ERAS Application Fees for IMGs 2027: Calculator

Fast answer

ERAS application fees for IMGs in 2027 use a two-tier formula per specialty. Programs 1–30 cost $11 each. Program 31 and every additional program in that same specialty cost $30 each. The count resets in each specialty.

For n applications in one specialty, the formula is $11 × n when n is 30 or fewer. Above 30, the formula is $330 + $30 × (n − 30).

A typical IMG using ERAS and the Main Residency Match should separately budget $185 for the ECFMG Token, $70 for the FSMB USMLE transcript, and $85 for standard NRMP registration. Those fixed charges total $340 before any MyERAS applications, tax, ECFMG Certification work, interviews, travel, or extra NRMP charges.

MyERAS fees are nonrefundable after delivery. Program research is therefore financial due diligence, not an optional strategy exercise.

The 2027 residency fee formula

The 31st application does not retroactively change the first 30 to $30. It adds $30 to the $330 already charged for the first 30.

The marginal cost therefore jumps from $11 for program 30 to $30 for program 31. Every program above 30 should survive a deliberate eligibility and value review.

Single-specialty cost table

Pricing resets by specialty

AAMC calculates the tier independently within each specialty. Add the result for each specialty to obtain the total.

For specialty counts n1, n2, and so on, total MyERAS fees equal f(n1) + f(n2) + …, where f(n) is the single-specialty formula.

A track is not automatically a different specialty. Use MyERAS's specialty classification, not a private label, when calculating.

Do not choose a second specialty to reduce fees

The reset can make 60 programs split across two specialties cheaper than 60 within one specialty, but the applications are not interchangeable. A dual-specialty strategy needs distinct program research, letters, statements, signals, interview preparation, and a coherent explanation.

Applying to a backup specialty without credible evidence wastes the lower fee. Programs evaluate commitment, fit, and eligibility, not only whether payment was accepted.

Calculate the portfolio that follows the actual specialty plan; do not design the specialty plan around the fee formula.

Fixed application-system costs for a typical IMG

These three charges total $340. They are paid in different systems and do not substitute for one another.

An applicant using COMLEX-USA may have an additional $80 transcript charge. An applicant using ResidencyCAS or another service must calculate that service separately.

Budget examples for IMGs

These are planning subtotals, not final bills. Tax varies by billing address. They exclude Certification, Pathway, OET, exam registration, credential verification, document translation, COMLEX, ResidencyCAS, travel, interview, visa, and licensing costs.

The Token is not an application fee

The $185 ECFMG Token lets an IMG register for the current MyERAS residency season. It does not purchase applications, transmit USMLE scores, register for NRMP, or establish ECFMG Certification.

One current-season Token can be used for multiple ERAS specialties and programs, including a 2027 PGY-1 and qualifying 2028 advanced position. It cannot be reused in a future season.

ECFMG warns applicants to confirm that at least one intended program uses ERAS before buying the nonrefundable Token. Some specialties or programs use ResidencyCAS or another service.

The USMLE transcript fee is separate

For the 2027 ERAS season, FSMB processes all USMLE transcript requests. The one-time 2026–2027 residency-cycle charge is $70.

MyERAS no longer collects this fee. Pay and authorize through FSMB, then initiate retrieval in MyERAS and assign the transcript to programs.

FSMB says later resends during the same cycle do not add another fee. A new score still requires the applicant to select Resend My Scores in MyERAS.

NRMP registration and rank fees

NRMP is separate from ERAS. The current Main Residency Match standard registration fee is $85 and includes up to 20 unique program codes on the primary rank order list plus up to 20 unique codes across supplemental lists combined.

Register by January 29, 2027 to avoid the $50 late fee. NRMP charges $30 for each program code ranked over 20, a $45 couples fee per partner, and additional long-list charges beginning at 100 ranks.

NRMP fees are nonrefundable. Certifying a list with extra charges does not create a refund merely because the applicant later shortens it.

ECFMG Certification costs are not ERAS fees

An IMG may still need ECFMG account, Certification, credential, Pathway, OET, or other services. Those charges are applicant-specific and can substantially exceed the ERAS application bill.

Current ECFMG fees include $580 for the Certification application, $220 for credential verification requests covering the final diploma and final transcript, and $945 for a 2027 Pathway or Pathway revalidation application. The timing and applicability depend on the applicant's existing record.

