Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice
Univerzita Pavla Jozefa Šafárika v Košiciach
Eastern Slovakia's research university, with English-taught General and Dental Medicine degrees for 13,000 euros a year.
- Students
- 6,854
- International
- 25%
- of students
- Tuition
- €3,000
- From · 2026-27
- Founded
- 1959
About UPJŠ
Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice (UPJŠ) was founded in 1959 and is named after the Slovak philologist, poet and historian Pavol Jozef Šafárik. It presents itself as the heir to the Jesuit Academia Cassoviensis, founded in Košice in 1657, and its Golden Bull of 1660 gave that university the same privileges as Vienna, Prague and other Habsburg universities.
Today it has five faculties: Medicine, Science, Law, Public Administration and Arts. It describes itself as a university awarded the designation of Research University, and runs projects in 18 areas of science and research. Its prospective-student page advertises over 50 English-taught programmes. The best known for international applicants are General Medicine (six years) and Dental Medicine (five years), which have been taught in English for more than 30 years and have seen more than 1,600 international students graduate.
Fees depend on the language of instruction. Slovak-language full-time study is understood to be tuition-free within the standard length (an inference: the 2026/27 fee decision charges only for exceeding the standard length and for other-language programmes), while programmes in other languages carry set annual fees for 2026/27: EUR 13,000 for General Medicine, EUR 13,500 for Dental Medicine, EUR 5,000 for Law and European Public Administration, and EUR 3,000 at the Faculty of Science. It suits applicants who want an EU medical or science degree at a lower cost than Western Europe, in a mid-sized eastern Slovak city.
Why students choose UPJŠ
General Medicine and Dental Medicine are taught in English, lead to the titles MUDr. and MDDr., and are recognised across the European Union according to the faculty.
The 2026/27 annual tuition for programmes taught in languages other than Slovak ranges from EUR 3,000 (Faculty of Science) to EUR 13,500 (Dental Medicine).
The Faculty of Medicine is closely linked to the Teaching Hospital in Košice, where clinical training takes place.
The university is a member of the Aurora European universities alliance and lists Erasmus+ partnerships for incoming students.
Admissions
Academic year 2026/27 (2027/28 conditions not yet published)
Selectivity
UPJŠ does not publish an overall acceptance rate. The Faculty of Medicine admits on the entrance exam alone: 210 places in General Medicine and 40 in Dental Medicine were listed for the English programmes. Several programmes at the Faculties of Science, Law and Public Administration admit on secondary school results.
Typical entry requirements
| School leaving certificate | Final diploma with grades; an apostilled (or super-legalised) copy authorised by a Slovak notary, plus a notary-authorised Slovak translation by a sworn translator, done in Slovakia. Apostille is not required for certificates from Croatia, Hungary, Germany, Poland or Romania. |
|---|---|
| Medical fitness (Faculty of Medicine only) | Medical confirmation of physical and mental ability to study, not older than 3 months, in English or Slovak. |
| Other documents | Passport or ID copy and proof of payment of the non-refundable application and entrance exam fee. |
| English language | The Faculty of Medicine states that applicants should have a good command of English since the language of instruction is English; no minimum test scores are published on the fetched pages. |
Deadlines
- Faculty of Medicine English programmes, entrance exam 1 (2026 cycle) Non-bindingDocuments by 29 July 2026 for the exam on 12 August 2026
Applicants without a representative; those with a representative follow their contract.
- Faculty of Medicine English programmes, entrance exam 2 (2026 cycle) Non-bindingDocuments by 22 August 2026 for the exam on 5 September 2026
Applicants without a representative.
These are the previous-cycle (2026/27) dates. The 2027/28 dates for the English-taught programmes were not yet published, and other faculties set their own deadlines.
How to apply
Register and fill in the electronic application at e-prihlaska.upjs.sk (AiS2), print and sign it, and send it with the listed documents to the relevant faculty by post; the postmark date counts towards the deadline. Admission is run by each faculty. Fees are paid by bank transfer, and the 2026/27 admission fee cap is EUR 20 to 50 depending on the procedure.
What admissions looks for
- For medicine and dentistry, a strong written entrance exam score in chemistry and biology; the Dean decides on acceptance based on exam success and the number of applicants.
- At the Faculties of Science, Law and Public Administration, secondary school results, with SCIO testing as an option for Science.
- Complete, correctly certified documents submitted by the deadline.
Tips for applying to UPJŠ
- 1 Start the notary authorisation and sworn translation early: both must be done in Slovakia, and the faculty says to note the postmark deadline.
- 2 Choose the English-language programme code carefully: VL-GM is General Medicine and ZL-DM is Dental Medicine in English, and the Slovak codes VL or ZL are not the English ones.
- 3 The faculty states that the only guaranteed admission is an exemption from the entrance exam for people who completed specific first-year courses at its Faculty of Medicine within ten years; there are no other guaranteed routes.
- 4 Check the fee table for your programme: the tuition differs by faculty and the total fee for medicine is set in your study contract.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in EUR
No merit scholarship for degree-seeking international undergraduates was found on the fetched official pages. Third-level (PhD) scholars financed from the UPJŠ budget pay no tuition, and the exchange-student dormitory at Pražská 2 is priced per person per month.
