PTAP Scholarship for MBBS, BDS and D.Pharm

Overview

The Pakistan Technical Assistance Programme (PTAP) Scholarship is a bilateral government scholarship offered by the Government of Pakistan to Nepal, enabling Nepali students to study MBBS, BDS, and D. Pharmacy at medical institutions in Pakistan at reduced or no tuition cost. Nepal receives a fixed number of seats each year under this programme, which are allocated and managed by Nepal's Medical Education Commission (MEC) and the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MoEST) Scholarship Branch.

PTAP has been administered by Pakistan's Ministry of Economic Affairs since 1976 and benefits over 65 countries. For Nepal, it provides one of the few government-supported pathways for Nepali medical students to study abroad at low cost — particularly valuable given the high competition for domestic MBBS scholarship seats and the relatively lower cost of medical education in Pakistan compared to Western countries.

• Seat allocation varies annually — 2024/25 cycle: 12 MBBS, 2 BDS, 6 D. Pharmacy seats
• Tuition exemption or reduction at the allocated Pakistani medical institution
• Reserved seats for Female, Adhibasi/Janajati (Indigenous), Madhesi, and Dalit candidates within the total quota
• Selection based on MECEE-BL merit list rank — no separate scholarship essay or interview
• Applications made through MEC — not directly to Pakistan
• Student placement across Pakistani medical institutions; final placement decided by Pakistan's EAD (Economic Affairs Division) based on merit, student preference, and slot availability

⚠️ Partial coverage — students bear significant additional costs. The PTAP scholarship covers tuition fees (as per each Pakistani institution's policy). It does not cover travel to Pakistan, accommodation, boarding, daily living expenses, or books. Students must arrange and fund these independently. Pakistani institutions may also charge fees for components not covered under PTAP — verify the exact coverage with the specific institution before accepting.

⚠️ Seats and deadlines change each year. The number of seats, reservation breakdown, and application window are determined fresh each cycle based on what Pakistan allocates to Nepal. The information on this page reflects the most recently available cycle. Always check the official MEC website and the MoEST Scholarship Branch for the current cycle's announcement.

Eligibility

Who is Eligible

• Nepali citizenship: Must be a Nepali citizen. This scholarship is specifically for Nepal under the bilateral Nepal-Pakistan PTAP arrangement.
• MECEE-BL merit list rank: Must have appeared in and be ranked on the Medical Education Common Entrance Examination — Bachelor Level (MECEE-BL) merit list for the relevant year. Selection is drawn from this national list, so only candidates who have sat for the MEC entrance exam are eligible.
• +2 Science (PCB) qualification: Must have completed Grade 12 / +2 with Physics, Chemistry, and Biology (PCB) from a recognised Nepali or equivalent institution with required minimum marks.
• Age criteria: Must meet the age requirements set by Pakistani institutions and IBCC (Inter Board Committee of Chairmen, Islamabad), which determines equivalence of qualifications. Generally, candidates must be between 17 and 22 years of age at the time of admission.
• Reserved category eligibility (for reserved seats):
  • Female seats: Female candidates only
  • Adhibasi/Janajati seats: Candidates from recognised indigenous/ethnic groups
  • Madhesi seats: Candidates of Madhesi background
  • Dalit seats: Candidates of Dalit community background
  Reserved category candidates must provide valid supporting documentation (citizenship and community certificates) at the time of application.
• First-time applicant: Priority is given to candidates seeking to study MBBS/BDS/D. Pharmacy in Pakistan for the first time.

Who is Not Eligible

• Candidates who have not appeared in the MECEE-BL entrance examination for the relevant year.
• Candidates who do not meet Pakistani institutional admission requirements or whose qualifications are not recognised as equivalent by IBCC Islamabad.
• Candidates already studying medicine or enrolled in another government scholarship programme.
• Non-Nepali citizens or candidates without valid Nepali citizenship documentation.
• Candidates applying directly to Pakistani institutions without going through the Nepal MoEST/MEC nomination process — Pakistan does not accept PTAP applications directly from individual students in Nepal.

How to Apply

1. Sit the MECEE-BL entrance examination. The PTAP scholarship selection is drawn exclusively from the MECEE-BL merit list. You must register for and sit the national medical entrance examination conducted by MEC each year. This is the gateway — without a MECEE-BL rank, you cannot apply for PTAP seats.
2. Monitor MEC and MoEST announcements. After the MECEE-BL merit list is published, watch for an official notice from the Medical Education Commission (mec.gov.np) or the MoEST Scholarship Branch (moest.gov.np) announcing the availability of PTAP seats for the current academic year. Application windows are typically very short — often 5–7 days only.
3. Submit an online application through MEC's portal within the announced window. Applications are submitted online on the MEC portal. The application window is announced via official notice and is strictly time-bound. In recent cycles the window has been as short as one week from the notice date.
4. Prepare and attach required documents. Standard documents required include:
   • Copy of MECEE-BL rank/merit certificate
   • Grade 12 / +2 transcript and certificate
   • Citizenship certificate
   • Recent passport-size photographs
   • Character certificate
   • Community/ethnicity certificate (for reserved category applicants)
   • Medical fitness certificate
   Document requirements are confirmed in each year's official announcement — check the notice carefully.
5. MEC ranks and forwards selected candidates to MoEST Scholarship Branch. MEC selects candidates from received applications based on MECEE-BL merit rank, subject to reservation quota fulfilment. The selected list is forwarded to MoEST's Scholarship Branch for official nomination.
6. MoEST nominates candidates to Pakistan's EAD. Nepal's Ministry of Education, Science and Technology formally sends nominations to Pakistan's Economic Affairs Division (EAD). Pakistan's EAD then allocates students to specific medical institutions based on merit, student preference, and slot availability.
7. Receive institution placement and arrange IBCC equivalence certificate. Once placed, students must obtain an equivalence certificate from Pakistan's IBCC (Inter Board Committee of Chairmen) for their Nepali +2 qualification. This is a mandatory step before admission at the Pakistani institution. Apply for this early — it takes time to process.
8. Apply for a Pakistani student visa. After receiving the institutional placement letter and IBCC equivalence, apply for a Pakistani student visa through the Pakistani Embassy in Kathmandu.
9. Report to the assigned institution before its deadline. Pakistani institutions set their own enrolment deadlines. Failure to report by the prescribed deadline forfeits the seat — the institution is not required to accommodate late arrivals.