MBBS in Latvia for Indian Students: Fees & Guide 2026

MBBS in Latvia for Indian Students: The Complete 2026 Guide

MBBS in Latvia is a six-year, 360-ECTS Medical Doctor (MD) degree taught in English at two public universities in Riga: Riga Stradiņš University (RSU) and the University of Latvia (LU). Both are open to NEET-qualified Indian applicants under a limited annual international quota. Together they offer around 620 privately funded seats a year for international students, at published tuition starting near €11,850 at LU and €13,500 at RSU. Here's what the degree actually costs, who is eligible, how admission works, and what you'll need for recognition in India.

Key Takeaways

• Latvia has two public medical universities teaching MBBS/MD in English, Riga Stradiņš University (RSU) and the University of Latvia (LU). Both are in Riga and run a six-year, 360-ECTS programme.
• Together they offer roughly 620 privately funded international seats per year (RSU ≈ 590, LU ≈ 30), per a peer-reviewed overview of Latvian medical education.
• Published annual tuition is about €13,500 at RSU and roughly €11,850 (rising in later years) at LU. Always confirm the current year's figure on the official admissions page before applying.
• NEET qualification is mandatory for any Indian student who wants a Latvian medical degree to count toward practising in India, even though Latvian universities do not use your NEET score to rank applicants.
• Teaching is in English throughout, with an introductory Latvian-language course built into the curriculum for clinical-year patient contact; to practise in India after graduating you must clear the FMGE (moving to the NExT).

Latvia is one of futureMBBS's nine partner EU countries; for the full cross-country comparison and current university list, see our MBBS in Europe pillar guide and the official universities hub.

Why do Indian students choose MBBS in Latvia?

Latvia sits inside the European Union, so its medical degrees follow EU directives and are recognised across the bloc. For Indian families weighing options after the NEET result, the appeal is straightforward: English-medium teaching from day one, a compact and walkable capital city, tuition well below an Indian private or NRI-quota seat, and a structured six-year MD curriculum that a peer-reviewed overview of Latvian medical education describes as moving from basic sciences in years one and two to gradual clinical exposure afterward (PMC/NCBI, 2023).

Which universities offer MBBS in Latvia?

Both of Latvia's medical universities are public institutions in Riga and are part of futureMBBS's vetted EU partner network. See the universities hub for the current confirmed list.

RSU is the larger of the two, with roughly 12,470 students overall and about 27% international enrolment as of late 2025 (Riga Stradiņš University, via Wikipedia). LU's Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences runs a smaller international intake of around 30 seats a year, against RSU's roughly 590 (PMC/NCBI, 2023).

How much does MBBS in Latvia cost for Indian students?

At RSU, Medicine tuition is €13,500 per year for 2026/27, plus a one-time, non-refundable €100 application fee and a one-time €1,800 registration fee specific to Medicine and Dentistry applicants, payable in two instalments each year (Riga Stradiņš University, official tuition page). Over six years that is roughly €81,000 in tuition alone, before living costs.

At LU, published figures place first-year Medicine tuition at around €11,850, with the annual fee rising in later years to roughly €14,600, plus an application/document-recognition fee of about €170. Fee schedules change year to year, so confirm the current figure directly with the university before you commit.

What is the eligibility for MBBS in Latvia?

Eligibility has two layers: what Latvia asks for, and what India requires for the degree to count at home. On the Latvian side, both universities require a completed Class 12/higher-secondary qualification covering Physics, Chemistry and Biology, English proficiency (teaching is entirely in English), and an academic-record application through each university's own admission platform. On the Indian side, the National Medical Commission requires any student intending to practise in India to have qualified NEET, meet the standard age norms, and later clear the licensing screening test.

1. Complete Class 12 with Physics, Chemistry and Biology (PCB).
2. Qualify NEET-UG, even though Latvian universities do not use the score for ranking.
3. Meet each university's English-proficiency requirement.
4. Submit the academic-record application directly to RSU or LU by the relevant deadline.

Our NEET hub and the sister-brand NEETsheet preparation app can help you build or protect your NEET score before you apply.

