, MBBS-style medical education with excellent hospital training in South Africa's capital. These are its real strengths, with the honest trade-offs of the limited international quota and South Africa's safety considerations.
Read all about MBBS abroad in our free brochure
Know exactly what options exist for your medical-career success.
How to Apply
Admission to the UP MBChB is on academic merit, with limited international places. Note that UP no longer requires the National Benchmark Tests for undergraduate admission (from the 2025 intake). UP publishes the current process on up.ac.za.
International school-leavers must have a strong school-leaving qualification (equivalent to the South African NSC) with the required subjects (Mathematics, Physical Science, English and Life Sciences) and a high aggregate; UP medicine is highly competitive.
UP decided not to use the National Benchmark Tests (NBT) for undergraduate programmes from the 2025 intake, so selection rests on academic results. Some third-party sources still mention the NBT, but UP's own rule takes precedence.
Apply through UP's admissions process, within the limited international medical quota, meeting Department of Home Affairs requirements for foreign students.
Selection is on academic merit; international applicants may need additional evidence such as English proficiency.
Successful applicants receive an offer and apply for a South African study visa, showing proof of financial means, and pay the international fees.
NEET UG is not part of admission here, and because this degree does not meet the NMC's rules, NEET UG does not open a route to practise in India from it.
Applicants need a strong school-leaving qualification (equivalent to the South African NSC) with Mathematics, Physical Science, English and Life Sciences and a high aggregate. UP no longer requires the National Benchmark Tests for undergraduate admission (from the 2025 intake), so academic results carry the weight. NEET UG is not part of admission here, and because this degree does not meet the NMC's rules, NEET UG does not open a route to practise in India from it.
Subjects:
There is no unusual age bar; applicants must meet the academic and selection requirements. The degree does not meet the NMC's rules for practising in India, so it does not open a route back to India.
Applicants need a strong school result with the required subjects, English proficiency and a study visa. NEET UG is not part of admission here, and because this degree does not meet the NMC's rules, NEET UG does not open a route to practise in India from it.
Plan Around the Limited International Quota
Because South Africa prioritises its own citizens for medicine, the international MBChB quota is limited, so weigh your eligibility carefully before investing in the application.
Know the Test Requirement
UP dropped the NBT from the 2025 intake, unlike UCT, Wits and Stellenbosch, so selection rests on academic results.
UP decided not to use the National Benchmark Tests (NBT) for undergraduate programmes from the 2025 intake, so selection rests on academic results.
| Component | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Academic | Strong NSC-equivalent result with Maths, Physical Science, English and Life Sciences and a high aggregate |
| Admissions test | UP no longer requires the NBT for undergraduate admission (from the 2025 intake) |
| English | English-medium teaching; English-proficiency evidence as required |
| International quota | Limited international MBChB places (South Africa prioritises domestic/SADC applicants) |
| India-side | NEET UG is not part of admission; the degree does not meet the NMC's rules for India |
Indian applicants typically provide the following for the MBChB application and the South African study visa:
Admission Guidance & Eligibility Check
Get an honest assessment of the limited international quota and guidance on UP's current admission requirements from our team.
Programme Structure
The UP MBChB is a six-year, problem-oriented, outcomes-based programme taught in English: the first semester is at the Hatfield main campus, after which teaching moves to the Prinshof health-sciences campus, with clinical training at Steve Biko Academic Hospital and partner hospitals.
Total Duration:
6 Years (first semester at Hatfield, then the Prinshof health-sciences campus; clinical training at Steve Biko Academic Hospital, Kalafong and Weskoppies)
Degree:
MBChB (Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery, South Africa's equivalent of MBBS), English-taught and HPCSA-accredited
Years 1–2
The pre-clinical foundation years covering the basic medical sciences with early clinical and communication skills (the first semester is at the Hatfield campus, then Prinshof):
Years 3–4
The middle years integrating mechanisms of disease with clinical training, in UP's problem-oriented, outcomes-based approach:
Year 5
Full clinical rotations through the major disciplines at Steve Biko Academic Hospital, Kalafong and partner hospitals:
Year 6
The final clinical year consolidating clinical competence as a transition to internship and registration with the HPCSA:
Clinical training takes place at Steve Biko Academic Hospital (a quaternary referral hospital), Kalafong Provincial Tertiary Hospital and Weskoppies Psychiatric Hospital, with further training in Mpumalanga (Witbank Hospital) and community settings. In South Africa, graduates complete a two-year internship and a year of community service to register with the HPCSA. This is not the 12-month internship at the same university that the NMC's FMGL Regulations 2021 ask for, so the degree does not lead to practice in India. An indicative pattern is:
| Phase | Focus |
|---|---|
| MBChB Years 5–6 | Clinical rotations across Medicine, Surgery, Paediatrics, O&G, Psychiatry, Family Medicine and specialties at Steve Biko Academic Hospital, Kalafong, Weskoppies and partner hospitals |
| After graduation (South Africa) | A two-year internship plus community service leading to registration with the Health Professions Council of South Africa |
| Practising in India | Not open: the degree does not meet the NMC's FMGL Regulations 2021 |
Get the full curriculum
Download a free brochure to understand the MBChB structure, the pathway and everything you need to plan.