Do not add a cost twice if it was paid in a prior stage, and do not omit a still-required service because it is outside MyERAS.

Fee Assistance eligibility is narrow

AAMC's ERAS benefit page states that eligibility requires prior approval for the AAMC Fee Assistance Program as a medical school applicant and use of the same AAMC ID. Current medical students cannot newly apply for the program solely to obtain the residency benefit.

Many IMGs never used AMCAS or received AAMC Fee Assistance before medical school and therefore will not qualify. U.S. citizen status, financial need, or IMG status alone does not create the ERAS benefit.

Eligible applicants should see “Fee Assistance: Yes” in MyERAS and the benefit should apply automatically at submission.

Important: current AAMC pages conflict on the discount

As of July 18, 2026, AAMC's dedicated ERAS Fee Assistance page says the benefit is a 60% discount on up to 50 applications. However, AAMC's 2027 fee page gives an example in which a $797 bill receives a $558 reduction and becomes $239—a reduction of approximately 70%, not 60%.

Those two official statements do not mathematically agree. This guide does not choose one silently. Eligible applicants should verify the live MyERAS checkout calculation and ask the AAMC Support Center to clarify before relying on a budget.

Take a screenshot of Fee Assistance status and the itemized checkout amount. Do not submit a charge you believe is incorrect merely because applications are time-sensitive.

What Fee Assistance does not automatically cover

The described benefit concerns MyERAS residency applications. Do not assume it discounts the ECFMG Token, FSMB transcript, NRMP registration, ECFMG Certification, Pathway, OET, travel, licensing, or visa expenses.

The benefit is limited to up to 50 ERAS applications. Applicants should inspect how MyERAS applies it across specialties and submissions, especially when applications are purchased in separate batches.

Taxes can change the checkout total

AAMC collects tax in applicable jurisdictions based on the billing address of the payment method. Two applicants purchasing the same programs can therefore see different totals.

Use the current billing address and leave a tax buffer. Do not change an address to avoid tax.

MyERAS accepts Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover. Credit-card charges appear as AAMC.

ERAS does not offer refunds

Once payment is submitted and the application is delivered, AAMC treats the service as rendered. Rejection, no interview, missed eligibility, program nonparticipation, program status change, or a late application does not produce a refund.

AAMC compares the service to mailing an application packet. It delivers the material; it does not promise consideration.

This policy makes a pre-payment eligibility audit financially important.

• Confirm the program participates in the correct 2027 application service.
• Confirm the program is open and accepting the intended track.
• Confirm the applicant meets IMG and state requirements.
• Confirm visa sponsorship matches the applicant's need.
• Confirm graduation-year and attempt limits.
• Confirm Step and ECFMG deadlines.
• Confirm required LoRs and specialty documents can be delivered.
• Confirm the program deadline has not passed.
• Confirm the program is not a duplicate under a different track selection.
• Confirm the applicant would attend an interview and rank the program if invited.

Unpaid balances can affect more than checkout

AAMC states that an unpaid ERAS balance can revoke MyERAS access and trigger notice to the Designated Dean's Office and business partners, including ECFMG. Access can remain restricted in current and future seasons until the debt is resolved.

A chargeback is not a substitute for using the official billing-dispute process. NRMP also warns that unauthorized chargebacks can create serious participation consequences.

Save receipts and contact the organization that owns the charge when a transaction appears wrong.

The 30-to-31 decision

Program 31 costs $30, almost three times the $11 marginal price of program 30. Program 32 also costs $30, and so on.

The decision should not be “Is this program worth $30?” in isolation. Ask whether it is eligible, distinct from the existing 30, genuinely acceptable, and likely to add portfolio value.

Removing one ineligible program above 30 saves $30 before tax. Removing 10 saves $300.

Signals are not a program-count recommendation

A specialty's signal allocation does not tell applicants how many total programs to apply to. Five signals do not mean five applications, and 30 signals do not mean 30 applications are sufficient for every applicant.

Signal strategy and budget strategy intersect because a signal spent on an ineligible program wastes both the signal and the nonrefundable application fee.

Build the eligible program list first, then the signal portfolio, then the final paid portfolio.

Batching applications does not change the final tier math

Applying to 30 programs today and 20 later in the same specialty still yields the 50-program total of $930 before tax. The system tracks the specialty's cumulative count.