- EUR 20 (electronic application, no exam) to EUR 50 (standard application with exam)
- Admission fee cap, 2026/27
- EUR 185 to 325 per person per month depending on room type
- Exchange-student dormitory (Pražská 2)
Academics
Academic calendar: Academic year with winter and summer semesters
General Medicine (MUDr.)
A six-year programme taught in English for more than 30 years, tied to the Teaching Hospital in Košice; EUR 13,000 a year in 2026/27.
Dental Medicine (MDDr.)
A five-year English-taught programme; EUR 13,500 a year in 2026/27.
Physics and Informatics at the Faculty of Science
The faculty lists bachelor's programmes in Physics, Informatics, Applied Informatics, Mathematics, and Data Science and Artificial Intelligence; programmes in other languages cost EUR 3,000 a year.
European Public Administration
A first-level programme at the Faculty of Public Administration offered in several languages, with annual tuition of EUR 5,000.
Law
The Faculty of Law charges EUR 5,000 a year for study in a language other than Slovak.
Psychology (second level, Faculty of Arts)
Listed at EUR 5,500 a year for study in a language other than Slovak.
Research
- UPJŠ was awarded the designation of Research University and says it implements projects in 18 areas of science and research.
- University science parks and research centres include UVP Medipark, UVP Technicom, VVC Promatech and the EDIH Cassovium innovation hub.
- It is a member of the Aurora European universities alliance.
Schools & faculties
- Faculty of Medicine
- Faculty of Science
- Faculty of Law
- Faculty of Public Administration
- Faculty of Arts
- Institute of Physical Education and Sport
The Faculty of Medicine says EU member states must recognise medical and dental diplomas issued in Slovakia, irrespective of the language of instruction.
Student life
UPJŠ is an urban university spread across buildings in Košice. The Erasmus Student Network Košice and a Buddy programme help international students settle in, and the university lists associations such as the Hornád folk ensemble, the Chorus Universitatis Šafarikianae, the sports club TJ Slávia Universitas and the student media. Accommodation comes through university-owned and partner dormitories; in 2017 the university reported 1,760 places in its own facilities and 450 in leased partner facilities.
- Buddy programme and Erasmus Student Network Košice for new international students.
- Hornád folk ensemble and Chorus Universitatis Šafarikianae.
- University media, student associations and the sports club TJ Slávia Universitas.
- A University Counselling Centre (UNIPOC) for student counselling and support.
Housing. In 2017 the university reported 1,760 places in its own dormitories and 450 in leased partner facilities; exchange students at the Pražská 2 partner dormitory pay EUR 185 to 325 per month.
Location
Košice is a city in eastern Slovakia. The rector's office, faculties and dormitories are spread across the city, and the Faculty of Medicine sits on Trieda SNP and works with the local Teaching Hospital. The exchange dormitory is about 15 minutes from the city centre by the university's own description.
Nearest airport: Košice International Airport (KSC)
Notable alumni
- RR Richard RašiPhysician and politician; Speaker of the National Council of the Slovak Republic (listed as such on nrsr.sk), Deputy Prime Minister for Investment and Informatisation 2018 to 2020 and Mayor of Košice 2010 to 2018 (nrsr.sk biography); graduated in general medicine from the Faculty of Medicine of the university in 1995
- LO Ladislav OroszJurist and politician, judge of the Constitutional Court of Slovakia from 2007 to 2019; studied law and graduated in 1982
- PK Peter KerecmanLawyer and author; graduated from the Faculty of Law in 1995 and received his Doctor of Law degree in 1999
- MU Milan UrbániPhysician and member of the National Council from 2002 to 2010; studied medicine and graduated in 1967
- PB Peter BirošDental surgeon and member of the National Council from 2002 to 2006; studied dentistry and graduated in 1974
- RM Róbert MadejAttorney and former member of the National Council; received his PhD in law from the university in 2013
Frequently asked questions
How much does Medicine cost at Šafárik University?
For 2026/27, General Medicine taught in English costs EUR 13,000 a year and Dental Medicine EUR 13,500 a year, according to Rector's Decision No. 3/2026. The total for the whole study period is set by the study contract.
What exam do I sit for Medicine at UPJŠ?
A written multiple-choice entrance exam in chemistry and biology: one test of 200 questions taking two and a half hours. In 2026 the exam dates were 12 August and 5 September.
Are UPJŠ medical degrees recognised in the EU?
The Faculty of Medicine states that EU member states must accept medical and dental diplomas issued in Slovakia, irrespective of the language of instruction.
Does UPJŠ offer English-taught programmes outside medicine?
Yes: the university advertises over 50 English-taught programmes, and the 2026/27 fee regulation lists tuition for other-language study at the Faculties of Science (EUR 3,000), Law (EUR 5,000), Public Administration and Arts.
What is the application deadline for 2027 entry?
The 2027/28 dates were not yet published. For the 2026/27 cycle, Faculty of Medicine documents were due by 29 July 2026 and 22 August 2026 for the two exam dates.
Sources & methodology
Figures on this page were checked against official university publications, national application services and ranking publishers in September 2026. Each number is shown with the year or admissions cycle it describes. Always confirm deadlines and fees on the university's own website before applying.
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