UGC NET December 2026 Apply Online: Step by Step Form Filling Guide, Photo Size, Fee, Last Date

By Pradip Chakraborty Published: October 12, 2026 Updated:

The National Testing Agency (NTA) has started the UGC NET December 2026 Apply Online process on ugcnet.nta.nic.in from 8 October 2026. The last date to submit the form and pay the fee is 28 October 2026 (11:50 PM). Candidates who miss it can still apply from 29 to 31 October 2026 with a late fee of Rs. 500. The correction window will be open from 2 to 4 November 2026, and the exam will be held from 14 to 19 December 2026.

This time, registration is through the Meri Pehchaan Single Sign-On (SSO), and a live photograph has to be captured while filling in the form. This article explains the full UGC NET December 2026 Apply Online process step by step, along with photo and signature size, application fee, payment charges, city selection, correction rules and common mistakes, all taken from the official notice.

Quick summary:

➤ Exam: UGC NET December 2026 (conducted by NTA)

➤ Application mode: Online only at ugcnet.nta.nic.in

➤ Apply online: 8 October to 28 October 2026 (up to 11:50 PM)

➤ Late submission: 29 to 31 October 2026, with Rs. 500 late fee

➤ Correction window: 2 to 4 November 2026

➤ Application fee: Rs. 1150 (General) / Rs. 600 (EWS/OBC-NCL) / Rs. 325 (SC/ST/Third Gender/PwD)

➤ Login: Meri Pehchaan (National Single Sign-On)

➤ Uploads: Live photo + photo (10–200 KB) + signature (10–50 KB)

➤ Exam dates: 14 to 19 December 2026

Table of Contents

UGC NET December 2026 Important Dates
UGC NET Application Fee 2026
Things to Keep Ready Before Applying
Photo, Signature and Document Size
UGC NET December 2026 Apply Online: Step by Step
Payment Modes and Bank Charges
UGC NET Correction Window 2026
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Helpline and Payment Problems
FAQs
Important Links

UGC NET December 2026 Important Dates

Event	Date
Online registration and form submission	8 October 2026 to 28 October 2026 (up to 11:50 PM)
Last date for fee payment	28 October 2026 (up to 11:50 PM)
Late submission with Rs. 500 late fee	29 October 2026 to 31 October 2026 (up to 11:50 PM)
Last date for payment with late fee	31 October 2026 (up to 11:50 PM)
Correction in application form	2 November 2026 to 4 November 2026 (up to 11:50 PM)
Exam city intimation	To be announced later
Admit card	To be announced later
Exam dates	14 December 2026 to 19 December 2026

UGC NET Application Fee 2026

Category	Fee
General / Unreserved	Rs. 1150
General-EWS / OBC-NCL	Rs. 600
SC / ST / Third Gender	Rs. 325
PwD / PwBD	Rs. 325
Late fee (29–31 October 2026)	Rs. 500 extra

Bank service/processing charges and GST are extra and are paid by the candidate.
Pay through Debit Card, Credit Card, Net Banking or UPI.
Fee once paid will not be refunded under any circumstances.

Things to Keep Ready Before Applying

Your own active email ID and mobile number. All NTA updates will come only to these.
Aadhaar, PAN, Driving Licence or APAAR ID for Meri Pehchaan eKYC verification.
A device with a webcam, or a mobile phone to scan the QR code for the live photo.
Scanned recent photograph and signature in the required size.
Master's or 4-year UG marks and details.
Category certificate details (OBC-NCL as per the Central list, EWS, SC/ST).
UDID card or disability certificate (PDF) for PwD/PwBD candidates.
Your subject choice and 4 exam city choices.

Check your eligibility before paying the fee: UGC NET Eligibility 2026: Qualification, Marks and Age Limit.

UGC NET Photo, Signature and Document Size 2026

Document	File Size	Rules
Live photograph	Captured on screen	Use a webcam, or scan the QR code with a phone. Light background, good lighting, 80% face visible including ears, no mask
Recent photograph	10 KB – 200 KB	Colour or black and white, 80% face visible (without mask) including ears, against a white background
Signature	10 KB – 50 KB	Candidate's own signature
Disability / UDID certificate (if applicable)	50 KB – 300 KB (PDF)	Clearly legible

Keep the same passport size photo ready for exam day. You will have to paste it on the attendance sheet at the exam centre.

UGC NET December 2026 Apply Online: Step by Step

Go to the official website ugcnet.nta.nic.in and download the Information Bulletin and the Replica of the Application Form. Read them carefully.
Click on the registration link and sign in through Meri Pehchaan (National Single Sign-On). New users can register with name, date of birth and mobile number, and verify through eKYC using Aadhaar, PAN, Driving Licence or APAAR.
Step 1 – Registration: Register using your own email ID and mobile number.
Step 2 – Application Form: Fill in personal details, category, PwD/PwBD status, educational qualification, subject, medium of question paper and 4 exam cities. Note down the system generated Application Number.
Capture your live photograph and upload the scanned photograph, signature and, if applicable, the disability certificate.
Step 3 – Fee Payment: Pay the fee through SBI, Canara Bank or Union Bank of India gateway using Debit Card, Credit Card, Net Banking or UPI. Keep proof of the payment.
Download, save and print the Confirmation Page. It is generated only after successful fee payment.

