Tamil Nadu NEET-PG Stray Vacancy Round 2026: Deadlines, Eligibility & Fee Details

Tamil Nadu's Directorate of Medical Education and Research has opened the stray vacancy round for NEET-PG counselling 2026, offering a final opportunity for eligible MBBS and BDS graduates to secure a postgraduate seat. This round is designed for candidates who did not secure a seat in earlier counselling phases or who are entering the process for the first time. Registration, choice filling, and choice-locking will close on October 21, 2026 at 5:00 PM, with seat allotment results expected the same day. Understanding the eligibility rules, fee structure, and tight reporting timeline is critical for aspirants planning to participate.

Who Can Apply: Eligibility and Disqualification Rules

The stray vacancy round is open only to candidates who have not yet secured any MBBS or BDS seat under the All India Quota or Tamil Nadu State Quota in any category—government, management, or NRI. If you have already joined a seat from an earlier counselling round, you are ineligible to participate, even if you later wish to change your choice.

Critically, candidates who were allotted a seat in Tamil Nadu's Round 3 counselling but did not join are also barred from this stray round. This rule prevents candidates from gaming the system by skipping earlier allotments and hoping for better options later. Your NEET-PG rank and score must fall within the specified range: for government quota, ranks GR 001 to GR 35,926 with NEET scores from 705 to 177; for management quota, ranks GR 001 to GR 26,956 with scores from 693 to 177.

• Eligible: No MBBS/BDS seat held in any quota (government, management, NRI) from All India or Tamil Nadu counselling
• Ineligible: Already joined any MBBS/BDS seat in earlier rounds
• Ineligible: Allotted but did not join in Tamil Nadu Round 3
• Must be on the Tamil Nadu Medical Selection Committee merit list

Registration and Choice-Filling Deadline: October 21, 2026

All registration, choice filling, and choice-locking must be completed by 5:00 PM on October 21, 2026. This is a hard deadline; no extensions are granted. If you do not manually lock your choices before this time, the system will automatically lock them at 5:00 PM, so you cannot edit after that point. Candidates are strongly advised to complete choice filling well before the deadline to avoid last-minute technical issues or connectivity problems.

You may edit your choices as many times as you wish before locking, but once locked, no further changes are permitted. The selection committee does not take responsibility for connectivity errors or procedural mistakes, so it is your responsibility to ensure your choices are correctly entered and locked. Vacancy information for all courses will be published on the official Tamil Nadu DME website, allowing you to make informed decisions about which colleges and seats to prioritize.

• Registration opens: Date not specified in notice (check official website)
• Registration, choice filling, and choice-locking close: October 21, 2026 at 5:00 PM
• Automatic locking: Choices auto-lock at 5:00 PM if not manually locked
• Editing: Unlimited edits allowed before locking; no edits after locking
• Vacancy list: Available on official website before choice filling

Non-Refundable Security Deposit and Registration Fees

All candidates participating in the stray vacancy round must pay a non-refundable security deposit: ₹5 lakhs for MBBS courses and ₹2 lakhs for BDS courses. This deposit is forfeited if you are allotted a seat but do not join the course. Additionally, if you have not previously registered for Tamil Nadu medical counselling, you must pay a registration fee of ₹500 for government quota or ₹1,000 for management quota. These fees are separate from the security deposit and tuition fees.

Candidates belonging to Scheduled Castes (SC/SCA), Scheduled Tribes (ST/SCC) whose parents' or guardians' annual income is below ₹2.5 lakhs and who have submitted an income certificate are exempt from the security deposit. However, they must still pay the registration fee if they are first-time registrants. All payments are made online via the bank payment portal; candidates must ensure sufficient funds and expanded credit/transaction limits are available in their bank accounts before attempting payment.

