The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) has opened online registration for the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) October 2026 session. The application window began on 11 September 2026 at 5 PM and will remain open until 25 September 2026 at 11:55 PM, giving Indian citizens and Overseas Citizens of India who hold a primary medical qualification from outside India a fresh opportunity to appear for the mandatory screening test.

Latest Update: An Additional FMGE Sitting for 2026

This October session is an extra sitting NBEMS has added to the 2026 FMGE calendar, taking the exam from its usual two sessions a year to three. NBEMS confirmed the additional exam through an official notice dated 28 August 2026, stating that the FMGE session originally scheduled for 9 January 2027 will be rescheduled to a later date in January or February 2027, while the new October sitting is being conducted on 31 October 2026. Reports have linked this extra window to a backlog of foreign medical graduates awaiting a screening test opportunity.

Background: What Is FMGE

FMGE is the screening test that Indian citizens and Overseas Citizens of India who earned their primary medical qualification abroad must clear before they can seek provisional or permanent registration with the National Medical Commission or a State Medical Council. NBEMS conducts the test as a computer-based exam and hands over the result to the medical councils; it does not itself decide a candidate's eligibility for registration as a medical practitioner, which remains the responsibility of the concerned council.

FMGE October 2026: Important Dates

EventDate
Application form availability11 September 2026 (5:00 PM)
Last date to submit application25 September 2026 (11:55 PM)
Deadline for document/eligibility cut-off31 August 2026 (qualifying result of Primary Medical Qualification)
Examination date31 October 2026
Declaration of resultBy 30 November 2026

FMGE October 2026 Application Fee

As per the NBEMS fee structure applicable to FMGE sessions this year, candidates are required to pay an examination fee of Rs 5,250, plus 18 percent GST of Rs 945, taking the total payable amount to Rs 6,195. This fee is uniform across categories, is non-refundable, and cannot be carried forward to a future session. Payment can be made online through UPI, or a credit or debit card issued by a bank in India, using the payment gateway available on the application portal.

FMGE October 2026 Eligibility Criteria

  • The candidate must be a citizen of India or an Overseas Citizen of India.
  • The candidate must hold a primary medical qualification, confirmed by the concerned Indian Embassy as a recognised qualification for enrolment as a medical practitioner in the country where it was awarded.
  • The result of the final examination for the primary medical qualification must have been declared on or before 31 August 2026 for this session, with proof submitted at the time of application.
  • Candidates admitted to a foreign medical institution on or after 15 March 2002 generally need an Eligibility Certificate from the National Medical Commission, unless exempted under specific notified dates.
  • Candidates who took admission abroad on or after May 2018 must submit their NEET-UG scorecard in lieu of the Eligibility Certificate, and must fulfil the eligibility criteria for MBBS admission prescribed under the Graduate Medical Education Regulations, 1997.
  • Foreign medical degrees must be attested by the Indian Embassy concerned or apostilled as per the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961, and the attestation must correspond to the qualification document it accompanies.

How to Apply: FMGE October 2026 Application Process

  1. Visit the official NBEMS website, natboard.edu.in.
  2. Create an online profile to generate a User ID and password for a new applicant account.
  3. Log in using the generated credentials and open the FMGE October 2026 application form.
  4. Enter personal, identification, and qualification details carefully, including citizenship, passport, and Primary Medical Qualification information.
  5. Upload the prescribed photograph, signature, thumb impression, and supporting documents such as the degree certificate and its apostille or embassy attestation.
  6. Select four different test city choices; the test centre will be assigned in one of them through a random allocation process.
  7. Pay the examination fee of Rs 6,195 through the available online payment gateway.
  8. Review all entered details carefully, since name, nationality, Aadhaar, mobile number, test city, and email ID cannot be changed after submission.
  9. Submit the application form and save the confirmation page and application number for future reference.
Candidates must ensure that the payment status shows as successful in the application form, since the submission process is not treated as complete until the payment status reflects as confirmed.— Paraphrased from the NBEMS FMGE Information Bulletin

Documents Required

  • Degree certificate or Provisional Pass Certificate of the Primary Medical Qualification, duly attested by the Indian Embassy concerned or apostilled as per the Hague Convention
  • Proof of citizenship: valid Indian passport for Indian citizens/NRIs, or OCI card with passport of the country of citizenship for Overseas Citizens of India
  • Eligibility Certificate from the National Medical Commission, where applicable, or NEET-UG scorecard for candidates admitted abroad on or after May 2018
  • Recent photograph, scanned signature, and thumb impression as per the prescribed image specifications

Impact on Candidates

For foreign medical graduates who missed the June 2026 sitting or are only now completing their qualifying formalities, this additional October window shortens the wait considerably instead of forcing them into the originally scheduled January 2027 session. Since NBEMS has clarified that fees are non-refundable and cannot be carried forward, and that only one application per candidate is permitted, candidates should ensure their apostille, embassy attestation, and other documents are ready and accurate before starting the online form.

What Happens Next

Once the application window closes on 25 September 2026, NBEMS is expected to process applications, allot test cities, and release admit cards closer to the 31 October 2026 exam date. The computer-based test will be held in two parts of 150 questions each, with no negative marking, and candidates need a minimum of 150 out of 300 marks to qualify. The result is scheduled to be declared by 30 November 2026, after which qualified candidates can proceed toward registration with the National Medical Commission or the relevant State Medical Council.

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