Batching may help an applicant finish program research, but later applications can miss program review timing and deadlines. It is not a fee workaround.

For Fee Assistance applicants, separate batches also create uncertainty about how a limited application benefit is consumed. Verify the live calculation before each submission.

Do not overapply to compensate for uncertainty

More applications can increase reach only when the added programs are eligible and capable of considering the applicant. Paying for programs with explicit mismatches does not diversify risk.

Use a program evidence ledger with source-backed visa, year-of-graduation, attempt, score, USCE, letter, ECFMG, licensure, and mission fields.

If major profile information is missing—such as a pending Step 2 score—model scenarios rather than buying a large list built on assumptions.

Hidden application-season costs

The portal subtotal is not the full financial plan. Some costs occur before ERAS, others after interview invitations, and some only after matching.

Separate mandatory, conditional, and contingency costs so an early application purchase does not consume funds needed for licensing or travel.

A zero-based residency budget

Give every dollar a purpose before application day. Start with unavoidable fixed charges, then program fees, then tax, interview reserve, and onboarding reserve.

Do not fund optional editing or low-value programs by eliminating the emergency reserve. Residency application timing can create urgent travel, document, or relocation expenses.

Common mistakes

• Multiplying all 31 applications by $30.
• Forgetting that the first 30 remain $11 each.
• Failing to reset the count by specialty.
• Treating a track as a separate specialty without checking MyERAS.
• Assuming the $185 Token includes applications.
• Assuming MyERAS collects the 2027 USMLE transcript fee.
• Forgetting separate NRMP registration.
• Registering after January 29 and paying the late fee.
• Assuming Fee Assistance is open to any financially constrained IMG.
• Using a different AAMC ID from a prior Fee Assistance approval.
• Budgeting from the conflicting AAMC discount example without checkout verification.
• Ignoring tax.
• Applying to a nonparticipating or wrong-service program.
• Paying before checking visa, graduation year, attempts, and state license.
• Expecting a refund after rejection or nonconsideration.
• Using batching as though it resets the fee tier.
• Overapplying to ineligible programs to feel safer.
• Forgetting advanced-specialty preliminary or Transitional Year costs.
• Ignoring post-interview rank and onboarding expenses.
• Disputing a charge through a chargeback before using official support.

Master 2027 fee checklist

• I counted programs separately by specialty.
• I used $11 for the first 30 in each specialty.
• I used $30 only for applications above 30 in that specialty.
• I calculated dual-specialty totals as the sum of separate formulas.
• I added the $185 IMG Token if needed.
• I added the $70 FSMB USMLE transcript if used.
• I added $85 for standard NRMP registration.
• I modeled late, couples, and extra-rank NRMP fees if applicable.
• I added tax based on the real billing address.
• I separated ECFMG Certification and Pathway costs.
• I confirmed whether another application service is required.
• I verified Fee Assistance eligibility using the same AAMC ID.
• I checked Fee Assistance: Yes in MyERAS if eligible.
• I verified the actual discount because AAMC pages conflict.
• Every paid program uses the correct application service.
• Every paid program is open and participating.
• Every paid program passes IMG and visa eligibility checks.
• Every paid program passes graduation-year and attempt checks.
• Required letters and documents can be delivered.
• Signals and paid applications are coordinated.
• I reviewed every $30 marginal application above 30.
• I understand batching does not reset the tier.
• I understand ERAS fees are nonrefundable.
• I reserved money for interviews, licensing, visa, and relocation.
• I saved receipts and the final itemized checkout.

Bottom line

The 2027 ERAS residency formula is simple: $11 each for programs 1–30 in a specialty, then $30 for every additional program in that specialty. The count resets for each specialty.

A typical IMG should add at least $340 in separate core charges for the $185 Token, $70 USMLE transcript, and $85 standard NRMP registration, plus tax and applicant-specific costs.

Fee Assistance eligibility is narrow, and AAMC's current pages conflict on the exact discount calculation. Eligible applicants should verify the MyERAS dashboard, itemized checkout, and AAMC guidance before paying.

Because applications are nonrefundable, the best budget control is an evidence-based program list that excludes wrong-service, nonparticipating, ineligible, and unwanted programs before checkout.

This guide reflects official information available July 18, 2026. AAMC, ECFMG, FSMB, NRMP, application services, programs, tax authorities, and state boards can update fees and policies; their current live pages and checkout amounts control.