Studying Medicine in the Baltics: Riga, Kaunas and Vilnius at a Glance

Why the Baltics

Three things make the region distinctive. First, language: almost nowhere in Europe is English as much a matter of course in everyday life as in Riga, Kaunas or Vilnius. If you study in English, there is barely any adjustment to make outside the university either. Second, the international outlook: at several locations a substantial share of students comes from abroad, and the programmes are correspondingly well practised. Third, modernity: the Baltic states have invested heavily in digitalisation and hospital infrastructure in recent years.

Latvia and Lithuania are EU member states. The degrees are listed in Annex V of Directive 2005/36/EC and are recognised in Germany, Austria and Switzerland without any additional examination.

Rīga Stradiņš University

The best-known medical address in the Baltics and one of the major locations for international medical students anywhere in Europe. Human medicine and dentistry are taught in English; fees are around EUR 6,750 per semester in human medicine and around EUR 7,750 in dentistry.

One detail that matters for a later transfer to Germany: at Rīga Stradiņš the subjects Latin, genetics and sociology have to be completed with a grade for the preclinical phase to be recognised in full. Anyone who plans for that from the start has no gap in their transcript later.

University of Latvia, Riga

The largest university in the country and, in human medicine, the most attractively priced location in the region: around EUR 6,138 per semester. Dentistry is well above that at around EUR 8,250. The campus is centrally located in Riga, and the city itself, with its Art Nouveau old town and good connections to Germany, is one of the most liveable in the Baltics.

Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas

LSMU in Kaunas is the largest medical training location in Lithuania and runs one of the largest university hospitals in the region. Human medicine and dentistry are offered in English, at around EUR 6,450 and EUR 6,900 per semester respectively. Kaunas is smaller and quieter than Riga, and the cost of living is correspondingly lower.

Vilnius University

Founded in 1579 and therefore one of the oldest universities in Eastern Europe. The medical faculty is closely linked to the capital's large hospitals. Vilnius combines a historic old town with a very modern tech scene, which makes the city attractive to young people.

The locations at a glance

All figures are per semester and are adjusted regularly. We clarify the current terms in a personal conversation.

Which location fits your own certificate, budget and timetable is best discussed case by case. If you would like to sort that out, you can arrange a free consultation with us.

Living in the Baltics

The cost of living runs to roughly EUR 600 to 800 a month, with Riga at the upper end. Places in halls of residence are considerably cheaper than private flats. Connections to Germany are good: there are direct flights from Riga and Vilnius to several German airports, with a flight time of around two hours.

Winter is longer and darker than in Central Europe, and that is worth taking into account when planning. In return the summers are bright and long, and the Baltic coast is on the doorstep.

The geographical situation in brief

A complete description of a location includes its geography. Latvia and Lithuania lie in the north-east of the EU and border Russia and Belarus. Both states are members of the European Union and NATO, and both are currently investing significantly in their security structures: Lithuania is raising its defence budget to more than five per cent of economic output in 2026, and under joint air-policing arrangements units from several alliance partners are permanently stationed in the region.

In day-to-day study this plays a subordinate role: the universities operate normally, semesters run to schedule, and the cities are among the safest and best organised in Europe. Anyone considering the region should nonetheless be aware of the situation and weigh it alongside the other criteria – fees, language, credit transfer, distance from home. That is exactly the kind of assessment we make individually.

How we currently advise

Our placement work currently concentrates on locations in Bulgaria, Serbia, Bosnia, Hungary, Croatia and Malta. That is expressly not a statement about the quality of the Baltic universities – Rīga Stradiņš and Kaunas are excellent addresses – but a question of our own partner network and of the locations where we can support students without gaps. The same EU recognition applies there too, in several cases at lower fees.

Which of these locations suits you is something we look at together. Book a free consultation via the registration page.