• Security deposit: ₹5 lakhs for MBBS; ₹2 lakhs for BDS (non-refundable if you don't join)
• Registration fee: ₹500 for government quota; ₹1,000 for management quota (first-time registrants only)
• SC/SCA/ST/SCC exemption: Security deposit waived if annual family income < ₹2.5 lakhs and income certificate submitted
• Payment method: Online via bank portal (debit card, credit card, or net banking)
• Forfeiture: Security deposit is lost if allotted but you do not join or discontinue the course

Seat Allotment Timeline: October 22–26, 2026

Seat allotment processing begins on October 22, 2026, with results declared the same day in the afternoon session. Candidates must download their provisional allotment order between October 22 and October 26, 2026 at 12:00 noon. Importantly, downloading the allotment order is considered as joining the course; you are then obligated to report to the allotted college in person by October 26, 2026 at 5:00 PM. Failure to report by this deadline will result in cancellation of your admission without further notice.

The reporting deadline is strict: October 26, 2026 at 5:00 PM. If you do not physically report to the head of the institution by this date and time, your selection and admission will be cancelled, and you will forfeit your security deposit, any tuition fees paid, and any additional deposits. You will also be barred from participating in Tamil Nadu undergraduate medical counselling for the next one academic year. There is no re-allotment round in the stray vacancy phase, so missing the deadline has severe consequences.

• Seat allotment processing: October 22, 2026
• Results declared: October 22, 2026 (afternoon)
• Download allotment order: October 22–26, 2026 (by 12:00 noon on October 26)
• Reporting deadline: October 26, 2026 at 5:00 PM
• Consequence of non-reporting: Admission cancelled, deposits forfeited, barred from TN counselling for one year

Tuition Fee Payment and Allotment Order Download

To download your provisional allotment order, you must pay the tuition fee online via debit card, credit card, or net banking. This payment is separate from the security deposit and registration fee. The tuition fee amount varies by course, college, and quota and is available on the official Tamil Nadu DME website. Candidates belonging to SC/SCA/ST/SCC with annual family income below ₹2.5 lakhs who have submitted an income certificate are exempt from upfront tuition fee payment for government quota and management quota seats in self-financing medical colleges; they pay fees directly at the college during admission.

For BDS seats in self-financing dental colleges, all candidates must pay tuition fees directly to the college at the time of admission, not online. Ensure your bank account has sufficient funds and expanded transaction limits before attempting to pay online. The selection committee does not take responsibility for payment failures due to insufficient funds or connectivity issues, so plan ahead and verify your account status before the deadline.

• Tuition fee payment: Required to download allotment order (online via debit/credit card or net banking)
• Fee structure: Available on official website; varies by course, college, and quota
• SC/SCA/ST/SCC exemption: Upfront payment waived for government and management quota in self-financing colleges (income < ₹2.5 lakhs with income certificate)
• BDS self-financing colleges: Pay tuition fee directly to college at admission, not online
• Bank account: Ensure sufficient funds and expanded credit/transaction limits before payment

Reporting to Your Allotted College: Documents and Verification

When you report to your allotted college on or before October 26, 2026 at 5:00 PM, you must bring all original certificates for in-person verification. The college will conduct certificate verification on-site; you must also provide scanned copies of your original certificates. Bring your NEET-PG admit card, merit list printout, allotment order, and any other documents specified by the college. Failure to report in person will result in automatic cancellation of your admission.

At the time of reporting, you will be required to sign a self-declaration form confirming that you are liable for forfeiture of your selection and admission if any suppression of facts or misinterpretation is discovered during or after admission. This is a legal commitment; any false information provided during admission can lead to cancellation of your seat and potential legal consequences. Keep all communication with the college and the selection committee in writing, and regularly check the official Tamil Nadu DME website for updates, as no individual notifications will be sent to candidates.

• Reporting deadline: October 26, 2026 at 5:00 PM (in person at the allotted college)
• Documents required: Original certificates, NEET-PG admit card, merit list printout, allotment order, scanned copies of certificates
• Certificate verification: Conducted by the college at the time of reporting
• Self-declaration form: Must be signed confirming liability for forfeiture if facts are suppressed
• No individual notifications: Check official website regularly for updates; no direct communication will be sent

Consequences of Non-Joining or Discontinuation

If you are allotted a seat in the stray vacancy round but do not join or discontinue the course after joining, you will forfeit your security deposit, any tuition fees paid, and any additional deposits. You will also be required to pay a discontinuation fee as specified in the government quota or management quota prospectus. Beyond financial penalties, you will be barred from participating in Tamil Nadu undergraduate medical counselling for the next one academic year, effectively losing an entire year of postgraduate training opportunity.

