Study Medicine in Europe: Entry Routes, Fees and Length by Country
Fee figures: catalogue of 6 October 2026.
Medicine is the hardest degree to enter in every country we cover, and each country filters applicants in a different way: by school grades, by a national exam, or during the first year of study. Our catalogue lists 517 medical programmes at 238 universities in 7 countries. This guide compares the routes.
How selection works in each country
- Spain. Places go by access score on a scale up to 14. In the latest official lists in our catalogue, the last student admitted to medicine at a public university had between 12.35 and 13.34. No other degree in Spain needs a score this high across the whole country. Medicine in Spain.
- Portugal. The national contest ranks applicants on a 200-point scale. Medicine closed between 177.2 and 185.3 in the first phase. Medicine in Portugal.
- Italy. Since 2025/26 there is no entrance test before enrolment for Italian-taught medicine. Everyone can enrol in an open first semester, sit national exams at the end of it, and continue only if ranked high enough. English-taught courses at public universities keep a separate admission test in English. Medicine in Italy.
- France. There is no direct entry. Students start in a health track (PASS or L.AS) chosen on Parcoursup and compete for a place in the second year of medicine. Most do not get one and continue in another subject. Medicine in France.
- Germany. Places are allocated nationally through hochschulstart.de. School grades close to the top mark of 1.0 are normal, and an aptitude test (TMS) improves the chances. Medicine in Germany.
- Czechia. Each faculty runs its own entrance exam, usually in biology, chemistry and physics. Medicine in Czechia.
- Switzerland. Admission is restricted, with an aptitude test at several universities, and medicine is as a rule closed to foreign applicants who live abroad. Medicine in Switzerland.
How long it takes
A medical degree lasts six years in Spain, Portugal, Italy, Czechia and Switzerland (three years of bachelor plus three of master in the Swiss case), and a little over six years in Germany, where it ends with a state examination. France is the longest route: the degree itself runs for six years before the residency, and the first year can be lost if you do not pass the selection. In every country the degree is followed by specialist training before you can practise independently.
What it costs
At public universities, an EU student in our catalogue typically pays €1,061 a year in Spain, €697 a year in Portugal, €178 a year in France and €2,790 a year in Italy (the Italian figure is the full fee; most families pay less after the income assessment). German public universities charge no tuition for medicine. Czech-taught programmes at public universities are free of tuition, while English-taught ones charge fees set by each faculty.
Non-EU students pay more in several countries: the typical public fee is €8,000 a year in Portugal and €2,902 a year in France.
Studying medicine in English
31 programmes in our catalogue are taught in English: 22 in Italy, 5 in Czechia and 3 in Spain. Keep in mind that clinical years involve patients, so you will need the local language well before graduation even on an English-taught course.
Will the degree be recognised?
Basic medical training completed in an EU country, in Switzerland or in the EEA is recognised automatically across the EU under the professional qualifications directive. To work outside Europe you will need the licensing exams of that country.
Where to look next
Official sources
- hochschulstart.de: national allocation of medical places in Germany
- Universitaly: Italian admission portal
- Parcoursup: French admission platform
- DGES: Portuguese national access contest
- EU regulated professions database
Always check current information on the official website of the university before you apply.