Studying Medicine and Dentistry in Foča: The Complete Guide to East Sarajevo University

The Faculty of Medicine in Foča in brief

The faculty was founded in 1993 and therefore looks back on more than 30 years of medical teaching tradition. It is part of the University of East Sarajevo, a state university with 15 faculties and around 13,000 students. In 2008 the curricula were fully aligned with the Bologna Process — since then the degree has run under the European Credit Transfer System.

• 5,000 m² of faculty space, with modern lecture theatres and laboratories
• 240+ teaching staff
• 2,000 students, including international students from more than 20 countries
• Foča University Hospital with five pavilions, directly attached

The hospital dates back to 1896 and was raised to university hospital status in 2007 — with departments for internal medicine, surgery, gynaecology, paediatrics, neurology and radiology. The attached Center for Biomedical Research was named the best research institution by the Ministry of Science of Republika Srpska in 2014.

H+ status in the ANABIN database

The ANABIN database of the German Standing Conference of Ministers of Education is the reference German authorities and institutions rely on for foreign higher education qualifications. The Faculty of Medicine in Foča at the University of East Sarajevo is entered there with the highest status, H+.

• H+ — a recognised institution with higher education status, the highest ANABIN classification
• Both programmes are listed as state university faculties, not as a private institute
• The title “doktor medicine” is listed as a professional doctorate in class A5 and is therefore on a par with European medical qualifications
• Degrees are recognised and nostrified in full in Germany

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EU standards and WFME accreditation until 2033

The medical degree in Foča meets the EU's minimum requirements for medical training as set out in professional recognition Directives 2005/36/EC and 2013/55/EU.

In July 2025 a second element was added: the faculty became the first medical faculty in Bosnia and Herzegovina to be accredited to the standards of the World Federation for Medical Education (WFME). The procedure was carried out by the Hungarian Accreditation Committee (MAB) in Budapest — an EU agency listed in the European Quality Assurance Register (EQAR).

The accreditation runs until 10 July 2033, with a mid-cycle review by the end of 2029. For an intake starting today that means: accredited for the entire standard duration of the degree. The faculty is additionally listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools — internationally the usual reference for the quality of a medical training institution.

Programmes and structure

The English-language offering comprises human medicine and dentistry — both as integrated six-year programmes to EU standard, each worth 360 ECTS.

Human medicine (MD)

• Years 1–2, preclinical: anatomy, histology, physiology, biochemistry, medical biology
• Year 3, paraclinical: pathology, pharmacology, microbiology, immunology
• Years 4–5, clinical: internal medicine, surgery, gynaecology, paediatrics, neurology
• Year 6, final practical year: either in Foča or entirely at a German teaching hospital

Dentistry (DMD)

• Years 1–2, foundations: anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, dental materials science
• Year 3, preclinical: pathology, pharmacology, phantom head courses, preclinical exercises
• Years 4–5, clinical: prosthodontics, endodontics, periodontology, orthodontics
• Year 6, clinical practice year: treating patients at the Specialist Center for Dentistry

The final practical year, optionally in Germany

For students of human medicine this is the point that sets Foča apart from many other locations abroad. As an official contractual partner of the Faculty of Medicine in Foča, we can arrange for the entire sixth year — the final practical year — to be completed at a German teaching hospital: private or state-run, freely chosen. Alternatively you stay at Foča University Hospital.

In practice that means you spend your final year where you want to work later — in everyday German hospital life, with German colleagues and a network that counts when starting your career. This arrangement does not apply to dentistry; there the clinical practice year takes place at the Specialist Center for Dentistry in Foča.

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Admission: no numerus clausus, but four requirements

There is no numerus clausus and there are no waiting semesters. Instead of school-leaving grades, what counts is whether you meet the formal requirements and pass the entrance examination.

1. 12 years of schooling — or school plus vocational training adding up to 12 years. Also possible with a subject-restricted entrance qualification and a vocational qualification.
2. English as a school subject taken during your school career and evidenced on your school report. A separate language certificate is not required.
3. Entrance examination online — a test in biology and chemistry held online and administered jointly by the university and Medschool Experts. You therefore do not need to travel for it. We prepare you through our e-learning app.
4. Documents — certification of your school reports with an apostille, plus certified translations. We organise all of this.

The first point matters particularly: applicants with a subject-restricted entrance qualification and those qualified through work experience are admitted here as a matter of course. Anyone in Germany who is excluded from the procedure at the outset because they hold only a subject-restricted entrance qualification has entirely ordinary access to medical studies in Foča.

Whether your documents meet the requirements is something we clarify in the free advisory session.

Costs: tuition fees and living expenses

Foča combines state-recognised medical training with tuition fees among the lowest in Europe — and with living costs that are hard to imagine in Germany.

University fees

• Tuition fee: approx. 1.790 EUR per semester (3.500 BAM), payable in September for the winter semester and in February for the summer semester
• Per academic year: approx. 3.580 EUR (7.000 BAM)
• One-off: application and entrance examination fee of approx. 205 EUR, plus enrolment materials of approx. 72 EUR

The convertible mark is pegged to the Euro at a fixed exchange rate and does not fluctuate; tuition fees are fixed for the entire standard duration of the degree.

