Study Dentistry at European University Skopje: Costs, Rules and Transfer (2026)

Can you study dentistry at European University Skopje, and which programmes does it offer?

European University operates in Skopje and comprises five faculties: Dentistry, Detective Sciences and Criminology, Arts and Design, Informatics and Economics. Do not confuse it with institutions of a similar name, such as European University Cyprus or the European universities in Spain.

In health, the university concentrates on Dentistry. The faculty offers the integrated five-year programme leading to the degree of Doctor of Dental Medicine, and a three-year vocational programme for dental technicians, with a qualification in prosthetics and orthodontics, of 180 ECTS.

We did not find Medicine, Pharmacy or Veterinary Medicine programmes at the university. If you are looking for the other health programmes of the country, read our comparison article on the universities of North Macedonia.

How long does Dentistry take, and how is compatibility with the European system stated?

The published programme sets five-year integrated studies, 300 ECTS and the degree of Doctor of Dental Medicine. The duration is consistent with the minimum framework set by the higher-education law of North Macedonia, which is at least ten semesters.

The faculty states that its programmes are compatible with the European Higher Education Area and follow the Bologna process. In practice this means the use of the ECTS credit system, which makes it easier for other universities to assess your courses in case of a transfer.

The faculty also mentions participation in conferences, Erasmus+ exchange programmes, workshops with guest lecturers and professional meetings. The published curriculum is available as a PDF file of the faculty, and we advise you to ask the student office for the current curriculum for your intake year.

How much does Dentistry cost, and which costs are not included in the tuition?

The difference between the two published prices shows that fees are reviewed and that you should always check the current announcement for your intake year. An earlier announcement also provided a registration deposit and a one-off charge for document services, such as certification of the diploma and student visa procedures.

In the real cost, add the purchase of instruments, accommodation in Skopje, living costs and possible repetition of courses. A comparison with alternatives in other European countries only makes sense when you compare the total cost until graduation and not just one year of tuition.

How do you calculate the total cost of a five-year degree in Skopje?

These figures cover tuition only and follow from the list prices we found. They do not include accommodation, food, travel, insurance, the instruments and materials the student buys, or the cost of repeating courses.

A common mistake is comparing one year of tuition with the total cost of an alternative. A fair comparison needs the whole picture until graduation, including the risk of delay. One additional year means one additional year of tuition and living costs.

A consultation with Medschool Experts includes this comparison. We do not publish general prices for our services. We examine your case individually and explain what each alternative route costs.

In which language is Dentistry taught in Skopje?

The faculty states that studies are conducted in Macedonian and English, and the student chooses. We did not find published information on the share of courses and exams that are actually held in English.

The language of instruction is the first subject that students who think about leaving discuss with us. In our experience, a programme labelled "in English" does not mean that all courses, exercises and exams are held in English. We mention this without judging individuals or institutions.

In dentistry the issue is even more sensitive, because clinical work takes place in front of patients who usually speak Macedonian or Albanian. Ask in writing in which language the clinical exercises are held and who helps with communication with the patient.

How is the Dental Clinical Centre organised, and what should you ask?

The published information of the faculty says that teaching takes place in one main building in Skopje. The Dental Clinical Centre has four laboratories, two practice rooms, 32 dental chairs and radiology equipment. The staff numbers more than 30 people, including 14 specialists in various dental fields.

These figures are useful, but they do not give the full picture. To judge the clinical training you need ratios. Look at how many students share each dental chair, how many patients pass through the centre, which specialties are covered and how many cases are required to complete each course.

• How many students work per chair and per instructor?
• How many real patient cases must a student complete per year?
• Which specialties, such as endodontics, surgery and orthodontics, are covered at clinical level?
• How are clinical hours and cases recorded, so that they can be documented in case of a transfer?

The answers will show you whether the training covers everything a future dentist needs.

Does the Greek n+ rule apply at European University Skopje, and what are the time limits?

In Greece the n+ rule sets a maximum study period and leads to deletion when it is exceeded. It concerns institutions that fall under Greek legislation and is not applied at a private university in North Macedonia.

As for the rules of European University Skopje, the detailed regulation on exams and progression was not available in a form we could quote with precision. We did not find a published maximum duration, a number of permitted attempts or requirements for progression, and for that reason we do not quote numbers that we have not verified.

The only safe route is to ask the student office for the information in writing, as explained in the next section.

Which information on exams and progression should you request in writing?

Our list of questions is short, but it covers the topics that decide the path of a dentistry student:

• Which regulations apply to my programme, and from which date?
• What is the maximum study duration, and what happens when it is used up?
• How many times can I sit an exam in a course, and how do the repeat exams work?
• What is the minimum attendance in clinical and laboratory courses?
• How many ECTS do I need to enrol in the next year?
• How does a pause in studies work, and how is student status renewed?
• Which tuition and which additional charges apply for my year?

Send the questions by e-mail and keep the answers. Written documentation is valuable for any future transfer as well, because the receiving university will want to know the rules that applied at the institution of origin.

Why do some dentistry students struggle or want to continue elsewhere than Skopje?

In our experience, the quality of teaching at universities in North Macedonia is lower than at comparable European universities. We say this as a professional assessment from our daily work with students, not as a ranking, and it does not concern any individual lecturer. The students who write to us describe four recurring themes.

