Studying medicine in Europe: the complete guide (countries, costs, entrance exams, degree recognition)

You can study medicine in about thirty European countries, with admission rules, languages and costs that differ widely. This guide gives you the big picture, then points you to detailed pages for each country, exam and procedure.

The key questions to ask yourself

In which language do you want to study? Among the 249 universities tracked by EuroMedPath (all health fields), 125 offer at least one programme in English and 43 in French; many others teach in the local language (German, Dutch, Spanish, Italian...). In non-English-speaking countries, learning the local language is generally still necessary for patient placements.
What budget can you plan? The gaps are huge: from a few hundred euros a year in some countries to tens of thousands in others. The table below gives the ranges from our database.
What kind of admission do you prefer? A national exam (like the IMAT in Italy), a university-specific exam, or file-based selection.
Where do you want to practise afterwards? A medical degree earned in an EU country benefits from a recognition regime between member states, but the practical conditions for practising in your home country depend on your case: check with the competent authorities before committing.

Countries and fees at a glance

The ranges below are the lowest and highest annual fees recorded for each country's medical schools in our database. They sometimes mix domestic and international fees, and may change: always check the university page and its official website. Click a country to see its universities.

Country	Medical schools tracked	Indicative annual fees
Germany	27	€337 – €28,000
Austria	5	€1,453 – €20,900
Belgium	7	€1,157 – €11,512
Bulgaria	5	€3,500 – €10,000
Cyprus	3	€6,834 – €24,000
Croatia	4	€9,000 – €16,000
Denmark	3	€8,000 – €17,000
Spain	10	€757 – €11,000
Estonia	1	€13,200 – €13,200
Finland	5	€10,000 – €18,000
France	29	€170 – €7,310
Greece	5	€9,000 – €17,000
Hungary	11	€3,500 – €18,200
Ireland	6	€20,280 – €63,810
Italy	26	€150 – €23,206
Latvia	2	€6,300 – €17,310
Lithuania	2	€5,100 – €15,000
Luxembourg	1	€400 – €800
Malta	2	€10,800 – €39,500
Norway	4	€7,000 – €49,000
Netherlands	8	€2,694 – €34,440
Poland	9	€3,000 – €19,400
Portugal	8	€3,500 – €18,000
Czech Republic	3	€7,500 – €24,250
Romania	7	€4,000 – €10,000
United Kingdom	23	€25,570 – €83,254
Serbia	2	€5,000 – €8,000
Slovakia	4	€7,500 – €14,500
Slovenia	2	€1,800 – €15,000
Sweden	5	€7,500 – €34,800
Switzerland	7	€960 – €4,950

How does admission work?

There is no single rule. Three logics are the most common:

A national or university-specific exam. Examples: the IMAT in Italy, the MedAT in Austria, the UCAT in the UK (articles in French).
File-based selection with no written exam: see file-based faculties (in French).
A national procedure for domestic applicants, often more restrictive for foreign candidates.

Also see our entrance exam resources (past papers, formats, subjects).

Choosing a country

Which medical school to choose in Europe? (in French)
Where to study medicine in Europe with a French baccalaureate? (in French)
Medicine in Italy or France: which is easier? (in French)

Budget, grants and procedures

The cost of studying medicine in Europe (in French).
Grants and funding (in French).
Student visa: never automatic, plan ahead (in French).
Application calendar: several deadlines fall before Parcoursup answers (in French).

Still weighing France?

Many applicants prepare France and abroad in parallel. Read our guide to the Parcoursup project statement and the Parcoursup 2027 dates.

Assess your chances

Rules vary from one university to another; the simplest approach is to start from your profile. Analyse your file for free to get a list of universities that match your profile, an application calendar and a revision plan.

The data in this guide is indicative and comes from the EuroMedPath database at the time of writing (October 2026). Each university page shows the date of its last verification and its sources.