This strict policy is designed to ensure that seats are filled by committed candidates and to prevent gaming of the counselling system. Once you download your allotment order, you are considered to have joined, and you are legally bound to report and pursue the course. Carefully consider your choice before locking it, and ensure you are genuinely committed to joining the allotted college before proceeding with registration and fee payment.

• Forfeiture: Security deposit, tuition fees, and additional deposits are lost if you don't join or discontinue
• Discontinuation fee: Payable as per prospectus if you leave after joining
• Barred from counselling: Ineligible for Tamil Nadu medical counselling for one academic year
• Downloading = joining: Downloading the allotment order is considered as joining the course
• Legal commitment: You are bound to report and pursue the course once you download the allotment order

Available Seats in Stray Vacancy Round 2026

The stray vacancy round offers a limited number of seats across government and self-financing colleges. For MBBS under government quota, only 1 seat is available at Thoothukudi Medical College. For BDS under government quota, 1 seat is available at Tamil Nadu Government Dental College & Hospital, Chennai. For BDS under self-financing colleges, 6 seats are distributed across five institutions: Best Dental Science College Madurai (1), K.S.R. Institute of Dental Science & Research Tiruchengode (1), Rajas Dental College & Hospital Tirunelveli (2), Sri Ramakrishna Dental College & Hospital Coimbatore (1), and Madha Dental College & Hospital Kundrathur (1).

These are tentative vacancy positions and may change based on candidate withdrawals or other administrative adjustments. The complete and updated vacancy list will be available on the official Tamil Nadu DME website before choice filling begins. Candidates should review the full vacancy position across all colleges and quotas before making their choices, as the number of available seats is very limited and competition may be high depending on the number of eligible applicants.

• MBBS government quota: 1 seat (Thoothukudi Medical College)
• BDS government quota: 1 seat (Tamil Nadu Government Dental College & Hospital, Chennai)
• BDS self-financing: 6 seats across 5 colleges (Madurai, Tiruchengode, Tirunelveli, Coimbatore, Kundrathur)
• Total seats: Approximately 8 seats across MBBS and BDS
• Vacancy list: Tentative; full updated list available on official website before choice filling

Key Procedural Reminders and Official Resources

Candidates are strongly advised to read the complete prospectus for their respective quota (government or management) before beginning choice filling. The prospectus contains detailed information about fee structures, discontinuation policies, reservation rules, and other critical procedures. The selection committee does not take responsibility for connectivity errors, procedural mistakes, or misunderstandings arising from failure to read the prospectus. All official notices, schedules, results, and updates will be published only on the official Tamil Nadu DME website; no individual notifications will be sent to candidates.

Maintain regular contact with the official website throughout the counselling process. Do not rely on third-party websites, social media, or unofficial sources for information. If you have questions or concerns, contact the Tamil Nadu DME directly through the official website. Keep copies of all your registration confirmations, fee payment receipts, choice-filling screenshots, and allotment orders for your records. These documents may be needed for verification or in case of disputes.

• Read the prospectus: Mandatory before choice filling; contains fee structure, discontinuation policy, and reservation rules
• Official website only: All updates published on Tamil Nadu DME website; no individual notifications sent
• No third-party reliance: Do not trust unofficial sources, social media, or other websites for information
• Keep records: Save all registration confirmations, receipts, screenshots, and allotment orders
• Contact DME directly: For questions or concerns, reach out through the official website

Frequently asked questions

If you are an eligible MBBS or BDS graduate without a seat from earlier Tamil Nadu counselling rounds, act immediately: verify your eligibility, arrange the security deposit and registration fees, and plan to complete registration and choice-locking by October 21, 2026 at 5:00 PM. Review the official Tamil Nadu DME website regularly for the updated vacancy list and any procedural changes, and ensure you are prepared to report to your allotted college by October 26, 2026 at 5:00 PM if selected.