NEET PG Counselling 2026: First-Year Fee Deferred for NBEMS Seat Upgradation Candidates

The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) has clarified that candidates allotted an NBEMS seat through NEET PG 2026 All India Quota counselling do not have to pay the first-year course fee while waiting for a possible upgrade, provided they choose the Float option. The advisory was published on October 24, 2026.

The update applies to the first-year annual course fee for NBEMS-accredited seats. Candidates choosing Float remain in the counselling process for a possible seat upgrade in a later round. NBEMS says they should pay the course fee directly to the institute they finally decide to join after freezing their seat.

What the revised fee instruction says

Candidate’s choice	First-year NBEMS course fee	What to do
Float for upgradation	Not payable while awaiting an upgrade	Follow MCC counselling instructions and pay the institute chosen after freezing the final seat
Freeze and join the allotted NBEMS seat	Payable to the NBEMS-accredited institute	Complete joining within the applicable MCC reporting window
Seat upgraded in a later round	Pay the applicable first-year fee to the final institute	Complete the required reporting and joining steps for the upgraded seat

Important: the relief is limited to the NBEMS course fee

This clarification concerns the first-year annual course fee for NBEMS seats. It should not be read as cancelling MCC registration charges, a security deposit or other amounts that may apply under the counselling rules. Candidates should check their allotment letter and the current MCC bulletin for any separate payments and requirements. The notice concerns NBEMS-accredited seats; candidates allotted other kinds of seats should follow the instructions issued by the relevant counselling authority and institute.

NBEMS also directs participating hospitals to update candidates’ reporting and joining status on the Intra-MCC portal within the schedule set by MCC. Candidates should confirm that their status has been recorded correctly. The advisory says that if a candidate’s status is not updated within the prescribed timeline, the seat may be treated as vacant and carried forward to the next round.

Key dates for candidates

Date	Event
October 24, 2026	NBEMS advisory on reporting, joining and course-fee payment published
October 26, 2026	Round 1 reporting and joining began, according to the published schedule
November 2, 2026	Last date to join under the MCC Round 1 AIQ schedule
November 6–14, 2026	Round 2 AIQ counselling period listed in the MCC schedule

What candidates should do now

Check the seat type and the Freeze or Float choice recorded in the counselling portal. If choosing Float for an NBEMS seat, do not pay the first-year course fee while awaiting upgradation, but continue to follow MCC’s round-wise instructions. If choosing Freeze, contact the allotted NBEMS-accredited institute about its fee-payment and joining procedure. Keep copies of the allotment letter, payment records and joining confirmation, and monitor official NBEMS and MCC notices for schedule changes.