• Language of instruction: students expect a fully English-taught course and find that part of the material is taught in Macedonian or in a mix of languages.
• Staff: lecturers who are comfortable teaching in English are in short supply, so the material is passed on with less depth than students hoped for.
• Practical training: places in laboratories and clinics are limited compared with the number of students, and groups are large.
• Progression: courses pile up, exams are repeated and there is little academic guidance along the way.
• Costs: equipment and materials add to the tuition.

Personal reasons often come on top: distance from family, the cost of living, or the wish to build a career in another European country. For anyone who plans to work abroad, the university that awards the degree matters in practice, because it decides which recognition procedures the graduate has to follow later.

None of this means that every student is unhappy or that every course is weak. It means that if you recognise several of these points in your own situation, it is sensible to look at your options calmly and early rather than at the last exam attempt.

Another question is the goal after graduation. A dentist who wants to work in another European country has to go through the recognition procedure of the destination country. That is why the choice of the university that awards the degree is not just an academic matter.

Why do so many students transfer out of North Macedonia every year?

Every year we accompany students from North Macedonian universities to other universities in Europe. This is not a statistic or a ranking. It is simply our daily work: the enquiries we receive and the files we prepare.

In dentistry the motive is often twofold: fuller clinical experience and the prospect of working in another country. For some it is also an opportunity for a fresh start after difficult semesters.

A transfer does not mean that everything you have done is lost. The courses you have passed are reviewed by the receiving university, and in many cases part of them can be credited. There is no promise of recognition or admission, because the decision belongs to the university and depends on the case.

How do you decide between staying, pausing and transferring?

There is no single right answer for everyone. A first-year student with one failed course has different options from a fourth-year student who is already facing clinical duties. Three questions help most.

• How far away is the degree? The more years you have completed, the more it is worth checking how a new university would credit your courses.
• Is the problem temporary or structural? A hard period may be solved by a pause in studies. The language of instruction or limited clinical training, by contrast, does not change from one semester to the next.
• What is your professional plan? If you want to work in another country, the university that awards your degree has practical consequences.

In every case the first move is to get the written facts in your hands: the regulations, your enrolment status and your transcript. Then compare the options calmly. Medschool Experts helps at exactly this stage, so that your decision rests on documents and not on rumours or time pressure.

How does a transfer from Skopje to a European university work?

A study transfer is a complex process, because it combines credit recognition, the right year of entry, documents from two countries and deadlines. The experts at Medschool Experts have almost ten years of experience with study transfers worldwide and take over the whole process.

• Review: we examine your transcript, ECTS credits, curriculum and study history and the clinical hours you have completed.
• Selection: we suggest universities from our 25+ partners in Europe that fit your profile and your budget.
• File: we prepare the documents, the translations and the communication with the receiving university.
• Decision: the receiving university decides on credit recognition and the year of entry, depending on the case.

Ask the school, besides the transcript, for a certificate of the practical exercises and cases you have completed. This documentation can influence your year of entry at the new university. Do not wait until you have used up every semester or every exam attempt before asking for information. The earlier the review, the more options you have and the more calmly you can decide without time pressure.

How do you read your transcript and ECTS credits when you think about a transfer?

A transcript lists every course you have taken, the grade, the ECTS credits and the semester. In a transfer, the receiving university does not only look at the total number of credits. It examines the content of each course, the number of hours and the level.

For this reason it is useful to ask the student office not only for the transcript but also for the description of the courses you have passed. Basic subjects such as anatomy, physiology and biochemistry are usually credited more smoothly when the content and the workload are documented.

Failed attempts, pauses and repeated courses also appear in your history. They are not a reason for concern, but information that has to be presented correctly and clearly. Our experts help with the precise wording of the file.

What do professional recognition and Directive 2005/36/EC mean for you?

Directive 2005/36/EC governs the recognition of professional qualifications between the member states of the European Union and the European Economic Area. For professions such as dentist it sets minimum training requirements, which allow a degree to be recognised under common rules.

North Macedonia is not a member state of the EU. For degrees awarded there, each destination country applies its own procedure with its own conditions, which may include an additional check of documents or examinations and differ considerably from country to country. We do not judge any programme here. We describe the framework.

If your goal is to work as a dentist in Germany, Austria, the Netherlands or elsewhere in Europe, think early about which university will award your degree.

What can you do if you have lost your student status?

If your studies in Skopje have been interrupted or you have lost your student status, the first step is to find out exactly what happened. Ask the university in writing for the decision, its legal basis and your transcript, and ask whether there is a procedure for appeal, review or reactivation and which deadline applies.

In parallel, we look at alternative routes with you. First, we check which courses you have passed and which years you have completed. Second, we look for universities in Europe where your case can be examined. Third, we prepare the file and take over the communication with the institutions.

We cannot promise re-admission, admission to another university or the recognition of all your courses. In some cases the new route starts in a lower year than you would like, and it is important to know that from the beginning. In our experience, students who ask for help early have more options.

Which documents do you need and which mistakes should you avoid before you decide?

• Transcript with courses, grades and ECTS credits
• The current curriculum for your intake year
• Certificate of clinical and laboratory exercises
• Identity card or passport and school-leaving certificate
• Written confirmation of the status of your studies

Ask the student office to issue the documents in English and with a stamp. You do not have to have everything ready before you contact us, because we guide you step by step.

The usual mistakes: waiting until all attempts are used up, giving up your student status before an alternative exists, deciding on the basis of rumours or verbal assurances, and paying a deposit to a new university before the year of entry and the total cost have been checked. A calm, early review of your options saves time and money.