Saint Petersburg Medical University

Before you leave home:
Our student counsellor will provide you with information on how to dress, how to understand the culture, what to take with you, where to take your foreign exchange. On arrival to Saint Petersburg you will be helped by our student service team to get settled.
The Language:
In the case of students studying in Russian medium they will undergo a ten months preparatory faculty in which they will master the language, which will help them undergo their entire education in Russian language. In the case of students undergoing education with partial training in English medium you will have Russian language class every week throughout the first three years of education which will help you to undergo your clinical studies from the fourth year to the sixth year.
Visa and Immigration:
As soon as the admission is confirmed and after the student pays the necessary service charges the visa will be processed and it generally takes about fifteen to twenty days.
Foreign Exchange:
You are welcome to take as much currency and valuables. You should only remember that when passing through customs on entry to Russia, you have to declare the amount of money you have, list of your valuables. You retain this declaration, checked by the Customs officer, throughout your stay in the country and it enables you to take back home your unspent money and personal valuables indicated on your entry declaration.
In Russia the currency is Roubles, circulating only with in Russia, its import and export are forbidden. Exchange of currency into Roubles may be done at currency exchange points of all banks which are available in plenty. Exchange of money is at the official rate of exchange.
Tuition Fee and Living Expenses:
The student on arrival should pay the tuition fee to the University. In addition to your tuition fee you will need about 1,000 USD for your food and living expenses.
Medical Insurance:
Every student at Russia should have a medical insurance, which he/she shall take from the University of his/her study. The medical insurance usually cost any thing between 30-100 USD. However the students travelling for the first time will be issued a visa only if an insurance card is obtained which would cost about 50 USD approximately.
Students Hostel:
Accommodation is provided by the University of study. A well furnished spacious room, with the capacity of 2 or 3 students per room. It is designed with proper ventilation and provided with necessary heating systems. A bed, blanket, a pillow with pillow covers and a bed spread are provided with a spacious kitchen with all necessary facilities for cooking except utensils. Every weekend the students get their bedspreads, blankets and pillow covers changed.
Food:
Every student hostel is equipped with canteens and cafe where the students can have their food. Near some of the hostels there are cafeterias providing Indian food. All universities also have cafeterias in the academic campus also. Each and every floor of the hostel is provided with a kitchen and dining hall where the students are allowed to prepare their food. Students can carry minimum requirement of utensils, masala items from home to cook their own food.
Food Materials:
1. Fast foods like Maggie, Instant sevai packets etc., for the first 2 or 3 days till they settle down.
2. Different flavouring agents and spicy powders like Chilli powder, Garam Masala, pepper powder etc.,
3. It is also advisable to carry few tea and coffee powder packets.
However all these food materials should not exceed more than 5 Kg.
Clothing:
1. 2 to 3 pairs of Jeans or Woollen pants and two inners.
2. 2 to 3 pairs of Woollen Sweaters.
3. 1 pair of sports shoe and I pair of leather shoe.
4. 1 Leather Jacket, 1 Long Winter Coat, 2 pairs of hand gloves, 3 to 4 pairs of woollen socks, 2 to 3 pairs of cotton socks and 2 scarf.
5. 1Umbrella.
Public Transport:
When using public transport, please bear in mind that the underground train (Metro), Buses and trolley buses work from 6 a.m. to 1 a.m. Trams from 5.30 a.m. to 1 a.m. Taxis are on call round the clock. Buses, Trolley Buses and trams usually have no conductors. You may buy a book of ten tickets from the driver and punch one ticket per trip. Soviet urban undergrounds are first-rate Engineering creations. They have a modem ventilation system ensuring clean and fresh air circulation in the stations and tunnels all the time, no smoking is permitted anywhere in the underground. Special devices test the air and determine the humidity and dust content. The underground is the quickest form of urban transport, the average speed is 70 km per hour.
Access to the World and Home:
You can send a letter, post card or telegram to any country in the world. Envelopes, writing paper, post cards and stamps are on sale at the post offices, post counters of Hotels or in Newspaper Kiosks in Railway Stations, Airports, Sea and River ports and on the streets. Most of the hostels are equipped with Internet access, which can be used by the students to communicate with their parents and friends by email. If you have a Personal computer you could take an internet connection to your room which costs around 15 USD per month. The students can make use of the near by post office to make International calls and send email.

We suggest you to carry the medicines, which you normally use for certain common ailments like - common cold, Headache, Stomach ache, Muscular Pain etc., On the whole your check-in baggage should not weigh more than 20 Kilograms, and your hand baggage should not exceed 5 Kilograms. for an easy walk through the check-in counter at your country. If your baggage weighs more than specified, an excess duty of approximately 20 USD per Kilogram should be paid at the Airport.

To view the cost of living click here