Candidates applying for the University Grants Commission National Eligibility Test (UGC NET) December 2026 must pay the examination fee prescribed by the National Testing Agency (NTA). The application fee varies according to the candidate's category, and applicable payment gateway or service charges and GST are payable separately.

Candidates should check the category selected in their application form and pay the corresponding fee before the deadline. Applicants submitting the form during the late-registration period must also pay the additional late fee of ₹500.

UGC NET December 2026 Application Fee Structure

According to the official NTA Information Bulletin, the category-wise examination fees are as follows:

Applicable service or processing charges and GST are payable over and above the examination fee. The final amount displayed by the payment gateway may therefore be higher than the base fee listed above.

UGC NET 2026 Late Application Fee

NTA permits late submission of the UGC NET December 2026 application form from October 29 to October 31, 2026, with an additional late fee of ₹500.

The last date for successful late-fee payment is October 31, 2026, at 11:50 PM.

The following table shows the base examination fee plus the late fee, excluding payment gateway charges and GST.

Candidates should not wait until the late-registration period unless necessary. Applying during the regular window avoids the additional ₹500 charge.

UGC NET 2026 Application Fee Payment Methods

The examination fee must be paid online through the payment gateway integrated with the NTA application portal. The prescribed methods include:

• Credit card

• Debit card

• Net banking

• UPI

Candidates should complete payment only through the official application portal and retain the transaction details.

After payment, check whether the status is marked successful and whether the confirmation page has been generated. If money is deducted but no confirmation page appears, follow NTA's instructions for payment reconciliation or duplicate transactions rather than assuming that the application is complete.

Is the UGC NET Application Fee Refundable?

The official Information Bulletin states that the examination fee, once remitted by the candidate, is not refundable under normal circumstances.

Candidates should check their personal details, category, subject selection and other application information before making payment.

The bulletin separately explains how duplicate or multiple payments and unsuccessful transactions are handled. If a payment has not been successfully credited to NTA, the candidate may need to complete the payment again and follow the prescribed process for reconciling the earlier transaction.

Important Points About UGC NET December 2026 Fees

• The General / Unreserved category fee is ₹1,150.

• The General-EWS and OBC-NCL category fee is ₹600.

• The SC, ST, Third Gender and PwD/PwBD category fee is ₹325.

• The additional late-registration fee is ₹500.

• Payment gateway charges, service or processing charges, and GST are extra.

• The application is complete only after successful form submission and fee payment.

• Save the payment receipt and application confirmation page for future reference.

Category clarification: OBC-NCL eligibility for the reduced fee follows the applicable central-list and NTA instructions. Candidates who belong only to a state OBC list but are not in the Central OBC-NCL list should check the bulletin before selecting their category.

UGC NET December 2026 Fee Payment Deadlines

Candidates should verify the payment status and application confirmation before the relevant deadline. Check the official website for any subsequent notifications or changes.

Official Website for UGC NET Application Fees

For the latest fee details, payment instructions and category-specific rules, consult the following official resources:

• UGC NET official website: https://ugcnet.nta.nic.in/

• December 2026 Information Bulletin: https://ugcnet.nta.nic.in/information-bulletin/

• Official documents and notices: https://ugcnet.nta.nic.in/documents/

The Information Bulletin is the authoritative reference for the application fee, late fee, applicable charges and payment procedure.

Need Guidance for UGC NET and Higher Education?

Eduspray India can help students understand eligibility requirements, explore academic pathways and organise their education-related applications.