Is a medical degree from Serbia recognised? The precise answer: the state medical faculties in Serbia (Belgrade, Novi Sad, Niš and Kragujevac) are accredited in the national system and listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools (WDOMS), but there is no automatic recognition in any country. The equivalence authority in your own country decides case by case, and practising usually requires a licensing exam and an internship year. This guide gives the equivalence authority and medical-practice requirements for 18 countries, taken from official sources, and what to do before you enrol.
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Summary
- Being listed in WDOMS is a requirement for many authorities, but it is neither recognition nor a licence.
- The World Health Organization does not accredit medical schools, and any claim of “WHO accreditation” is incorrect.
- The decision is made in your own country: the equivalence authority for the degree and the health authority for the licence to practise.
- Serbia is not a member of the European Union, so there is no automatic recognition in Europe either.
What is WDOMS and what does being listed mean?
The World Directory of Medical Schools is a database run by the World Federation for Medical Education (WFME) and FAIMER. It lists medical schools recognised by the official authorities in their own countries. Many licensing bodies require your school to be listed, but being listed alone does not give you the right to practise anywhere. Search for your faculty’s name on search.wdoms.org before you enrol.
Recognition of a Serbian medical degree by country
We collected the equivalence authority and medical-practice requirements from each country’s official websites (last reviewed October 2026). Rules change, so confirm with the authority before you enrol:
| Country | Equivalence authority | Requirements to practise medicine after returning | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Egypt | Supreme Council of Universities (Equivalency Committee) | After equivalence of the bachelor’s degree: register through the Supreme Council of University Hospitals, complete at least 6 months of the internship year, and pass the national exam (Law 153 of 2019) to be entered in the Ministry of Health registers. | Supreme Council of Universities |
| Saudi Arabia | Ministry of Education – General Administration for Equivalency of University Certificates | Practice requires professional classification from the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (SCFHS) and passing the SMLE exam; extra verification documents may be requested for foreign qualifications. | Summary of regulations (PDF) |
| Jordan | Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research – Directorate of Recognition and Equivalence of Certificates | Medicine usually requires a licensing exam and an internship on return. | FAQ |
| Morocco | Ministry of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Innovation (sectoral equivalence committees) via the e-Équivalence platform; and the National Medical Association (CNOM) for registering doctors | Medicine has a list of named diplomas (Decision 2963-97, continually supplemented, latest amendments in 2026) that names specific universities; check your university’s exact name on the list before enrolling. Recent decisions require a science baccalaureate (experimental sciences or mathematics), two years of training in a Moroccan university hospital and an assessment exam. You cannot practise without registration with the CNOM (Law 131-13 as amended by Law 33-21). | Equivalence platform (e-Équivalence) |
| Sudan | Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research – General Administration for Admission and Certificate Evaluation; for doctors: the Sudan Medical Council | Registration with the Sudan Medical Council: provisional (preliminary) registration after equivalence, then the licensing exam after one year of training, then full registration after completing the internship. We found no official text setting the criteria for recognising a foreign medical school. | Admission and certificate evaluation services |
| Algeria | Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MESRS) – Directorate of Equivalences | A special file for “medical sciences” must be submitted (detailed curriculum and internship certificates). We have not verified the conditions for licensing to practise medicine in Algeria, so ask the Ministry of Health before you study. | Equivalence page – MESRS |
| Tunisia | Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (sectoral certificate-equivalence committees, with appeals to the National Equivalence Committee); for medicine: the Ministry of Health and the deans of the medical faculties, then the National Medical Association for registration on the roll | Doctor of Medicine: at least 6 years of study, an assessment test and complementary training of at least two semesters. Registration on the medical association’s roll is required to practise and requires Tunisian nationality. We did not find the joint decision governing the assessment test, nor any official text naming China or Serbia. | Ministry of Higher Education – equivalences |