Is there an entrance exam for MBBS in Latvia?

No separate Biology or Chemistry entrance exam is used by RSU or LU for their English-medium Medicine programmes. Admission runs on a ranking of your converted secondary-school academic record and English proficiency, submitted through each university's own online application process rather than a written entrance test.

Do you need to learn Latvian to study medicine there?

Teaching, exams and materials are in English throughout the six-year programme, so you don't need Latvian to follow lectures. The curriculum does include an introductory Latvian-language course, though, because clinical-year patient contact in Latvian hospitals requires functional Latvian for ward communication (PMC/NCBI, 2023). Treat it as a manageable part of clinical training, not an optional extra.

Is a Latvian medical degree recognised in India?

Yes, subject to the standard condition that applies to every foreign medical degree. Latvia's public medical universities are part of futureMBBS's confirmed EU partner list, and graduates must clear the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) to practise in India, exactly as any other foreign-trained doctor does. FMGE is the screening test still in force for 2026, with the National Exit Test (NExT) deferred to a later cycle (National Medical Commission). Recognition rules can change, so verify the current position before you apply. Our NMC-approved MBBS in Europe guide explains how to self-check any university.

How does MBBS in Latvia compare with an Indian private seat?

For most middle-class families, the realistic Indian comparison is not the subsidised government seat that very few secure, but a private or NRI-quota seat that often runs from ₹65 lakh to well over ₹1 crore. Against that, RSU's roughly €81,000 (about ₹81 lakh at an indicative €1 ≈ ₹100 rate) in tuition over six years, plus Riga's relatively low living costs, lands in a broadly similar or lower band, with transparent published fees and no capitation. The trade-off is the FMGE step after graduation and adapting to a new country. That's exactly what structured preparation and counselling are for.

When you're ready, check current-intake availability on the application deadlines page and compare Latvia against our other EU partner countries on the universities hub.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is MBBS in Latvia recognised by NMC for practising in India?

Latvia's public medical universities are part of futureMBBS's confirmed EU partner network. To practise in India after graduating, you must clear the FMGE (the current screening test, with NExT deferred), the same requirement that applies to graduates of any foreign medical university.

How much does MBBS in Latvia cost for Indian students in 2026?

RSU's Medicine programme costs €13,500 a year (about €81,000 over six years), plus one-time application and registration fees. LU's published tuition starts near €11,850 and rises in later years. Living costs in Riga add roughly €500 to €800 a month.

Is NEET required for MBBS in Latvia?

Latvian universities do not use your NEET score to rank applicants, but NEET qualification is mandatory for any Indian student who wants the degree to count toward an Indian medical licence later. If practising in India is your goal, NEET is non-negotiable.

Is there an entrance exam to get into RSU or the University of Latvia?

No separate Biology or Chemistry entrance test is used for the English-medium Medicine programmes. Admission is based on your secondary-school academic record and English proficiency, submitted directly through each university's own online application.

Do I have to learn Latvian to study medicine in Latvia?

Your lectures, exams and study materials are in English for the whole six-year programme. An introductory Latvian-language course is built into the curriculum, mainly to support patient communication once clinical rotations begin.

How long is the MBBS programme in Latvia?

It is a six-year, 360-ECTS Medicine (MD) programme at both RSU and LU. Broadly, you cover basic sciences in years one and two, get a gradual clinical introduction afterward, and spend the later years mostly in clinical rotations. At the end you receive an MD degree equivalent to an MBBS.

Sources

• Riga Stradiņš University, Tuition Fees for Studies in English, rsu.lv (accessed July 2026).
• Medical education in Latvia: an overview of current practices, peer-reviewed article, PMC/NCBI (2023).
• Riga Stradiņš University, history and enrolment figures, Wikipedia.
• University of Latvia, official site, lu.lv.
• National Medical Commission (India), Foreign Medical Graduate Examination / licensing rules, nmc.org.in.
• Cost of living in Riga, 2026: Wise and Numbeo.

Pratibha Chauhan writes about MBBS-abroad admissions for futureMBBS, which has guided 2,000+ Indian students across its 9-country, 22-university partner network.