Legacy
The University of Pretoria's Faculty of Health Sciences is known more for its clinical training network and health research than for a long list of internationally famous individual graduates. In the figures below, where someone is a current UP leader or researcher rather than a famous historic alumnus, that is stated plainly.
Dean of the University of Pretoria's Faculty of Health Sciences (serving a second term) and a professor in Environmental Health in UP's School of Health Systems and Public Health. He directs the UP Institute for Sustainable Malaria Control and researches reproductive biology and the health effects of environmental exposures.
Deputy Dean for Teaching and Learning in UP's Faculty of Health Sciences and previously Head of the Department of Pharmacology. A prolific researcher in pharmacology, toxicology and traditional medicine, she leads the faculty's teaching and learning strategy.
Graduated MBChB from the University of Pretoria in 1995 and became one of South Africa's best-known medical communicators, presenting health television and co-founding a digital health service giving people affordable access to doctors by phone.
Earned his MBChB at the University of Pretoria before building an international career as a cardiothoracic surgeon in the United States, leading work in cardiac surgery, transplantation and mechanical circulatory support.
UP's medical programme is delivered by the Faculty of Health Sciences at the Prinshof campus, in partnership with Gauteng's public hospitals. Named leaders are as of 2025.
Dean: Professor Tiaan de Jager (environmental health)
Deputy Dean, Teaching & Learning: Professor Vanessa Steenkamp
Director of the UP Institute for Sustainable Malaria Control
One of South Africa's four major medical faculties
Clinical training at Steve Biko Academic Hospital, Kalafong and Weskoppies
English-medium teaching throughout the MBChB
A problem-oriented, outcomes-based curriculum
Guidance on the NMC position and the South African licensing route
About University
The campus square at the University of Pretoria's Hatfield main campus, with the student centre and administration building, Pretoria
Get all information about studying medicine at the University of Pretoria in our free brochure
Read on to understand the real pathway to the University of Pretoria MBChB.
Role in medicine
The sail-shaped Aula building with its sculpted frieze at the University of Pretoria's Hatfield main campus, Pretoria
Get all information about studying medicine at the University of Pretoria in our free brochure
Read on to understand the real pathway to the University of Pretoria MBChB.
Cost of living
Pretoria is affordable by international standards, and generally a little cheaper than Cape Town. The figures below are indicative monthly living costs for a student and are separate from tuition.
| Cost Component | Approximate Amount (per month) |
|---|---|
| Accommodation (residence / shared rental) | ₹22,000 – ₹46,000 |
| Food & Groceries | ₹14,500 – ₹26,000 |
| Transport & Personal | ₹7,000 – ₹16,000 |
| Utilities & Extras | ₹6,000 – ₹14,500 |
Average monthly living cost (excluding tuition)
₹39,000 – ₹82,000
Housing
Students at UP live in university residences (including at or near the Prinshof health-sciences campus), university-accredited housing, or private rentals in Pretoria.
Need accommodation details?
Get a full overview of housing options with our university guide, or reach out to an expert.
Food & Dining
100% veg options available. Vegetarian food is easily available in cafeterias, restaurants, grocery stores and university residences in Pretoria. With a South African Indian community locally and Johannesburg's large Indian food hubs about an hour away, Indian and vegetarian students are well served.
Pretoria has Indian restaurants and takeaways across the city (including near university suburbs such as Hatfield and Brooklyn), and Johannesburg's famous Indian food hubs (Fordsburg, Mayfair) are about an hour away.
Pretoria has a Muslim community and widely available halal food through Indian, Middle Eastern and other eateries and butcheries, so Muslim students are catered for.
Pretoria's restaurants, malls and cafes offer vegetarian and vegan options, with clearly labelled menus, so vegetarian students eat well.
Indian and Asian grocery stores in Pretoria stock spices, dal, rice, atta and ready-mixes, and Johannesburg's larger stores deliver, so students can cook familiar food.
Food-delivery and grocery apps (such as Uber Eats, Mr D Food and the major supermarket apps) operate across Pretoria for both restaurant meals and groceries.
Major supermarket chains (Woolworths, Pick n Pay, Checkers, SPAR) stock lentils, rice, dairy, flour and produce, with Indian grocers filling any gaps.
Location
University of Pretoria, Faculty of Health Sciences, Prinshof Campus, Bophelo Road, Prinshof, Pretoria 0084, South Africa (next to Steve Biko Academic Hospital; the main campus is Hatfield, where MBChB students spend their first semester)
Nearest Airport
O.R. Tambo International Airport (JNB) in Johannesburg, about 60 km from Pretoria, with one-stop connections to India via Gulf and African hubs; the Gautrain links the airport to Pretoria. Students need a South African study visa. South Africa (SAST) is 3.5 hours behind Indian time
Local Transport
The Gautrain (rapid rail to Johannesburg and the airport), A Re Yeng bus rapid transit, metered taxis and ride-hailing (Uber/Bolt); UP also runs inter-campus transport between Hatfield and Prinshof. Given safety considerations, use reliable transport, especially at night
Your Roadmap to Success
UP MBChB graduates complete a two-year internship and a year of community service to gain full registration with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA), then pursue specialty training.
