Which universities teach medicine in English in Lithuania?

The two main options are the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences (LSMU) in Kaunas and Vilnius University (VU) in Vilnius. Both run a 6-year integrated Medicine programme in English. Always confirm the language of instruction and the current intake on the official programme page.

How long is the medicine degree?

It is a single integrated programme of about 6 years that combines bachelor's- and master's-level study, leading to a medical doctor qualification. There is no separate bachelor's step before it.

How much does it cost?

Medicine is one of the most expensive programmes in Lithuania — roughly from EUR 12,000–14,000 per year for recent intakes, well above ordinary degrees. Tuition changes every intake, so confirm the exact figure on the university's admissions page before you budget.

Can I practise as a doctor at home with a Lithuanian degree?

A Lithuanian MD is EU-recognised, but practising a regulated profession like medicine in another country almost always requires that country's own licensing exams and registration (for example USMLE for the US, or PLAB/GMC for the UK). Check your home country's medical regulator before you enrol.

Do I need to learn Lithuanian?

The degree is taught in English, but you will typically take Lithuanian language courses over several semesters because clinical placements involve real patients who speak Lithuanian. Check the specific programme's language requirements.

Study medicine in Lithuania

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Rules and fees change — confirm anything important with the official source linked below and your university's international office.

You can study medicine in Lithuania entirely in English. The two main universities are the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences (LSMU) in Kaunas and Vilnius University (VU) in Vilnius, both offering a roughly 6-year integrated Medicine programme that leads to a medical doctor qualification. It is competitive, and one of the most expensive degrees in the country.

A Lithuanian MD is EU-recognised — but it does not automatically let you practise anywhere

The degree itself is recognised across the EU under the Bologna and EU professional-recognition framework. Practising medicine, however, is a regulated profession, and almost every country requires its own licensing and registration to let you treat patients. To work as a doctor in the US you generally need the USMLE exams and ECFMG certification; in the UK, registration with the GMC (often via PLAB); elsewhere, your home country's medical board exams. Confirm the exact route with the medical regulator in the country where you intend to practise before you enrol — do not assume the diploma alone grants practice rights.

Where you can study it in English

University	City	Programme	Language
LSMU	Kaunas	Medicine (integrated)	English
Vilnius University	Vilnius	Medicine (integrated)	English

Both are public universities and both run the programme in English alongside the Lithuanian-language version. LSMU is a dedicated health-sciences university with a large international cohort; VU is Lithuania's oldest and largest university, with the Medicine programme run by its Faculty of Medicine. Always check the specific programme's language of instruction on the official site, as not every course or placement is delivered in English to the same degree.

How long it takes

Medicine is an integrated programme — a single continuous course of about 6 years that combines bachelor's and master's levels into one. You do not do a separate bachelor's first. On finishing, you receive a master's-level qualification and the title of medical doctor (for example, LSMU awards a Master of Health Sciences with the medical doctor qualification).

After the degree itself, becoming a practising specialist takes further years of residency training, which you apply to separately.

What it costs

Medicine is at the top end of Lithuanian tuition — far above an ordinary bachelor's degree. For recent intakes the published annual fees have sat roughly in the EUR 12,000–14,000 per year range, and they have risen between intakes.

LSMU has charged in the region of from ~EUR 12,800 per year for the early years and slightly more for the clinical years (2025/26 intake) — confirm on LSMU's tuition page.
Vilnius University has charged in the region of from ~EUR 14,000 per year for non-state-funded places (2025/26 intake) — confirm on VU's programme page.

Treat every fee here as approximate and confirm it

Tuition and deadlines change every intake, and medicine fees in particular have been moving upward. The figures above are rough, year-specific guides — not a quote. Get the exact current fee, the application deadline, the registration/deposit amounts and the payment schedule straight from the official admissions page before you budget or commit.

On top of tuition, budget for living costs. A realistic monthly figure for a student is €350–€700unverified, with university dormitories the cheapest option. Kaunas (LSMU) is generally a little cheaper than Vilnius (VU). Non-EU applicants typically also pay a non-refundable application fee and a sizeable tuition deposit to secure the place — check the amounts on each university's page.

Entry requirements

Medicine is highly competitive, with far more applicants than places, so meeting the minimum is rarely enough on its own. Requirements differ between the two universities, so always read the official admission page; in broad terms you should expect:

Strong science background. A secondary-school qualification with biology and chemistry is the core requirement (mathematics and physics help). Good grades matter — this is the part admissions weigh most heavily.
An entrance assessment. Both universities use some form of entrance test and/or interview, and may exempt applicants who already hold recognised results such as A-levels, the IB Diploma, IMAT, MCAT, BMAT, UCAT or NEET at the required level. The accepted exams and minimum scores differ by university and change — check the current list.
English proof. You will need a recognised English certificate (commonly IELTS or TOEFL, with VU and LSMU setting their own minimum scores), unless you qualify for an exemption (e.g. prior education in English). Confirm the exact accepted tests and thresholds on the programme page.
A motivation letter and the usual documents — legalised/translated secondary-school certificate and transcripts, passport and photo.
Timing limits for non-EU applicants. Some universities cap how many years can have passed since you finished your last qualification. Check this if you are not applying straight from school.

Apply early and to both

Places are limited and selection is competitive. Prepare your documents, English certificate and any entrance exam well ahead of the deadline, and consider applying to both LSMU and VU to improve your odds — their requirements, tests and deadlines are not identical.

What studying medicine here is like

The first years are heavy on pre-clinical science — anatomy, physiology, biochemistry — before you move into clinical rotations in university hospitals in the later years. Both universities have large teaching hospitals, and international students study in sizeable, multinational cohorts (LSMU in particular draws students from dozens of countries).

A few realities worth knowing:

You will learn some Lithuanian. Even on the English-taught track, clinical placements involve real patients, so universities require Lithuanian language courses across several semesters (often reaching an intermediate level by graduation). This is a graded part of the programme, not optional — confirm the exact requirement on the programme page.
The workload is demanding. A 6-year integrated medical degree is intense everywhere, with continuous assessment, practicals and clinical hours. Plan your finances and time for a long, full-on course.
"English-taught" still varies. As with other Lithuanian programmes, the quality of spoken English can vary by lecturer and by placement. The long-running international intakes in medicine tend to be better organised than newer English tracks, but go in with realistic expectations.

After you graduate

On finishing the integrated degree you receive your medical doctor qualification and can apply for a licence to practise medicine in Lithuania (issued under Lithuania's Law on Medical Practice), then compete for a residency place to specialise — internal medicine, surgery, paediatrics and so on. Residency is a separate, competitive application that adds several more years.

The degree's EU recognition means it travels well within the Union, and graduates also go on to sit the licensing exams required elsewhere (such as the USMLE for the US). But — to repeat the point that matters most — recognition of the diploma is not the same as the right to practise. What lets you treat patients is the licence issued by the country you want to work in, which almost always means passing that country's own exams and registering with its medical regulator.

Check your destination country's licensing route before you commit

If your goal is to practise in a specific country, research its medical-licensing path first. Requirements (exams, supervised practice, language tests, registration) differ between the US, UK, Canada, the EU and elsewhere, and they change. The medical regulator in your target country — not the university brochure — is the authority on whether and how a Lithuanian MD lets you work there.

Verify on the official pages

Programmes, fees, entrance exams and language rules for medicine are updated each intake. Before you apply, confirm everything against the official LSMU and Vilnius University admission pages and the Study in Lithuania portal.