NEET PG 2026 counselling schedule released: Round 1 registration from October 12

The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) today, October 7, 2026, released the counselling schedule for NEET PG 2026, initiating the process for allocation of postgraduate medical seats. Eligible candidates who qualified the NEET PG 2026 examination can register for Round 1 counselling starting October 12, 2026, on the official website, mcc.nic.in.

This counselling process is for All India Quota postgraduate seats and other institutions under the MCC’s purview. The NEET PG 2026 examination, conducted by the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) in computer-based mode, saw 2,73,096 candidates register and appear across 1,111 centres in 339 cities on August 30, 2026. The results were declared on September 24, 2026.

NEET PG 2026 Counselling Schedule and Key Dates

The MCC has outlined a detailed timeline for the NEET PG 2026 counselling process, beginning with Round 1 registration. Candidates will have a nine-day window to register and pay the required fees, followed by choice filling and locking. The seat allotment result for Round 1 is expected on October 24, 2026, with a subsequent period for college reporting.

The entire counselling process, including Round 2, Round 3, and a Stray Vacancy Round, is planned long story short by the end of December 2026. The official portal for all counselling-related activities is mcc.nic.in.

Eligibility Criteria and Application Fees

To be eligible for NEET PG 2026 counselling, candidates must have completed their MBBS degree and a compulsory rotatory internship by the specified cutoff date. A permanent or provisional registration certificate from the National Medical Commission (NMC) or a State Medical Council is also mandatory. The NEET PG 2026 examination consisted of 200 multiple-choice questions, with a duration of 3.5 hours.

The counselling process involves specific registration and security deposit fees, which vary based on the category of the candidate and the type of institution. For 50% All India Quota (AIQ), Central Universities, DNB, AFMS, and ESIC seats, the registration fee is ₹1,000 for UR/EWS candidates and ₹500 for SC/ST/OBC/PwD candidates. The corresponding security deposits are ₹25,000 and ₹10,000, respectively. For Deemed Universities, a registration fee of ₹5,000 and a security deposit of ₹2,00,000 are applicable for all categories.

Counselling Process and Seat Allocation

The NEET PG counselling process is conducted online and includes several stages: online registration, payment of fees, publication of the seat matrix, choice filling, choice locking, seat allotment processing, result publication, downloading of the allotment letter, and reporting to the allotted institution. State counselling authorities conduct separate counselling for eligible state quota postgraduate medical seats.

The seat matrix for 2026 is currently awaited, and the number of seats may change between rounds due to additions, withdrawals, approvals, and conversions. In the previous 2025-26 cycle, the seat matrix for 50% AIQ Government seats was 11,412, DNB/NBEMS seats were 7,923, Deemed Universities had 4,909 seats, and Central & ESIC institutions offered 798 seats, totaling 25,042 seats. The Central Government’s reservation policy for All-India Quota seats includes 27% for OBC, 15% for SC, 10% for EWS, 7.5% for ST, and 5% for PwD categories.

Previous Key Dates for NEET PG 2026

The NEET PG 2026 Information Bulletin was released on July 1, 2026, at 4:00 PM, with online applications commencing an hour later. The last date for online application was July 21, 2026. Admit cards were expected in the last week of July 2026, and the exam was held on August 30, 2026. The results were declared on September 24, 2026, ahead of the expected September 30, 2026, deadline.

Further reading

• NEET PG 2026 answer key row reaches Supreme Court over transparency concerns
• Assam NEET PG rank list 2026 released: counselling eligibility detailed
• NEET PG cutoff: previous closing ranks and marks Next step
• M.Pharm 2026: Apply with B.Pharm scores, GPAT, or CUET PG for Delhi NCR admissions
• NEET UG 2026: Uttarakhand opens Round 3 NRI quota MBBS registration until 5 October Applications open
• NEET PG: complete exam guide

Written by Nishit Kumar

Nishit Kumar is a senior EdTech industry leader with over a decade of experience in building and scaling education platforms, shaping their product, content, and growth strategy. At FindMyCollege, Nishit oversees content and editorial strategy, guiding topic selection and content frameworks to ensure accuracy, relevance, and student-first value across the website.

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