| Iraq | Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research – Department of Scholarships and Cultural Relations (certificate equivalence section); for medicine: the medical-certificate equivalence unit at the College of Medicine, University of Baghdad. The Kurdistan Region has its own system | A graduate in medicine from abroad follows one of two routes depending on the university’s credibility: a central equivalence exam at the University of Baghdad (six attempts), or a year of “parallel equivalence” with final-year students at a state medical college. The deciding authority does not publish a rating for each college. We found no official text on professional licensing after equivalence. | Guide to recommended universities |
| United Arab Emirates | UAE Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (recognition of qualifications issued outside the country); the Education, Human Development and Community Development Council (Resolution 5 of 2025); and the health licensing bodies DHA, DOH and MOHAP | Professional licensing is in the hands of the health authorities (DHA, DOH and MOHAP) under the unified PQR guide: a medical bachelor’s degree of at least 5 years, an internship year and primary source verification. Citizens are exempt from the health authorities’ exam. Distance study is not counted. | Qualification recognition service – Ministry |
| Kuwait | Kuwait Ministry of Higher Education (Administration of Certificate Equivalence and Cultural Offices); the National Bureau for Academic Accreditation and Education Quality Assurance (NBAQ); for medicine: the Ministry of Health (health licences) | A Ministry of Health practice licence requires a certificate approved by the Ministry of Higher Education. We have not verified the licensing-exam conditions for foreign graduates, and the official sources contain no medical list specific to China or Serbia. | NBAQ university search platform |
| Qatar | Ministry of Education and Higher Education – Department of University Certificate Equivalence (Council of Ministers Decision 3 of 2017); for medical licensing: Ministry of Public Health – Department of Healthcare Professions (DHP) | We have not verified the medical licensing requirements for foreign graduates in Qatar. The Department of Healthcare Professions (DHP) verifies the primary source of your certificate; ask it before you study about the conditions for your university. | Ministry centre: certificate equivalence |
| Bahrain | Ministry of Education – University Information Centre / National Committee for the Evaluation of Academic Qualifications; for medical licensing: the National Health Regulatory Authority (NHRA) | Licensing by the National Health Regulatory Authority (NHRA): the medical school must be listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools and on the Ministry of Education’s list of recognised universities, with documents verified from the primary source, a pass in the Bahraini licensing exam and at least one internship year. Distance or correspondence study is not counted. | Recommended universities – Ministry of Education |
| Oman | Ministry of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Innovation (MoHERI) – Department of Qualification Equivalence and Recognition; for medical training: the Oman Medical Specialty Board (OMSB) | A Doctor of Medicine degree is treated as equivalent to a bachelor’s degree, not a doctorate. For medical residency the Oman Medical Specialty Board requires a bachelor’s degree in medicine and surgery from an accredited school and completion of the internship year; a foreign certificate must be attested and made equivalent by the Ministry. We have not verified the Omani Ministry of Health’s rules for licensing foreign graduates. | List of recommended institutions – MoHERI |
| Libya | Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research – National Centre for Quality Assurance and Accreditation of Educational and Training Institutions (Permanent Qualification Equivalence Committee), under the equivalence regulation (Council of Ministers Decision 727 of 2022) | For medical certificates that require an internship year, the internship must be completed in a teaching hospital under the supervision of a recognised university (Article 10). We found no official text on the conditions for licensing a foreign medical graduate to practise. | Equivalence and recognition regulation – National Centre for Quality Assurance |
| Mauritania | Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MESRS); for doctors: the National Medical Association (Ordre National des Médecins) | We found no official text setting the conditions for recognising a foreign medical degree (exam, internship or accredited universities); ask the National Medical Association directly before you study. | Ministry of Higher Education website |
| Yemen | Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research – Equivalence Department; for doctors: the Yemeni Medical Council (Sana’a) and the Supreme Medical Council (Aden) | Professional licensing is handled by a medical council. There are two councils (the Yemeni Medical Council in Sana’a and the Supreme Medical Council in Aden), with separate licensing exams. We found no conditions for graduates from China or Serbia and no list of approved medical universities; ask the council you will come under before you study. | Certificate equivalence page – Ministry of Higher Education |
