MBBS in China Q&AMenuDo I have to do an internship in India after MBBS in China?
Unofficial · Sources checked
Yes. Under the National Medical Commission (India)'s Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate Regulations, 2021 (in force 18 November 2021), no foreign medical graduate—including one who holds an MBBS from a medical school in mainland China—shall be granted permanent registration in India unless he or she has undergone a supervised internship in India for a minimum term of twelve months, after applying for it to the Commission, in addition to the twelve-month internship completed at the foreign institution. The examination and registration steps for India are set out on this site's section page.
What "supervised internship" means
Regulation 2(g) of the National Medical Commission (Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate) Regulations, 2021 (National Medical Commission, India, 18 November 2021) defines "supervised internship" as training of an intern by mentors so that he becomes a clinician with reliable competencies in diagnostic and therapeutic skills in different disciplines of medicine, appropriate for a primary care physician, to independently provide safe preventive, promotive, curative, palliative and holistic care with compassion and is confident of handling common acute emergencies.
How long, and is it on top of the foreign internship?
Regulation 4(a)(ii) of the Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate Regulations, 2021 requires a foreign medical graduate to have undergone an internship for a minimum duration of twelve months in the same foreign medical institution. FAQ Q14 of the National Medical Commission (India) on these regulations states that, in addition to completing that twelve-month internship in the foreign institution, FMGs are required to undergo a supervised internship in India for a minimum term of twelve months.
FAQ Q12 adds that the internship of FMGs shall be as per the provisions of the National Medical Commission (Compulsory Rotating Medical Internship) Regulations, 2021.
The National Medical Commission (India)'s Advisory U-14021/UGMEB-2025 of 19 May 2025 repeats that no foreign medical graduate shall be granted permanent registration unless he or she has undergone supervised internship in India for a minimum term of twelve months, after applying for the same to the Commission.
Where and how do I apply?
FAQ Q15 of the National Medical Commission (India) on the Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate Regulations, 2021 states that FMGs should apply for internship with the respective State Medical Council through the National Medical Commission (India).
Conditions to be eligible for the India internship
FAQ Q16 of the National Medical Commission (India) lists the conditions an FMG must fulfil to be eligible for internship in India:
| Condition (FAQ Q16) | Requirement |
|---|---|
| (i) | Undergone a course leading to foreign medical degree with minimum duration of fifty-four months |
| (ii) | Undergone an internship for a minimum duration of twelve months in the same foreign medical institution |
| (iii) | Received a foreign medical degree with medium of instructions in English |
| (iv) | Studied the mandatory subjects specified in the Schedule-I |
| (v) | Registered with the respective professional regulatory body or otherwise, competent to grant license to practice medicine in their respective jurisdiction of the country in which the medical degree is awarded and at par with the license to practice medicine given to citizen of that country |
| (vi) | Passed the screening test or National Exit Test or such other mandated test or tests conducted by NMC |
| (vi) | Obtained provisional registration from the respective State Medical Council |
(Q16 prints its last two items both as "(vi)".)
Who these rules apply to
Under regulation 5 of the Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate Regulations, 2021, these regulations do not apply to foreign medical graduates who acquired a foreign medical degree or primary qualification before the regulations came into force, or to candidates already pursuing their education in foreign institutions before then. FAQ Q2 of the National Medical Commission (India) gives the commencement date as 18 November 2021, and FAQ Q4 states that such persons are governed by the earlier applicable regulations.
If you were admitted before 18 November 2021
Frequently Asked Questions No. U-15024/15/2024-UGMEB(Pt) of 8 June 2026 (National Medical Commission, India) addresses candidates who took admission prior to 18.11.2021 in foreign medical universities, where the internship is recognised under the Screening Test Regulation, 2002, and who have completed their internship in offline mode in the same country along with a valid compensation certificate.
The answer is yes: such FMGs may be considered for grant of permanent registration without undergoing additional internship in India, provided they satisfy all conditions stipulated under the relevant NMC Regulations and Public Notices dated 07.12.2023, 19.06.2024, and 18.03.2026, as applicable. The final determination shall be made by the concerned State Medical Council, subject to satisfaction of all statutory requirements and verification of records, on a case-to-case basis.
Where the National Exit Test fits
The National Medical Commission (National Exit Test) Regulations, 2023 (National Medical Commission, India, 27 June 2023) set out a foreign medical graduate's eligibility for provisional registration to pursue the Compulsory Rotating Internship. A medical student who has completed undergraduate medical education overseas and fulfilled the applicable requirements in the Foreign Medical Graduate Regulations shall be eligible, provided he or she passes each of the six theory papers of NExT Step 1. NExT was deferred.
Related questions
Is the India internship the same as the clinical postings during the MBBS course?
No. Internship/clerkship and clinical posting & training are separate phases of practical learning. Clinical posting & training is part of the 54 months MBBS course, while internship is done after completion of the MBBS course but is an integral part of undergraduate medical education degree. (FAQ Q17 of the National Medical Commission, India on the Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate Regulations, 2021.)
If my foreign internship was completed after making up online study, must I repeat it in India?
FAQ No. U-15024/15/2024-UGMEB(Pt) of 8 June 2026 (National Medical Commission, India) answers whether FMGs who have already compensated online studies at their parent institution will be required to undergo additional clerkship in India. The answer is no: FMGs who have successfully completed the requisite compensatory physical training and internship at their parent foreign medical institution, and who can substantiate it through satisfactory documentary evidence, shall not ordinarily be required to undergo additional clerkship or compensatory training in India solely for duplication of training already satisfactorily completed abroad, unless otherwise required under applicable regulations or upon deficiencies being noticed by the State Medical Council during verification.
Sources
- National Medical Commission (Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate) Regulations, 2021 — National Medical Commission, India
- Frequently Asked Questions: FMGs covered by FMGL Regulations, 2021 — National Medical Commission, India (Undergraduate Medical Education Board)
- Advisory U-14021/UGMEB-2025 of 19 May 2025 — National Medical Commission, India (Undergraduate Medical Education Board)
- National Medical Commission (National Exit Test) Regulations, 2023 — National Medical Commission, India
- Frequently Asked Questions No. U-15024/15/2024-UGMEB(Pt) of 8 June 2026 — National Medical Commission, India (Undergraduate Medical Education Board)
Checked 11 October 2026.
This page is an unofficial summary, is not legal or professional-licensing advice, is not published by the bodies named, promises no admission, examination or registration outcome, and the official text and the regulator's own instructions prevail if they differ.