The NMC Online Classes Rule

The NMC online classes rule that can cost two years

Online study has to be made up in person

NMC's public notice of 18 March 2026 says any period taught online must be compensated by physical attendance at the same foreign medical institute.

A certificate alone stopped working in 2024

NMC's notice of 7 June 2024 stated that certificates claiming online theory had been supplemented by offline practical training would no longer be accepted.

Not compensating means clerkship in India

A final year taught online means one year of clinical clerkship in India. A penultimate year means two years, under NMC's notice of 7 December 2023.

State councils must verify this before registering

State medical councils must not grant permanent registration until compensation or clerkship is verified, including against passport entry and exit records.

The rule reaches back to the pandemic years

The Supreme Court held in April 2022 that a course completed online without clinical training could not earn provisional registration in India.

Where it bites in practice

NMC's FAQ of 8 June 2026 says any period studied online must be compensated, and that a compensation certificate is only one document a council will weigh.

Want to know more about studying MBBS abroad safely?

Our destination guide sets out what each country offers and what NMC expects of the course you pick.