Graduate Entry Medicine in Europe for UK Graduates

Start medicine in English with your first degree: no GAMSAT, no UCAT, tuition from 3,500 € a year at European medical universities and a clear route to GMC registration.

You have a degree, maybe in biomedical science, pharmacy or something far from the lab, and you want to become a doctor after all. In the UK that means graduate entry medicine: a small number of four-year courses, the GAMSAT or the UCAT, and far more applicants than places. Graduate entry medicine in Europe works differently. You enrol in a full medical programme taught in English, your first degree is welcome but not required, and no admissions test from the UK is involved.

The short version for UK graduates: no GAMSAT, no UCAT, no minimum degree class set by a UK medical school. You apply with your school certificates and your degree transcript, study medicine in English for six years and register with the GMC afterwards. A degree from an EEA country is accepted without PLAB.

Graduate entry medicine: UK and Europe compared

Point	Graduate entry medicine in the UK	Medicine in Europe for graduates
Length	4 years accelerated, or 5 years on a standard course	6 years, full programme in English
Admissions test	GAMSAT or UCAT	None from the UK; some universities set a science entrance test
Degree requirement	Usually a 2:1, at some schools in a science subject	Any subject and any class; school certificates count
Tuition	Up to 9,790 £ a year in England	3,500 € to 15,000 € a year
Start	After a successful UCAS round	Autumn intake, application direct to the university

Why UK graduates choose medicine in Europe

Graduates who contact us have usually tried the UK route once. A GAMSAT score a few points under the cut-off, a 2:2 that closes most doors before the application is read, or a second UCAS cycle without an interview. None of that says anything about whether you will be a good doctor. European medical universities look at your school results in biology and chemistry and at your documents. Your age is not a topic either. Marcel Kloos, the founder of Medschool Experts, started dentistry in English at the Medical University of Sofia at 24 and graduated in 2021.

No GAMSAT and no UCAT at any of our partner universities
A 2:2 or a non-science degree does not block your application
Medicine in English from the first lecture to the state exam
Small groups and patient contact in the university hospitals
Tuition from 3,500 € a year at the Medical Faculty Foča to 15,000 € a year at Masaryk University in Brno

Where UK graduates can study medicine in Europe in English

Medical university	Country	Tuition per year	Route to GMC registration
Medical University of Sofia	Bulgaria	10,000 €	Relevant European qualification, no PLAB
Medical University of Plovdiv	Bulgaria	10,000 €	Relevant European qualification, no PLAB
Medical University of Varna	Bulgaria	10,000 €	Relevant European qualification, no PLAB
Medical University of Pleven	Bulgaria	9,000 €	Relevant European qualification, no PLAB
Masaryk University, Brno	Czech Republic	15,000 €	Relevant European qualification, no PLAB
University of Niš, Faculty of Medicine	Serbia	6,000 €	PLAB 1 and PLAB 2
University of East Sarajevo, Medical Faculty Foča	Bosnia and Herzegovina	3,500 €	PLAB 1 and PLAB 2

Entry requirements for graduate entry medicine in Europe

A-levels, IB Diploma or Scottish Highers with Biology and Chemistry
Your degree certificate and transcript; the subject and the class are not a hurdle
At some universities a science entrance test in biology and chemistry, and we prepare you for it
A valid passport; we arrange the student visa and residence permit with you after admission

Whether modules from your first degree are credited is decided by the university after it has seen your transcript. We submit the request for you together with the application.

Funding medicine as a second degree

Money is the point most graduates underestimate. In England, graduates on a standard five-year medical course receive no tuition fee loan for the first four years and pay the fee themselves. Student Finance does not fund a degree at a university outside the UK at all. So the annual fee decides the plan. Six years in Foča cost 21,000 € in tuition, six years in Niš 36,000 € and six years in Bulgaria 54,000 € to 60,000 €. The full comparison is on our page about the cost of studying medicine abroad for UK students.

Back to the UK after graduate entry medicine in Europe

A medical degree from an EEA country is a relevant European qualification, which the GMC accepts for registration without PLAB. With a degree from outside the EEA you sit PLAB 1 and PLAB 2. Foundation Programme places go first to graduates of UK and Irish medical schools, so most returners enter the NHS with full registration in a post at FY2 level or above. The details are in our guide to GMC registration after studying medicine abroad.

More than 500 students have started their studies with us. Book your free consultation.

More guides for UK graduates

Study medicine abroad for UK students Graduate entry medicine Graduate entry dentistry Study medicine in Bulgaria Study medicine in the Czech Republic Cost of studying medicine abroad Search all universities

FAQ: graduate entry medicine in Europe

Is there graduate entry medicine in Europe?

Graduates enrol in the full six-year medical programme in English. Whether earlier modules are credited is decided by the university after it has seen your transcript.

Do I need the GAMSAT to study medicine in Europe?

No. None of our partner universities uses the GAMSAT or the UCAT. Some set their own entrance test in biology and chemistry.

Can I study medicine in Europe with a 2:2?

Yes. The degree class is not an entry criterion. The universities decide on your school results in biology and chemistry and on your documents.

Can I study medicine in Europe with a non-science degree?

Yes. What counts is Biology and Chemistry at school level. If one of them is missing, we show you how to add it before you apply.

Am I too old to start medicine?

No. The universities set no upper age limit, and every year group has students who start in their mid-twenties or later.

Is a European medical degree accepted by the GMC?

A degree from an EEA country is a relevant European qualification and is accepted without PLAB. With a degree from outside the EEA you register after PLAB 1 and PLAB 2.

Last reviewed: October 2026