Living costs on the ground

• Rent for a modern flat: approx. 250 EUR
• Groceries: approx. 100 EUR
• Leisure, eating out, cafés: approx. 70 EUR
• A return flight to Germany once a month: approx. 60 EUR
• International health insurance: approx. 30 EUR

That makes a total budget of around 510 EUR a month. Sarajevo airport is 80 km away, and direct flights from Germany are available from 15–45 EUR each way depending on when you book. German child benefit (Kindergeld) continues while studying abroad; with two to three months of holiday work a year, students typically earn 2.000–3.500 EUR annually.

If you want to work through your budget for six years in concrete terms, get free advice.

Life in Foča: studying where others take their holidays

Foča lies in eastern Bosnia and Herzegovina where the Ćehotina flows into the Drina, 400 metres above sea level. Above the town stands Maglić (2,386 m), the country's highest mountain; the border with Montenegro is close, and Sutjeska National Park begins practically on the doorstep.

Within the national park lies Perućica — one of the last great primeval forests in Europe, with trees over 300 years old. At 1,300 metres deep, the Tara canyon is the longest gorge in Europe and, after the Grand Canyon, the second largest in the world. The Drina and the Tara are among the best-known rafting routes on the continent — from family-friendly stretches to grade 4 whitewater.

For everyday life this means above all short distances. The faculty and the university hospital form one connected campus on the bank of the Drina, and the town centre is two kilometres away. Flats are affordable, the town is manageable, and student life plays out within a radius you can cover on foot.

The dean: Prof. Dr Dejan Bokonjić

At the head of the faculty is an internationally connected paediatrician and researcher. Prof. Dr Dejan Bokonjić (MD, PhD) is a specialist in paediatric and adolescent medicine and deputy head of the paediatrics department at Foča University Hospital.

During the COVID-19 pandemic he led a SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence study for Republika Srpska in cooperation with the WHO office in Sarajevo. Under a UNDP programme he carried out the energy refurbishment of the faculty building. In 2025 the faculty achieved WFME accreditation under his leadership. International cooperations exist with St Petersburg, Belgrade and Erasmus partners in Iași, among others.

How we support you

We are an official contractual partner of the Faculty of Medicine in Foča. The path from application to the start of the degree therefore does not run through anonymous forms but through a direct connection to the faculty — founder Marcel Kloos is in personal contact with the dean's office on site.

Our support includes:

• Placement of the study place including translations, apostille and official fees
• Administration of the online entrance examination together with the university
• A three-week English-language preparatory course at our office in Foča before the degree starts
• Arranging the final practical year placement at a German teaching hospital (human medicine)
• Administrative matters: visa, registration, residence permit, and agency fees when moving flat in Foča
• Academic supervision by Marcel Kloos throughout the degree

Added to that are three independent brands in the Medschool Experts family at no extra charge: Studybackhome for an optional transfer back to a German university in a higher clinical semester, Medizinerwelten for placements, clinical clerkships and final-year posts in a worldwide network of partner hospitals, and Anatomedic with the medical starter kit for the beginning of the degree.

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Frequently Asked Questions about studying medicine in Foča

Is a degree from Foča recognised in Germany?

Yes. The faculty is listed in the ANABIN database of the Standing Conference of Ministers of Education with the highest status, H+, as a state university faculty, and the degree “doktor medicine” as a professional doctorate in class A5. Degrees are recognised and nostrified in full in Germany.

Do I need a full school-leaving qualification or a particular grade average?

No, there is no numerus clausus. What is required is 12 years of schooling — or, alternatively, school plus vocational training adding up to 12 years. Access is also possible with a subject-restricted entrance qualification and a vocational qualification.

What language is used for teaching?

Human medicine and dentistry are taught entirely in English. A separate language certificate is not required, but English must be evidenced as a school subject on your school report.

How does the entrance examination work?

The entrance examination takes place online and is administered jointly by the university and Medschool Experts. It tests biology and chemistry. No travel is required; we prepare you for the content in advance through our e-learning app.

What does an academic year cost in total?

The tuition fee is approx. 1.790 EUR per semester, that is approx. 3.580 EUR per academic year, plus one-off charges of around 277 EUR at the start of the degree. For living costs you should budget approx. 510 EUR a month.

Can I do the final practical year in Germany?

In human medicine, yes: the entire sixth year can be completed at a German teaching hospital, private or state-run, freely chosen. Alternatively you complete it at Foča University Hospital. In dentistry, the clinical practice year takes place at the Specialist Center for Dentistry in Foča.

Can I transfer back to Germany later?

Yes, through our brand Studybackhome. It handles the full application back to German universities for a higher clinical semester, including recognition of course results already obtained. The prerequisite is a German Abitur; the transfer is possible from the second year of study.

How do I get to Foča?

The nearest airport is Sarajevo (SJJ), 80 km away; Tivat in Montenegro is an alternative. Direct flights from Germany are available from 15–45 EUR each way. We organise the transfer.

Does entitlement to child benefit continue?

Yes, German child benefit continues while studying abroad. Many students combine this with two to three months of holiday work a year in Germany.