Kerala NEET-PG 2026 Phase 1 Option Registration: Deadline, Fees & Process

Kerala's Commissioner for Entrance Examinations (CEE) has opened the first phase of centralised option registration for NEET-PG 2026 postgraduate medical admissions. All eligible candidates on the Kerala State Merit List must register their course and college preferences online by 31 October 2026 at 10:00 AM. The registration window opened on 27 October. This is a critical step: candidates who do not register options in phase 1 face significant restrictions in later rounds, and some quota categories (Minority, NRI) must participate now or lose eligibility entirely.

How to Register Your Options in Phase 1

To register your preferences, log into the CEE Kerala candidate portal using your Application Number and Password. Once logged in, click the 'Option Registration' menu on your home page. You will see a list of all medical colleges and courses for which you are eligible based on your rank and quota. The portal displays each course–college combination separately, allowing you to rank them in order of your preference.

It is essential to register options only for those course–college combinations you are genuinely willing to join if allotted. The CEE will conduct allotments strictly based on your registered options, your merit rank, and your eligible reservations. If you register an option and are allotted that seat, you are expected to join; declining or abandoning the seat after joining will result in loss of your admission and all remaining options, and you will not be allowed to participate in the second phase allotment.

• Log in with your Application Number and Password
• Click 'Option Registration' from the home page menu
• View all eligible course–college combinations
• Rank them in order of preference
• Register only for courses you are sure to join
• Submit before 31 October 2026, 10:00 AM

Security Deposit and Payment Rules

A security deposit is mandatory at the time of option registration. General category candidates and those not eligible for fee concession must pay ₹10,000. Candidates belonging to SC, ST, OEC (Other Eligible Communities), or other categories eligible for fee concession pay a reduced deposit of ₹5,000. This deposit is refundable after the entire counselling process is complete, provided you have fulfilled all admission requirements.

The security deposit serves as a commitment to the admission process. If you fail to accept your allotted seat in the first phase or quit after joining, you forfeit this deposit along with your admission and all registered options. Ensure you have the funds available before beginning option registration, as payment is non-negotiable for participation.

• General category: ₹10,000 security deposit
• SC/ST/OEC and fee-concession eligible: ₹5,000
• Deposit is refundable after counselling completion
• Non-payment means no option registration
• Forfeited if you decline or abandon your allotted seat

Government Medical College Fees in Kerala

All ten government medical colleges in Kerala charge a uniform annual tuition fee of ₹57,890 for NEET-PG postgraduate courses. These colleges include institutions in Thiruvananthapuram, Kottayam, Alappuzha, Thrissur, Kozhikode, Kannur, Ernakulam, Manjeri, and Palakkad. Additionally, two specialised government institutions—Rajendra Cancer Centre (RCC) in Thiruvananthapuram and Malabar Cancer Centre in Kannur—charge higher fees of ₹3,00,000 and ₹2,00,000 per annum respectively, reflecting their specialised nature.

Government medical colleges remain the most affordable option for PG medical education in Kerala. The low tuition fee makes them highly competitive, and seats fill quickly based on merit rank. If you are eligible for a government college seat, securing it in phase 1 is advisable, as phase 2 offers no fresh option registration—only confirmation or rearrangement of existing options.

• All 10 govt medical colleges: ₹57,890 per annum
• RCC Thiruvananthapuram: ₹3,00,000 per annum
• Malabar Cancer Centre, Kannur: ₹2,00,000 per annum
• Most affordable PG option in Kerala
• Highly competitive; secure in phase 1 if eligible

Self-Financing Medical College Fees: Clinical vs. Non-Clinical

Kerala's self-financing medical colleges charge significantly higher fees than government institutions. Most colleges charge ₹19,42,235 per annum for clinical specialities (such as Surgery, Medicine, Paediatrics, Obstetrics & Gynaecology) and ₹11,79,215 for non-clinical specialities (such as Pathology, Microbiology, Pharmacology, Forensic Medicine). A few colleges—Sree Narayana IMS Ernakulam, Believers Church MCH Thiruvalla, PK Das IMS Palakkad, and SUT Academy of Medical Sciences—charge slightly lower fees, ranging from ₹18,36,456 to ₹18,49,748 for clinical and ₹11,14,992 to ₹11,23,062 for non-clinical courses.

NRI (Non-Resident Indian) candidates pay substantially higher fees, typically ₹40,81,014 per annum across most colleges, with a few charging ₹38,86,680. These fees are fixed by the colleges and approved by the state regulatory authority. If you are considering a self-financing college, factor in the total cost over the duration of your course (usually 3 years for MD/MS) when deciding whether to register that option. Many candidates prioritise government colleges precisely because of this cost differential.

• Most self-financing colleges: ₹19,42,235 (clinical), ₹11,79,215 (non-clinical)
• Some colleges charge slightly less: ₹18,36,456–₹18,49,748 (clinical)
• NRI fees: ₹38,86,680–₹40,81,014 per annum
• Fees are per annum; multiply by course duration (typically 3 years)
• Minority and NRI quota candidates must register in phase 1 or lose eligibility

Critical Rules for Minority, NRI, and Service Quota Candidates

Candidates seeking admission under Minority or NRI quota in self-financing medical colleges must register their options during phase 1. If you do not register options in this phase, you will not be considered for allotment under Minority or NRI quota in any subsequent phase, even if you appear on the respective category list. This is a hard rule: phase 1 is your only opportunity for these quotas. Similarly, candidates eligible for service quota or PwD (Persons with Disability) quota seats should note that allotments to these quotas will occur in later phases, but if you wish to be considered for general seats instead, you must register those options in phase 1.