This degree does not meet the NMC's rules for practising in India: the internship is a two-year hospital post, not the 12-month internship at the same university that the FMGL Regulations 2021 ask for, and foreign nationals are placed only after citizens and permanent residents.
As a WDOMS-listed school, graduates can pursue ECFMG certification and the USMLE, opening the pathway to US residency, UP graduates have built senior surgical careers in the USA.
A UP MBChB supports the GMC's routes for the UK and licensing pathways in the Gulf and other countries, each with its own requirements.
UP graduates are well regarded across southern Africa, with opportunities in clinical practice, public health and research on the continent.
With strengths in public and environmental health, malaria control, pharmacology and infectious disease, UP is a solid base for students interested in academic medicine and health research.
Understand the Medical Licensing Pathway
A clear overview of registration in South Africa, the exams needed to practise elsewhere, and why the degree does not lead to practice in India.
Practising in India
A South African MBChB does not meet the NMC's rules for practising in India. The six-year course is long enough, but graduates then do a two-year internship at accredited hospitals and a year of community service (South African Government), not the 12-month internship at the same university that the NMC's FMGL Regulations 2021 ask for. Foreign nationals are placed in internship posts only after all South African citizens and permanent residents, and only 2 foreign nationals were placed between 2019 and 2024 (parliamentary reply, 7 March 2024). Without that internship there is no full HPCSA registration. South Africa is also not covered by the FMGE exemption for postgraduates from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK and the USA.
Step 1
NEET UG is not part of admission here, and because this degree does not meet the NMC's rules, NEET UG does not open a route to practise in India from it.
Step 2
The NMC's Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate Regulations 2021 need at least 54 months of study plus a 12-month internship at the same university, taught in English, and a licence to practise in the country of study on the same terms as its citizens. In South Africa the internship is a two-year hospital post, and foreign nationals are placed only after citizens and permanent residents, with just 2 placed from 2019 to 2024, so there is no full HPCSA registration either.
Step 3
The NBEMS FMGE bulletin says anyone admitted abroad on or after 18 November 2021 whose degree does not meet the FMGL rules cannot sit the FMGE, so this degree does not lead to NMC or State Medical Council registration.
Student Life Style
Being a medical student at UP combines a demanding, English-taught MBChB with strong hospital training and life in Pretoria, South Africa's green administrative capital, with the honest reality of South Africa's safety considerations.
Fees & Financial
A genuine advantage of the University of Pretoria is affordability: South African tuition and living costs are far below Australia, New Zealand or the UK. Honest financial planning still matters.
South African medical tuition is far below Australia, New Zealand or the UK, UP's 2026 MBChB costs students from outside SADC about R181,000–199,000 a year (about ₹10.4–11.5 lakh), but the total remains a fraction of the Australia/NZ/UK level.
UP and South African bodies offer scholarships, bursaries and financial aid, but most target South African and African students, and medicine funding for internationals is limited. Eligibility for international MBChB students varies by award.
Because South Africa is comparatively affordable, the funding requirement is lower than for Australia or New Zealand, but families should still plan carefully. We guide families realistically on costs, loans and whether the numbers make sense, without pushing anyone toward a decision they cannot afford.
Compare
Compare the University of Pretoria (MBChB) with a leading Indian medical college.
Quick Comparison:
University of Pretoria (MBChB) vs AIIMS New Delhi (MBBS)
| University | University of PretoriaPretoria, South Africa | AIIMS New DelhiNew Delhi, India |
|---|---|---|
| Degree & Entry | MBChB: school-leaver entry on academic results; MBBS-style; English-taught | MBBS: school-leaver entry after Class 12 |
| Medium | English | English |
| Duration | 6 years (first semester Hatfield, then Prinshof; training at Steve Biko Academic Hospital) | 5.5 years including internship |
| Tuition | 2026 international about R181,000–199,000 a year (₹10.4–11.5 lakh); far below Australia/NZ | Nominal (a few thousand rupees per year) |
| Admission | Academic results (UP dropped the NBT from 2025); limited international places | NEET-UG (extremely high rank) |
| Recognition | HPCSA-accredited; WDOMS-listed; does not meet NMC rules for India | NMC-recognised |
| Ranking | One of South Africa's four major medical schools (behind UCT, Wits and Stellenbosch for medicine) | India's top medical institute (NIRF #1) |
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Our blog
Articles that turn complex medicine-abroad rules into simple, practical steps for students and parents.
FAQ
Short, honest answers to the questions Indian students and parents ask most about studying medicine at the University of Pretoria.
Campus photographs supplied by the client: four genuine University of Pretoria views of the Hatfield main campus (the Old Arts Building, the campus square with the student centre and administration building, the sail-shaped Aula, and the Engineering 1 building). The Faculty of Health Sciences itself is at the Prinshof campus, where MBChB students study from their second semester onward.
