NEET PG 2026 counselling rules: fees, security deposit, Freeze or Float, and when you can exit

Before a NEET PG candidate fills a single choice, there is a bill to pay and a set of exit rules to understand. MCC's PG Information Bulletin 2026, uploaded on 7 October, sets both out. Round 1 registration opens on 12 October, under MCC's tentative counselling schedule, so this is the week to read the fine print.

This guide covers what you pay, when the deposit is lost, the new Freeze and Float options, and when you can walk away from a seat. It covers MCC counselling for All India Quota (AIQ) and deemed university seats. State quota rules are separate.

What you pay at registration

Registration has two parts: a non-refundable registration fee and a refundable security deposit. The bulletin's table puts them as follows.

AIQ seats: Rs 1,000 fee and Rs 25,000 deposit for unreserved and EWS candidates; Rs 500 fee and Rs 10,000 deposit for SC, ST, OBC and PwD candidates.

Deemed universities: Rs 5,000 fee and Rs 2,00,000 deposit for every candidate, whatever the category.

The bulletin's own examples make it plain. An SC candidate opting for AIQ pays Rs 500 plus Rs 10,000. An unreserved candidate pays Rs 1,000 plus Rs 25,000. Anyone who wants deemed university seats pays Rs 5,000 plus Rs 2 lakh.

The deposit is refunded only to the account it came from. Pay from your own account or a parent's, and keep the transaction record. Only candidates who have paid the full amount move on to choice filling.

When the deposit is forfeited

The bulletin names two situations. The first is when a candidate is allotted a seat in Round 2 or any later round, including Round 3 and the stray vacancy round, and does not report or join.

The second is when an admission is cancelled after allotment for any reason. The bulletin's example is a candidate who gave wrong information at registration, got a seat on that basis and then had it cancelled at reporting, or one who could not produce the required documents.

The deposit is refunded if no seat is allotted. The bulletin says refunds are processed once all rounds are over, so do not expect the money back mid-season.

Freeze or Float: the big change this year

Until 2025, every step, whether joining, upgrading or resigning, meant reporting in person at the allotted college. The 2026 bulletin splits candidates who get a seat into two groups.

Freeze: you are happy with the seat and do not want an upgrade in the next round. You report physically at the allotted institute to join.

Float: you want to try for a better seat in the next round. You mark your willingness to upgrade on the MCC portal and upload your documents for online verification by the allotted institute. You do not need to travel to the college.

Both groups must upload clear scans of their documents on the MCC portal. This is a one-time upload for all rounds, and the bulletin asks candidates to do it within two or three days of the final allotment, so that any query from the institute can be sorted out in time.

When you can exit

Round 1 has a free exit. A candidate can resign a Round 1 seat and stay eligible for the next round without losing the deposit.

Round 2 allows exit with forfeiture. You can leave, but the deposit goes, and you need a fresh payment to take part in Round 3.

Round 3 seats cannot be resigned. A candidate allotted a seat in Round 3 must join, or lose the deposit, and cannot take part in further rounds.

The route to resign differs too. A Freeze candidate resigns in person at the institute. A Float candidate files the resignation online through Candidate Login on the MCC portal, using the Resignation or Surrender option, within the time MCC allows. Once a seat is given up, the candidate has no claim on it.

Choosing between Freeze and Float

Float is not free of cost. A Float candidate holds a seat while waiting for something better, and if Round 2 brings an upgrade, the Round 1 seat is released. If Round 2 brings a seat the candidate then refuses to join, the deposit is lost. Float suits a candidate who would genuinely take a better branch or college. Freeze suits one who already has the seat they want.

If you are also in state counselling

Many candidates sit in AIQ and state rounds at once. The bulletin says a Freeze candidate who wants to take a state seat must surrender the AIQ seat by resigning at the admitted institute. A Float candidate in the same position submits the resignation online, and it is recorded on the MCC portal once submitted.

A short checklist

Decide your quota scope before paying, since the deemed university deposit is 8 to 20 times the AIQ deposit. Keep scans of every certificate ready before 12 October. Choose Freeze or Float only after you know what Round 2 seats might look like for your rank. And read the exit rule for the round you are in before you lock choices, because a Round 3 seat is final.

Candidates with disabilities should also follow the board dates in our NEET PG 2026 PwD assessment boards guide. Those still waiting on scores can check our report on the NEET PG 2026 result and scorecards, and the seat picture is in our story on the NMC PG seat matrix. MCC posts all updates on its PG counselling page.