All three steps can be done together or at different times.
The form is complete only after Step 2 and Step 3 are done. Incomplete forms will be rejected.
Do not send the Confirmation Page or any document to NTA by post, fax, WhatsApp, email or by hand.

Choosing your 4 exam cities: you can choose only from your State of Permanent Address or State of Present Address. See the full list here: UGC NET Exam Centre West Bengal 2026: Full City List with Codes.

Choosing the medium: the question paper is in English and Hindi only (except language papers). The medium chosen in the form cannot be changed.

Choosing the subject: appear in your Post Graduation subject. Check the subject codes here: UGC NET Syllabus and Exam Pattern 2026.

UGC NET Payment Modes and Bank Charges

Payment Mode	SBI	Canara Bank	Union Bank of India
Net Banking	SBI: Rs. 5 + GST; other banks: Rs. 5 + GST	Rs. 13 to Rs. 17 + GST	NIL
Debit Card (Visa/Master)	NIL	0.40% + GST (up to Rs. 2000); 0.85% + GST (above Rs. 2000)	NIL
Debit Card (RuPay)	NIL	NIL	NIL
Credit Card	Domestic 0.80% + GST (min Rs. 11); International 3.50% + GST (min Rs. 11)	Domestic 1.10% + GST	NIL
UPI	NIL	NIL	NIL

Tip: UPI is free on all three gateways and is the cheapest way to pay.

UGC NET Correction Window 2026

The correction window will be open from 2 to 4 November 2026 (up to 11:50 PM), online only.
Any mismatch in PwD/PwBD details verified through the UDID portal can be corrected only in this window.
After the correction window closes, no change will be allowed. Details like name, category, PwD status, qualification, date of birth and exam cities will be treated as final.
NTA does not edit any information on behalf of candidates, and correction requests sent by post, fax, WhatsApp or email will not be accepted.

Common Mistakes to Avoid in the UGC NET Form

Using someone else's email ID or mobile number. NTA will send all updates only to the registered details.
Choosing OBC-NCL when your caste is only in the State OBC list. Such candidates must choose General / Unreserved.
Choosing exam cities outside your permanent or present address state.
Choosing the wrong medium. It cannot be changed later.
Uploading a photo with a mask, a dark background or ears not visible.
Leaving payment pending. Without a successful payment, the Confirmation Page is not generated and the form is incomplete.
Uploading another person's photo or signature. This is treated as Unfair Means.

UGC NET Helpline and Payment Problems

If the Confirmation Page is not generated after payment, first contact the bank or payment gateway helpline given in Annexure-I of the bulletin.
If the issue is not solved, contact NTA: 011-40759000, email ugcnet@nta.ac.in.
If the payment still does not show as successful, you may pay again. Any duplicate payment will be refunded to the same payment mode after fee reconciliation.
When raising a payment complaint, keep ready: bank / gateway name, date and time, transaction number, bank reference number, proof of transaction and a screenshot.
For admit card issues, call 011-40759000 / 69227700 (10 AM to 5 PM).

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1. What is the last date for UGC NET December 2026 Apply Online?

The last date is 28 October 2026 (11:50 PM). Late submission with a Rs. 500 late fee is allowed from 29 to 31 October 2026.

Q2. What is the UGC NET application fee 2026?

Rs. 1150 for General, Rs. 600 for General-EWS/OBC-NCL, and Rs. 325 for SC/ST/Third Gender/PwD/PwBD candidates, plus bank charges and GST.

Q3. What is the photo size for the UGC NET form?

The photograph must be 10 KB to 200 KB, and the signature 10 KB to 50 KB. A live photo also has to be captured.

Q4. What is Meri Pehchaan in the UGC NET form?

Meri Pehchaan is the Government's National Single Sign-On platform. UGC NET December 2026 registration is done through it, with eKYC using Aadhaar, PAN, Driving Licence or APAAR.

Q5. My device has no webcam. How do I capture the live photo?

Scan the QR code shown on the form with a mobile phone or tablet and capture the photo from there.

Q6. When is the UGC NET December 2026 correction window?

The correction window is from 2 to 4 November 2026 (up to 11:50 PM).

Q7. Do I need to send the printout of the form to NTA?

No. The whole process is online. Just keep 2 to 5 copies of the Confirmation Page for your records.

Q8. Can I get a refund of the UGC NET fee?

No. Fee once paid is not refunded. Only duplicate payments are refunded after reconciliation.

UGC NET December 2026 Apply Online Important Links

Important Links

UGC NET December 2026 Apply Online	Apply Online at ugcnet.nta.nic.in
UGC NET December 2026 Information Bulletin PDF	Download UGC NET December 2026 Notification PDF
NTA Official Website	nta.ac.in
Join our WhatsApp Channel for updates	Join BongJobs WhatsApp Channel
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