Charles University (Univerzita Karlova, UK) is the oldest university in Central Europe, founded in 1348. It consistently ranks in the world top 300 (QS, THE), and its medical faculties are highly valued by employers across the EU: a Charles University MUDr. diploma requires no additional nostrification in Germany, Austria or any other Schengen country.
Getting into UK medicine is a realistic goal for an international applicant, but it requires 1.5–2 years of preparation: language up to C1 + Czech terminology in biology and chemistry. Below is a step-by-step plan.
5 medical faculties of UK
Charles University is the only one in Czechia with five separate medical faculties:
- 1.LF UK (Prague) — First Faculty of Medicine, the leading and largest. Programmes: General Medicine (MUDr., 6 years), Dentistry (MDDr., 5 years). The oldest and most prestigious.
- 2.LF UK (Prague) — Second Faculty of Medicine, historically the strongest in pediatrics. Located in Motol hospital. Programme: General Medicine with a pediatric focus.
- 3.LF UK (Prague) — Third Faculty of Medicine, modern campus, focus on preventive medicine. Programme: General Medicine.
- LF UK in Plzeň — regional medical faculty with strong surgery and anatomy. Lower competition than in Prague.
- LF UK in Hradec Králové — regional faculty with strong military and disaster medicine. The lowest competition among the five.
All five issue the same MUDr. diploma — employers do not care which specific LF UK you graduated from.
What to take
Entrance exams for UK medicine consist of two subjects: biology and chemistry. Each is a test of 80 questions, 90 minutes, in Czech. There are no discounts for foreigners: the same test and the same curriculum as for Czech gymnasium graduates.
A Czech C1 certificate is additionally required (UJOP CCE-C1) — or you are exempt from it if the biology and chemistry exam is passed above a certain threshold. English is not needed for the Czech programme.
For the English-language General Medicine in English the requirements are different: IELTS 6.5+, biology and chemistry in English, cost €11,000–13,000 per year.
Deadlines in 2026
Admission calendar for UK medical faculties for academic year 2026/2027:
- By 28 February — deadline for submitting the "přihláška" through the UK system (online, CZK 880 per application). You can apply to all 5 faculties at once — that means 5 separate přihlášky and 5 exams.
- March–April — nostrification of the high-school transcript (if not yet done) and submission of secondary education documents.
- End of May — mid-June — biology and chemistry exam dates. The schedule differs by faculty: do not enroll on the same date at two faculties.
- End of June — early July — publication of results and cut-off scores.
- July–August — visa processing for admitted students and dormitory applications.
- End of September — start of the academic year (zápis).
Competition and real chances
Average competition by faculty in recent years:
- 1.LF UK — 4–6 candidates per place, cut-off 145–155 out of 200.
- 2.LF UK — 5–7/place, cut-off 150–160 (pediatrics is harder).
- 3.LF UK — 4–5/place, cut-off 140–150.
- LF UK Plzeň — 3–4/place, cut-off 130–140.
- LF UK Hradec Králové — 3–4/place, cut-off 125–135.
With systematic preparation through the Smart Intensive Medical track (language + biology + chemistry in Czech terminology), about 70% of our students enroll in their first or second faculty on the first try, and another 15–20% — on the second. This is the statistic from the 2023–2025 cohorts.
Tuition cost
The Czech-language MUDr. programme at any of the five LF UK is fully free for foreigners. You only pay for "přihlášky" (CZK 880 × 5 = CZK 4,400 for all five applications), transcript nostrification (CZK 1,000), document translations and living expenses.
The English-language General Medicine in English (only at 1.LF, 2.LF, 3.LF and LF Plzeň) costs CZK 320,000–350,000 per year (≈ €13,000–14,000). This is 2–3 times cheaper than comparable programmes in Germany, the UK or Ireland.
Preparation: where to start
A realistic path from zero to enrollment is 1.5–2 years. Minimum plan:
- Months 1–8 — intensive Czech from scratch to B2. This is the base, without it you cannot start subject preparation.
- Months 6–14 — alongside the language — Czech biology (anatomy, physiology, genetics, evolution) and Czech chemistry (general, organic, biochemistry). This is critical: 30% of test questions check knowledge of Czech-specific terms and notation.
- Months 12–18 — NSZ mock tests in biology and chemistry, timed exam simulations. At least 30 full mock tests.
- Months 18–24 — final polishing, submission of přihlášky, nostrification, exam wait.
Case study: graduate story
A typical successful path — example of a 2025 KOVER graduate. Mikhail, age 18, transcript with a physics-and-math focus, no Czech. September 2023 — relocation to Prague, start of Smart Light. May 2024 — passed UJOP B2. June 2024 — start of Smart Intensive Medical alongside an additional language module up to C1. February 2025 — přihlášky submitted to 4 UK faculties (1.LF, 3.LF, Plzeň, Hradec). May–June 2025 — exams taken: 3.LF — 152 points (cut-off 148), Hradec — 138 (cut-off 130), Plzeň — 145 (cut-off 135). Enrolled at 3.LF UK, with Plzeň as second option. Since September 2025 has been studying in Prague and additionally works as an assistant in an anatomy lab for a stipend.