What does PM&DC require before studying medicine abroad?

Pakistan's PM&DC requires Pakistani students to meet a set of mandatory conditions before joining an undergraduate medical or dental programme abroad. These conditions are set out in the Notification of 29 July 2024 (effective from Session 2024-2025); the MDCAT condition in that policy was later exempted by a public notice of 5 October 2026.

For what the other home regulators require before departure, see the before-you-leave requirements.

Conditions from the 29 July 2024 policy

The following mandatory conditions are printed in the Notification of 29 July 2024 (Policy for Students seeking Admissions in Undergraduate Medical / Dental Foreign Institutes), Pakistan Medical & Dental Council, Examination Department, effective from Session 2024-2025, in this order:

1. The student must have passed FSc (Pre-Medical) with a minimum 60% marks who completed their intermediate education within Pakistan. OR The student must have qualified SAT-II with a minimum score of 550 in each subject or a foreign MCAT / UCAT examination with 50% marks in mandatory subjects of Biology, Chemistry and either of Mathematics or Physics in a Higher Secondary School Certificate or equivalent.
2. The student must have obtained 50% marks in MDCAT conducted in Pakistan. Subject result shall be valid for three (3) years (applicable for students who complete their intermediate education within Pakistan). Public Notice No. Exam-59/2026 of 5 October 2026 (PM&DC) exempts the mandatory requirement of having passed the MDCAT as a pre-requisite for Pakistani students seeking admission into foreign medical and dental institutions.
3. The student must verify that the institution is present in the list of such institutions available in the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council Islamabad.
4. The qualification must be in allopathic medicine that has been awarded by an institution recognized by a regulatory body of the country concerned for full registration which in turn is accredited by the WFME or World Directory of Medical Schools.
5. The student must obtain a PM&DC Student Registration Certificate before accepting studies at such institution.
6. The medical qualification must comprise at least 6200 hours (with a minimum of 80% attendance) over 5 years.
7. For those countries where the medium of education is not English, a minimum of 06 months must be spent to learn the local language before proceeding.
8. The student must pass the National Registration Examination of the PM&DC to obtain full registration by PM&DC post qualification.
9. The student must provide the details of residence as well as contact numbers in the country of studies before proceeding.
10. The student must provide Multiple Entry Visa for the duration of study before proceeding.

On condition 7, PM&DC prints the wording above. Whether that condition applies to an English-taught programme in China is a question to put to PM&DC.

Mandatory online registration (Students Alert)

PM&DC's Students Alert for admission abroad states that all students seeking admission in foreign institutions are advised to strictly follow the PM&DC criteria including mandatory online registration to become eligible for issuance of Provisional Registration and National Registration Examination under the PM&DC Act, 2022. The link for online registration is srf.pmdc.pk. The alert also states that the list of accredited foreign institutions is available on the PM&DC website.

Related questions

How do I check that the foreign institution is accepted?

The student must verify that the institution is present in the list of such institutions available in the PM&DC Islamabad (Notification of 29 July 2024). The Students Alert states that the list of accredited foreign institutions is available on the PM&DC website; the reader should confirm the institution's current status there.

After qualification, what does PM&DC require for full registration?

The student must pass the National Registration Examination of the PM&DC to obtain full registration by PM&DC post qualification (Notification of 29 July 2024).

Sources

• Policy for Students seeking Admissions in Undergraduate Medical / Dental Foreign Institutes (Notification of 29 July 2024) — Pakistan Medical & Dental Council (Examination Department)
• Students Alert For Admission Abroad — Pakistan Medical & Dental Council (Registrar)
• Public Notice No. Exam-59/2026 of 5 October 2026 (MDCAT exempted as a pre-requisite for admission into foreign medical and dental institutions) — Pakistan Medical & Dental Council (Head of Examinations)

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.