NEET PG Round 2 Counselling 2026: Registration Open, Key Dates & Fee Structure

The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) has opened registration for NEET PG 2026 Round 2 counselling on its official portal. This round includes newly approved postgraduate seats that were not available in Round 1, offering fresh opportunities for doctors who either did not participate earlier, received no seat, or wish to upgrade from their Round 1 allocation. The registration window is tight—lasting less than three weeks—so understanding the exact deadlines and process is critical for every aspirant. Round 2 is your chance to access additional colleges and specialities that may not have been offered in the first round.

When Does NEET PG Round 2 Registration Open and Close?

Registration for NEET PG Round 2 began on November 7, 2026, at 1:00 PM on the MCC website (mcc.nic.in). The original schedule had planned to start on November 6, but MCC postponed the opening by one day to allow institutes time to verify newly approved seats after applying the reservation roster. This delay was necessary because the National Medical Commission released the Round 2 seat matrix on November 3, and verification by individual institutes took additional time.

The registration window itself remains open until November 14, 2026, at 3:00 PM. However, this does not mean you have until that date to complete all steps. The critical deadline for new candidates and those upgrading is November 11 at 12 noon for registration and 3 PM for fee payment. If you miss these dates, you will not be able to participate in Round 2.

Complete Timeline: Every Important Date for Round 2

The Round 2 cycle is compressed into less than three weeks, requiring careful planning. Below is the full schedule of events from registration through reporting.

Who Is Eligible to Participate in Round 2?

Round 2 is open to four distinct groups of candidates, each with slightly different circumstances. Understanding which category you fall into is important because it affects your eligibility and the rules you must follow.

New candidates who did not register or participate in Round 1 can register fresh in Round 2. Candidates who registered in Round 1 but received no seat allocation can participate again. Candidates who secured and joined a Round 1 seat can seek an upgrade by participating in Round 2—if you choose this path, your Round 1 seat remains secure while you try for a better option. Finally, candidates who registered in Round 1 but did not join any seat can also participate in Round 2.

• New candidates (did not participate in Round 1)
• Round 1 candidates who received no seat
• Round 1 candidates seeking an upgrade (retain Round 1 seat while trying for better options)
• Round 1 candidates who registered but did not join any seat

Registration Fee and Security Deposit: What You Must Pay

Every candidate registering for Round 2 must pay a non-refundable registration fee and a refundable security deposit. The amounts vary depending on the category of seat (government or deemed university) and your personal category (general or reserved).

For All-India Quota (AIQ), Central, and ESIC seats, unreserved (UR) candidates pay Rs 1,000 as registration fee and Rs 25,000 as security deposit. Candidates from reserved categories (SC, ST, OBC, PwD) pay Rs 500 and Rs 10,000 respectively. For deemed university seats across all categories, the registration fee is Rs 5,000 and the security deposit is Rs 2,00,000. If you are applying for both government and deemed seats, you pay only the higher amount (Rs 5,000 registration fee and Rs 2,00,000 security deposit). Importantly, if you already registered in Round 1, you do not pay these fees again in Round 2.

How to Register: Step-by-Step Process

Registration is entirely online through the MCC portal. The process is straightforward but requires attention to detail. Start by visiting mcc.nic.in and locating the PG Medical Counselling section. New candidates should click on the 'New Registration' link and enter their NEET PG 2026 roll number along with personal details. You will then set a password and receive a registration number—save this carefully as you will need it for all future steps.

After registration, proceed to pay the registration fee and security deposit online. MCC accepts payment through net banking, debit card, credit card, and UPI. Keep your payment receipt safe; you will need it during reporting. Once payment is confirmed, you can fill your preferred colleges and specialities in order of choice. After finalizing your choices, lock them on the portal and download the locked choice slip. This slip is your proof of participation and must be kept until reporting is complete.

• Open mcc.nic.in and navigate to PG Medical Counselling section
• Click 'New Registration' (for new candidates)
• Enter NEET PG 2026 roll number and personal details
• Set a password and note your registration number
• Pay registration fee and security deposit online (net banking, debit card, credit card, or UPI)
• Fill preferred colleges and specialities in order of choice
• Lock your choices and download the locked choice slip

What's New in Round 2: Newly Approved Seats

The primary reason Round 2 exists is to offer postgraduate seats that were newly approved by the National Medical Commission and were not available in Round 1. These seats represent genuine new capacity in the system, not simply a reallocation of Round 1 seats. This means you may find colleges, specialities, or seat categories that were completely absent from Round 1.

The NMC released the Round 2 seat matrix on November 3, 2026, and MCC published it on its portal. Before you begin filling choices, download and study this updated matrix carefully. Compare it with the Round 1 matrix to identify which colleges or branches are newly available. This is your opportunity to access options that were not previously offered. Use the Round 1 closing ranks (the last rank that secured a seat in each college-speciality combination) as a guide to estimate your chances in Round 2.

Critical Deadlines You Cannot Miss

While the full Round 2 window extends until mid-November, several hard deadlines will determine whether you can participate. If you are a new candidate or upgrading from Round 1, you must register by 12 noon on November 11 and pay your fees by 3 PM the same day. Missing these deadlines means you cannot participate in Round 2 at all.

After registration and payment, you have until 11:55 PM on November 15 to fill and lock your choices. However, MCC strongly recommends locking your choices well before the deadline to avoid technical issues. Once the choice-locking window closes, your choices are final and cannot be changed. Any choices not locked by the deadline will not be considered for seat allocation.

• Register by 12 noon on November 11 (new candidates and upgraders)
• Pay fees by 3 PM on November 11
• Fill choices between November 10, 1:00 PM and November 15, 11:55 PM
• Lock choices between November 14, 4:00 PM and November 15, 11:55 PM
• Provisional result on November 16; final result on November 17
• Report to your allotted college between November 18 and 24

Important Rules About Choice Filling and Locking

A critical point that many candidates overlook: your choices from Round 1 do not automatically carry over to Round 2. Even if you participated in Round 1, you must fill and lock fresh choices for Round 2. This is true whether you received a seat in Round 1 or not. You cannot assume your previous preferences will apply.

When filling choices, list colleges and specialities in your genuine order of preference. The allotment algorithm will match you to the highest-ranked choice for which you are eligible based on your NEET PG rank and category. Once you lock your choices, they become binding—you cannot modify them. If you need to change your choices before locking, use the 'Edit/Reset Registration Option' facility available until November 14 at 1:00 PM. After that, only locked choices matter.

What Happens After Allotment: Reporting and Verification

After the final result is declared on November 17, you will have one week (November 18 to 24) to report to your allotted college. Reporting means physically visiting the college with your original documents for verification and admission formalities. Failure to report within this window may result in forfeiture of your seat.

On November 25, MCC will verify the data of all candidates who have joined. This verification confirms that you have actually reported and that your admission is complete. After this date, MCC may announce Round 3 and stray vacancy rounds for any remaining unfilled seats. Keep checking mcc.nic.in for these announcements.

Frequently asked questions

Download the Round 2 seat matrix from mcc.nic.in immediately and compare it with Round 1 to identify newly available seats. Mark your calendar for November 11 (registration and payment deadline) and November 15 (choice-locking deadline), and plan your college preferences carefully before filling choices on the portal.