| Syria | Syrian Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research – Directorate of Quality and Accreditation (recognition of non-Syrian universities) and the Equivalence Committee; the unified national exam for medical equivalence is run by the Ministry | Human medicine, dentistry and pharmacy: passing the unified national exam is required to complete equivalence, followed by an oral interview and then an internship year (about one year). The exact length of the internship needs confirmation from the Ministry. | Guide to recognised non-Syrian universities 2019 (PDF) |
| Palestine | Palestinian Ministry of Education and Higher Education – General Directorate of University Education (certificate equivalence) / Higher Committee for the Recognition and Equivalence of Non-Palestinian Certificates (Council of Ministers Decision 7 of 2020); for medicine: the Palestinian Medical Council | A medical graduate from a non-Arab university needs a degree equivalence document from the Ministry, then must complete the compulsory internship, then pass the practice exam of the Palestinian Medical Council. Medical degrees obtained through bridging programmes are not made equivalent. | Certificate equivalency system – Ministry |
Conditions that repeat in most countries
- Prior approval or a list of recommended universities: some countries (such as Saudi Arabia) ask for approval before you travel or require the university to be on their list.
- Full-time study and residence in the country of study: distance or external study is not made equivalent, and entry and exit stamps in your passport may be requested.
- Science secondary school track: many countries require a science track for equivalence in medicine.
- Licensing exam and internship: such as the SMLE in Saudi Arabia and medical-council exams elsewhere, with an internship year in an approved hospital.
Can I work as a doctor in Serbia or Europe?
Working as a doctor in Serbia requires fluent Serbian, registration with the Serbian Medical Chamber and a residence and work permit, because a student residence permit is not enough after graduation. In EU countries a Serbian degree is treated as a non-EU qualification, so you need recognition, language exams and a licence in the country concerned.
Practical steps before you enrol and after you graduate
- Before enrolling: ask the equivalence authority in your country, in writing if possible: are the faculty and programme (and the English or Serbian track) acceptable? Do you need prior approval?
- Check that the faculty is listed in WDOMS.
- During your studies: keep your yearly transcripts, clinical training certificates and residence documents.
- After graduation: legalise your degree and transcript (apostille; Serbia is party to the Hague Convention) and any attestations your country’s embassy requires, then submit your equivalence application.
- Register for the licensing exam and internship according to your country’s rules.
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Frequently asked questions
Is a Serbian medical degree recognised in Saudi Arabia?
It is made equivalent under the Saudi Ministry of Education regulation: prior approval for those studying at their own expense, a university on the recommended list or a case-by-case review, then classification by the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties and a pass in the SMLE.
Is a Serbian medical degree recognised in Egypt?
The Equivalency Committee of the Supreme Council of Universities reviews the degree case by case after graduation (with a science secondary school track and full-time study required). After equivalence you register through the Supreme Council of University Hospitals, complete at least 6 months of the internship year and pass the national exam to be entered in the Ministry of Health registers.
Does the World Health Organization accredit medical schools in Serbia?
No. The World Health Organization does not accredit any medical school. The correct step is to check that the faculty is listed in WDOMS and to follow the decision of the equivalence authority in your country.
Does studying in English or Serbian affect equivalence?
The degree is the same in both cases, but some authorities ask about the language of study. Ask the equivalence authority in your country before choosing a track.
Can I work as a doctor in Europe with a Serbian degree?
Not automatically. Serbia is outside the European Union, and the degree needs recognition and exams in the European country concerned.
Last updated: October 2026. Equivalence authorities and conditions come from each country’s official websites, as shown in the table, and may change.
Official sources
- World Directory of Medical Schools (WDOMS)
- World Federation for Medical Education (WFME)
- Serbian Qualifications Agency (ENIC/NARIC)
See also: Studying medicine in Serbia and Recognition of Serbian degrees in Arab countries.