The Medical Council of India (MCI) was established in 1934. Its main aim is to maintain a uniform standard of higher qualification in medicine. It is also established to recognize medical qualifications in India and Abroad. It provides the permanent registration and provisional registration of doctors in India with recognized medical qualification certificates. 

MCI creates a mutual recognition of medical qualifications in India and Abroad. Hence, there are many Government medical universities abroad recognized by MCI. 

Most medical aspirants tend to move abroad for higher education due to a lack of affordable medical seats in India.

It is always advised that the students should confirm the status of any university before taking admission abroad. Students must check the university’s status through the MCI website.  If the university name is available on the MCI website, this indicates that the university is approved by the MCI.

The Indian students who are seeking admission for MBBS from abroad or any relevant courses are required to obtain the No Objection Certificate from MCI. All the required certificates and mark sheets must be apostilled by the Department of the Ministry of External Affairs. 

Students to be able to appear for the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) after their graduation, must obtain the Eligibility Certificate from the MCI before taking admission for MBBS from Abroad.

For the application of the MCI Eligibility Certificate, the candidates should pass the required qualifying examination (10+2 Science Standard) either from India or the Indian citizen who qualifies for an equivalent examination from abroad and is desired to pursue an undergraduate medical course in any foreign medical institution. Candidates must have a minimum of 50% marks for general and 40% marks for those belonging to the reserved category in the 12th Science standard (in Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and English). 

In order to get the Eligibility Certificate from MCI, Students should follow the prescribed format provided by the MCI and must be accompanied by the original certificates of the qualifying examinations.

Documents Checklist for Eligibility Certificate

Copies of all the required documents should be arranged according to the checklist given below:

1. A Bank draft for Rs. 2000/- in favor of “The Secretary, Medical Council of India, New Delhi”.
2. Original Application form.
3. Original and three self-attested copies of passport (if admission is already taken, a copy of complete visa mentioned on Passport should also be provided).
4. Identity proof (whether National citizen or the Overseas citizen of India).
5. Original and three self-attested copies of all the 10th standard certificates along with the Marksheets and the Transfer Certificate.
6. Original and three self-attested copies of 11th and 12th Certificates and Marksheets or equivalent examination along with a copy of Transfer/Migration certificate (in case of change of schools).
7. Original and three self-attested copies of pass certificate of 12th examination (showing all the subjects and name of school).
8. Original and three self-attested copies of School/College Leaving Certificate for Bihar Board and Tamil Nadu Board. 
9. Equivalency Certificate from the Association of Indian Universities (AIU), New Delhi for the 12th equivalent qualifications (if obtained from abroad with subject wise equivalency). If marks are given in grades, proof of their equivalent percentage of marks.
10. Original and three self-attested copies of an English translation of OBC/SC/ST Certificate (if the certificates are in regional language).
11. One additional color passport size photograph with the front view.
12. Original and three attested copies of admission letter issued by the concerned Foreign Medical University.
13. Additional DD for the verification of 10+2 mark sheet/certificates as per list attached along with the application form.

MCI Eligibility Certificate Application Steps

To apply for the MCI eligibility certificate, the student must follow the below steps:

1. The applicant first needs to register on the MCI website www.mciindia.org. 
2. Once registered, to complete the application, the applicant must log in with the given User ID and password. After logging in, click on the Eligibility Certificate which is available on the left-hand side of the dashboard.
3. Click on Raise a request, the application form will appear. Fill all the required details (make sure to save the data from time to time as the form is lengthy).
4. Once the form is filled, upload the scan copies of all the required documents.
5. Make the online or offline payment to complete the application.

• If offline mode is selected, Demand Draft details should be provided. The applicant must upload the scan copy of the demand draft. 
• If online mode, the applicant will be directed to the Payment gateway page directly.

Below are a few important points to be remembered before applying for MCI Eligibility Certificate 

1. Read the instructions carefully before applying.
2. After filling the form, make sure to check the details before the final submission.
3. The candidate must have their own personal email ID for further communication regarding the Eligibility Certificate.
4. Copies of all the required documents should be submitted to the MCI and should reach the MCI office within 6 months of the date of submission.
5. The Eligibility Certificate can be downloaded through the MCI website.

MCI will not accept the application if the candidates don’t provide the originals or provide incomplete documents. Hence, candidates are requested to provide all the required documents for the application to process smoothly. Once the final application form is submitted, alteration will not be allowed. Therefore, it is important to check the application form before the final submission.

After the successful application, the Eligibility Certificate would be issued within 2 to 3 months.

Once the Eligibility Certificate is attained, the candidate can proceed with the application for MBBS from Abroad.