The NTA has also confirmed that the upcoming re-examination, scheduled for June 21, 2026, will be conducted entirely free of cost for all previously registered candidates, funded fully through the agency's internal reserves.
Following the unprecedented cancellation of the May 3, 2026, National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET-UG) over widespread paper leak allegations, the National Testing Agency (NTA) has announced a 100 per cent application fee refund for all registered medical aspirants.
While the announcement has brought a sense of relief to over 20 lakh students nationwide, students and parents are wondering:
- How will the money be returned?
- What happens if the form was filled at an external internet kiosk?
To clear the air, the NTA has launched a dedicated online portal designed specifically to process these fee disbursements directly to verified candidate bank accounts.
Crucially, the NTA has also confirmed that the upcoming re-examination, scheduled for June 21, 2026, will be conducted entirely free of cost for all previously registered candidates, funded fully through the agency's internal reserves.
The refund structure: What you are owed
The refund process applies to all candidates who successfully registered for the cancelled May 3 exam.
The exact amount to be credited back varies based on the reservation category:
- General (Unreserved) candidates are eligible for a refund of Rs 1,700.
- OBC-NCL and General-EWS candidates will receive a reimbursement of Rs 1,600.
- SC, ST, PwD and third gender candidates are entitled to a refund of Rs 1,000.
- Foreign and NRI candidates will be refunded an amount of Rs 9,500.
Please note: The refund amount strictly covers the official NTA application fee. Any additional payment processing or gateway transaction fees levied by individual banks during the candidate’s initial payment are non-refundable.
Why NTA isn't doing direct reversals
Typically, digital service refunds are seamlessly reversed straight back to the original source of payment.
However, the NTA recognises a unique challenge faced by thousands of Indian students: A vast percentage of candidates, particularly from rural or semi-urban districts, rely heavily on commercial internet kiosks, digital service centres or local cyber cafes to fill out forms and execute online payments.
If the NTA initiated a generic automatic payment reversal, the funds would return to the bank accounts or digital wallets owned by those cyber cafe operators, leaving students vulnerable to exploitation or lost cash.
To circumvent this issue, the NTA has mandated that every candidate must explicitly provide their own verified banking details.
Step-by-step guide to claiming your refund
To claim your reimbursement safely, candidates must log into the official NTA web ecosystem and fill in their bank verification details. Here is the exact breakdown of the process:
Access the official refund module
Visit the official portal at neet.nta.nic.in. Look for the link titled ‘NEET UG 2026 Application Fee Refund Process’ on the homepage.
Secure portal login
Enter your NEET-UG 2026 application number, your password and the displayed security captcha code to enter your secure student dashboard.
Provide bank account information
Navigate to the refund tab.
You will be prompted to enter banking details of an active account. This can belong to the student or their parents.
You must provide the account holder's name, bank name, account number and the IFSC code.
Double-check and verify
Review every detail carefully. An incorrect digit or mistyped character will lead to an immediate transaction failure, which could delay or permanently freeze your refund processing.
Submit and save confirmation
Click 'Submit Request'.
Once the page reloads with a success notification, download or screenshot the confirmation receipt containing your transaction request reference string for future queries.
Clarification about the June 21 re-exam
For students gearing up for the upcoming re-examination, the NTA has clarified that the refund portal is completely separate from your exam eligibility.
You do not need to register afresh, upload documents or pay any administrative charges to sit for the test on June 21, 2026.
All previous candidate records, including your chosen medium of instruction, photographs and identity signatures, are securely stored and will be applied directly to the fresh admit cards.
The agency will briefly open a separate communication window allowing students to amend their current communication address or modify their exam city preferences ahead of the June re-test.
Important: Parents and students are strongly advised to complete the bank details submission promptly and avoid sharing confidential login passwords or banking OTPs with unauthorised third parties or commercial agents.
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