If you want to study nursing in Serbia in English, the option is the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Niš: a 3-year (180 ECTS) “Bachelor of Applied Science in Nursing” taught in English for foreign students. The key requirement is that you are a graduate of a 4-year medical secondary school and pass an entrance exam in anatomy and physiology. There are also nursing programmes in Serbian at state and private universities (for example Singidunum at about 2,100 euros a year). Here are the details and requirements.

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The nursing programme in English at the University of Niš

An accredited applied-studies programme (strukovne studije) awarding the title Bachelor of Applied Science in Nursing under Serbia’s official list of titles.

• Year 1: basic sciences (anatomy and histology, physiology, biochemistry) and general medical sciences (pharmacology, epidemiology, microbiology and immunology, public health).
• Year 2: clinical subjects (internal medicine, surgery, paediatrics, geriatrics, neurology, infectious diseases, radiology, oncology).
• Year 3: psychiatry, gynaecology and obstetrics, anaesthesia and resuscitation, elective courses and a final thesis.
• Practical training: about 1,575 hours in hospitals, clinics and care centres for the elderly, with summer internships after the first and second years.

Fees: the faculty has not published a fee for the nursing programme on its English fees page (which lists medicine at 6,000 euros and dentistry at 7,200 euros). Contact the faculty’s international students office before applying.

Admission requirements

1. A 4-year medical secondary school (the faculty’s requirement for the programme). If you studied at a general high school you may not be eligible, so ask the faculty.
2. An entrance exam in anatomy and physiology; applicants are ranked by their school grades and exam results.
3. Proof of English level.
4. Documents translated and certified by a court-certified translator in Serbia, together with the recognition procedure for your secondary school certificate.
5. After admission: a type D visa, then temporary residence on the basis of study.

Nursing in Serbian

State medical faculties (such as Novi Sad) offer health care (zdravstvena nega) programmes in Serbian at bachelor’s and master’s level, and private universities and applied-studies academies offer nursing programmes in Serbian, including Singidunum University at about 2,100 euros a year. These programmes usually require level B2 in Serbian or a language year.

Cost of living in Niš

Niš is one of the cheapest university cities: about 345 – 750 euros a month including housing, with student dormitories at about 95 – 140 euros a month. Add the annual residence permit fee (about 204 euros) and health insurance. Read studying in Niš and living costs in Serbia.

Working with the degree in your home country

The applied nursing degree lasts 3 years, and some countries require 4 years to recognise a bachelor’s degree or for professional grading (Saudi Arabia, for example). Before you enrol, ask your recognition authority and health regulator whether they accept a 3-year programme. Read recognition of Serbian degrees in Arab countries.

What the Niš nursing programme teaches

According to the Faculty of Medicine’s official programme page, the undergraduate vocational programme is developed in alignment with accredited curricula of Serbian higher education institutions and the European Higher Education Area (source). Its stated aim is to prepare you for patient care and support during illness, promoting patients’ independence in self-care, recognising basic symptoms and signs of disease, and ensuring the safety, efficiency and cost-effectiveness of healthcare services. Training also covers the safe use of medical equipment, medications and instruments, quality control, health education and disease prevention. Graduates are qualified to work as nurses independently or as part of a healthcare team, in clinical and outpatient settings.

Workload, thesis and academic calendar

The programme lasts 3 years (6 semesters) and carries 180 ECTS, which is 60 ECTS per year. The faculty gives a total of 4,620 hours, made up of 2,685 hours of active instruction (1,305 theoretical and 1,110 practical), 225 hours of other instructional activities, 1,575 hours of professional practice, 360 additional hours and 90 hours for the final thesis. Teaching combines interactive lectures, practical exercises, seminars and extensive professional practice in teaching institutions such as clinics, hospitals and gerontology centres.

In the sixth semester every student completes a mandatory final thesis worth 6 ECTS, with a research component and a writing and defence component (45 hours each). The academic year starts on 1 October and includes 30 weeks of teaching and 12 weeks for consultations, exam preparation and exams, split into two semesters of 15 teaching weeks each (source).

Nursing in Serbian at the University of Belgrade

If you speak Serbian, the University of Belgrade’s 2025/2026 fee table lists nursing at the Faculty of Medicine (in Serbian, 240 ECTS) at 2,500 euros a year for foreign nationals, and a professional master’s in nursing (in Serbian, 120 ECTS) at 1,900 euros (source). Confirm current fees and admission rules with the faculty.

Recognition of your secondary school certificate

Study in Serbia explains that bachelor’s applicants must have their high school diploma recognised through the ENIC-NARIC centre of the Qualifications Agency. You need a completed request, the original diploma with a certified translation, transcripts of all completed grades and proof of payment of the fee. The procedure usually takes up to 60 days from receipt of a complete application (source).

Frequently asked questions

Can I study nursing in Serbia in English?

Yes, at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Niš (Bachelor of Applied Science in Nursing, 3 years).

Can I apply with a general high school diploma?

The faculty requires a 4-year medical secondary school for the Niš programme. Write to the faculty to find out whether it accepts other cases.

How much does nursing cost in Serbia?

The fee for the English programme at Niš is not published on the official fees page, and nursing in Serbian at Singidunum costs about 2,100 euros a year.

Is a Serbian nursing degree recognised in other countries?

It depends on the country; the programme length (3 years) can be an obstacle in some countries, so ask your recognition authority before you enrol.

Last updated: October 2026. Programme information comes from the official website of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Niš.

Official sources

• Faculty of Medicine – University of Niš: nursing programme in English
• Faculty of Medicine – University of Niš: fees
• Singidunum University: fees

Also read: Study medicine in Serbia.