Every single year I see the same thing happen. New batch lands, and half the bags have stuff nobody actually needed, and the stuff people actually needed on day one is buried somewhere in a checked-in suitcase that’s still stuck at the airport. I’ve been here 5 years now, and I’ve watched enough freshers make the same mistakes that I figured I’d just write it all down properly. So this is that. Not a simple “things to pack for abroad” list you’ll find on some random blog or YouTube video.This is what you actually need for MBBS here, specifically, based on what I and every batch before me has learned the hard way.
Things to know before packing for MBBS in Bangladesh.
Before the list, some ground realities. These aren’t optional tips, these are things that’ll genuinely mess up your first week if you don’t know them.
Leave your jeans at home, seriously. First year dress code here is strict. It’s formal trousers and shirts for boys and suits and kurtis for girl’s and that’s what you’re actually wearing to class every single day, not jeans and a t-shirt. Some colleges even give you a specific uniform, so check that with your college first and then pack accordingly.
Don’t buy your skincare here. Import duty on cosmetics is very high in Bangladesh. A face wash or sunscreen that costs you ₹300 in India will cost you a lot more here. Stock up so that it could last you at least 3-6 months.
Mercury BP machines are not used here usually so don’t bring one. Nobody uses them in Bangladesh anymore, and honestly airport security will just take it off you anyway. Get yourself an Aneroid, the dial kind, before you arrive here. It will be used in Physiology practicals and then in wards and clinical.
Don’t carry your medical books. I know you would want to bring everything, but don’t waste your luggage weight on heavy textbooks. We get them here, cheaper, and they literally deliver to your hostel room. Save that weight for things you can’t get locally.
The “Do Not Lose This Folder” Sort This First, Before Anything Else
This is the one part of packing where there’s no room for mistakes. Keep everything here in one folder, and that folder stays with you, always, never in checked-in luggage.
- 10th and 12th marksheets plus your passing certificates
- NEET scorecard
- Original passport
- Student visa
- Police Clearance Certificate, your PCC
- 15 to 25 passport size photos, white background specifically
That photo count is going to sound like a lot, but trust me, you’ll go through them fast. You’ll need them for your Green Card, for college registration, for your item cards, and they always seem to need “just one more” the moment you think you’re done so come prepared.
College Wear and Basic Grooming
For the boys, formal shirts, trousers or chinos, and proper formal black shoes. Wards and classes need you looking put together, so honestly a decent trimmer or grooming kit is worth packing too, don’t skip that. For the girls, kurtis and suits, formal wear basically and no Fancy or designers inside the college premises.
A few things people forget every year: get yourself an analogue watch with a seconds hand, and I mean this literally, not a smartwatch, because you cannot measure a pulse rate on a smartwatch and you will need to. A proper heavy-duty umbrella too, monsoons here are no joke. And pack some basic winter wear, it does get cold enough here in winters so you would need it.
What to Pack related to Medical?
A good stethoscope, and that analogue dial BP machine I already mentioned. If you wear power glasses, and I really want to stress this one, pack a spare pair. Getting a replacement sorted in a new country, in your first weeks, while you’re also trying to figure out everything else, is genuinely a huge hassle you don’t need.
Small but specific one: we write in black pens, and blue is used only for headings, that’s just how it’s done here. And for anatomy and histology diagrams, bring two sets of pencil colors, and make sure pink, purple, and red are in there, those three colours are required constantly.
How much money to bring in cash and card before coming to Bangladesh for MBBS.
Carry ₹30,000 to ₹40,000 in cash. You’ll exchange it at the border, that’s normal and expected. The moment you land, you’re going to need roughly 50,000 to 60,000 Taka pretty quickly, for your mattress, your bone set, and just generally setting up your room.
Get yourself an international debit card, an SBI VISA CARR works fine. And here’s the actual hack that people forget until it’s too late: activate international transactions on your banking app before you leave India, not after. Do not bring RuPay Cards here. Trying to do that out once you’re already here is a proper headache and most banking apps doesn’t even open here without VPN due to safety and security.
What about Phone, SIM, and Staying Connected with family
Activate international roaming through MyJio or Airtel Thanks before you cross the border, and you don’t even need a recharge pack for this, just activate it so you can receive free incoming SMS. That matters more than it sounds, because your banking OTPs will need it. You can grab a local Bangladeshi SIM right at the airport, or at local customer care centers, just carry your passport and visa for that and they will issue you a sim card.
Bring a phone with decent storage, you’ll be saving a lot of PDFs. A solid powerbank too, power cuts happen here. An iPad or tablet is optional but genuinely great for notes if you can manage it and some colleges allows you to take notes digitally in ipad or anything.
A Basic Personal Pharmacy
Combination medicines aren’t really a thing here the way they are in India, so bring your own basics. Dolo or PCM, Strepsils, Vicks, Montelukast if you deal with allergies or colds. Pantoprazole for acidity, and a standard course of antibiotics like Azithromycin, though check with your family doctor before you pack that and make sure you have the prescription.
Hostel Life and Food that you should pack before coming to Bangladesh as an Indian for MBBS.
For your room, two sets of bedsheets and pillow covers, and an electric kettle if your college allows it, worth checking first. For yourself, whatever face wash, serum, moisturizer, sunscreen, and soap you actually use, remember, buying these here costs more.
Here’s the food advice I give every single junior. Focus on homemade dry stuff you can actually preserve, achaar, homemade snacks, namkeen. And bring Maggi from home specifically, because the Maggi here genuinely tastes different, and you’ll want something familiar to survive on until you adjust to mess food. This sounds small until you’re two weeks in and craving something that tastes like home.
How to organize these things Between Cabin and Check-In
This part matters more than people think. Get this wrong and you’re either stuck without your documents, or you get pulled aside at security for something that should’ve gone in the checkin bag.
| 🎒 Cabin Bag (Max 7 KG, Keep Close) | 🧳 Check-In Luggage (Max 30 KG) |
|---|---|
| Your document folder with all the original documenrs | Clothes and your formals, shoes, umbrella, bedsheets |
| Laptop, iPad, phone, earphones | Stethoscope and BP apparatus |
| Powerbank as this legally must go in cabin, not checked-in | Maggi, chocolates, namkeen |
| All your cash, INR, Taka, USD, and your wallet | |
| Liquids like skincare, shampoo, face wash, achaar (tape the lids shut, they will explode in the cargo hold otherwise) |
That powerbank rule isn’t a suggestion by the way, it’s airport law, powerbanks aren’t allowed in check-in luggage at all. And genuinely, tape the lids on anything liquid before it goes in your checked bag. I’ve seen someone’s entire suitcase smell like achaar for a week because they skipped that step.
Don’t overpack. That’s really the whole point of this list, pack what you’ll actually use in the first few weeks, and figure the rest out once you’re here and know what you actually need. Every batch survives, you will too and if you still have any doubts you can download the pdf of this list here.
💬 Landing soon and still figuring out admissions or documentation? WhatsApp me directly, I answer these personally. Message us here.
Questions People Always Ask Me about Packing for MBBS in Bangladesh.
Should I bring my medical textbooks from India?
No, don’t waste luggage weight on this. You can buy them locally once you’re here, they’re cheaper, and they deliver right to your hostel.
How much cash should I carry when I fly?
₹30,000 to ₹40,000 INR is the minimum for thr first time, you’ll exchange it at the border or at the airport exchange counters and You’ll need around 50,000 to 60,000 Taka soon after landing for your room setup.
Can powerbanks go in check-in luggage?
No, this is an airport law, not just a suggestion. Powerbanks must stay in your cabin bag.