The logic is straightforward: the CEE processes allotments based on registered options. If you do not register an option, the system cannot allot you that seat, regardless of your eligibility. For Minority and NRI candidates, this means phase 1 registration is non-negotiable. Plan your options carefully, consult with your family and mentors, and ensure you register before the 31 October deadline.

• Minority quota candidates: must register in phase 1 or lose eligibility
• NRI quota candidates: must register in phase 1 or lose eligibility
• Service quota and PwD allotments happen in later phases
• Service/PwD candidates wanting general seats must register in phase 1
• No fresh option registration in phase 2; only confirmation/rearrangement
• Phase 1 is your only chance for Minority/NRI quota allotment

What Happens If You Join in Phase 1 and Want to Upgrade in Phase 2

If you are allotted a seat in phase 1 and join it, your higher-ranked options (those you ranked above your allotted seat) will be retained for phase 2. All options ranked below your allotted seat will be automatically deleted. This means in phase 2, you can only upgrade to a better seat; you cannot downgrade. For example, if you registered options as (1) Surgery at Govt. Medical College Thiruvananthapuram, (2) Medicine at Govt. Medical College Kottayam, and (3) Paediatrics at a private college, and you are allotted Paediatrics, then only Surgery and Medicine options are retained for phase 2.

To participate in phase 2 upgradation, you must confirm your options online during the phase 2 window. If you do not confirm your options in phase 2, you will not be considered for upgradation, but your phase 1 seat will be retained. If you joined a seat in phase 1 and do not want upgradation, you can either skip option confirmation or delete all options in phase 2—your phase 1 seat remains yours. This flexibility allows you to consolidate your admission if you are satisfied with your phase 1 allotment.

• Phase 1 allotment: higher options retained, lower options deleted
• Phase 2: you can only upgrade, not downgrade
• Must confirm options in phase 2 to be eligible for upgradation
• Skipping phase 2 confirmation keeps your phase 1 seat intact
• Deleting all phase 2 options also retains your phase 1 seat
• No fresh option registration in phase 2; only confirmation/rearrangement

Consequences of Not Joining Your Phase 1 Allotment

If you are allotted a seat in phase 1 and you fail to accept it or quit after joining, you will lose your admission entirely. You will not be permitted to participate in the second phase allotment. This is a severe penalty designed to ensure that candidates who register options are genuinely committed to joining. The CEE enforces this rule strictly to prevent seat wastage and ensure fair allocation to other eligible candidates.

Additionally, when a seat is allotted to you in any phase, any previous admission you may have (from an earlier phase or another counselling process) will be automatically cancelled, regardless of whether you accept the new allotment or not. This means if you are allotted a seat in phase 1, your previous admission (if any) is cancelled immediately. If you then decline the phase 1 seat, you lose both admissions and cannot participate in phase 2. Plan your options carefully and register only for seats you are genuinely willing to join.

• Declining phase 1 allotment = no phase 2 participation
• Quitting after joining phase 1 = no phase 2 participation
• Previous admissions cancelled when new seat is allotted
• Cancellation happens automatically, regardless of acceptance
• Register only for seats you are sure to join
• Consult family and mentors before finalising options

Phase 2 and Phase 3: Limited Options and Fresh Registration

Phase 2 counselling does not allow fresh option registration for existing courses. You can only confirm, delete, or rearrange the options you registered in phase 1. However, if new courses are added to the list between phase 1 and phase 2 (for example, if a college receives additional recognition or a course becomes available), you can register options for those newly added courses. Phase 2 is primarily for upgradation: candidates who joined in phase 1 can attempt to move to a better seat if their higher options are still available.

Phase 3 is the final round of allotment for vacancies that exist or arise after phase 2. In phase 3, fresh option registration is available, meaning you can register new options for any course–college combination. If you did not participate in phase 1 or phase 2, phase 3 is your last chance to register options. After phase 3, any remaining vacancies are filled through stray vacancy allotment, which typically involves direct counselling at individual colleges rather than centralised allotment.

• Phase 2: no fresh option registration (except newly added courses)
• Phase 2: only confirmation, deletion, or rearrangement of phase 1 options
• Phase 3: fresh option registration available for all courses
• Phase 3: allotment for vacancies after phase 2
• After phase 3: stray vacancy allotment at individual colleges
• Allotment and joining schedule for each phase will be notified separately

Important Conditions and Eligibility Checks

All allotments are subject to recognition by All India regulatory bodies (such as the National Medical Commission) and affiliation from the relevant universities. If a college or course loses recognition or affiliation before or during the counselling process, allotments to that college or course may be cancelled or modified. The government seat matrix (the number of seats available in each government college and course) will be published once the state government approves it; until then, the exact number of government seats may not be finalised.

If your position in the merit list has been withheld due to defects in your application or other reasons, you can still register options. However, your options will only be considered for allotment if you rectify or clear the defects before 11:30 AM on 29 October 2026 and are otherwise eligible. Contact the CEE Kerala office immediately if your merit list position is withheld; do not wait until the last moment. The CEE will notify the allotment and joining schedule for each phase separately; keep checking the official website for updates.

• Allotments subject to regulatory recognition and university affiliation
• Government seat matrix to be published after state approval
• Merit list position withheld? Rectify defects by 29 October, 11:30 AM
• Options considered only if defects are cleared before deadline
• Contact CEE Kerala immediately if your position is withheld
• Allotment and joining schedules will be notified separately for each phase

Frequently asked questions

Register your NEET-PG options on the CEE Kerala portal before 31 October 2026, 10:00 AM. Pay the security deposit, register only for seats you are willing to join, and remember that phase 1 is your only chance for Minority and NRI quota allotments. Watch the official CEE Kerala website for phase 1 allotment results and joining schedules.