The university issued the notification on September 10, 2026, as a continuation of its earlier notification dated August 29, 2026. Candidates who have joined their Phase-I allotted MBBS seat but now wish to withdraw without continuing with that seat can use the Free Exit option within the prescribed deadline.

The facility, however, comes with an important condition: candidates who exercise Free Exit will no longer be eligible to participate in subsequent Competent Authority Quota counselling rounds for the 2026-27 academic session. Therefore, students must carefully consider their options before submitting a Free Exit request.

AP MBBS Phase 1 Free Exit 2026: Key Details

The university has instructed the concerned medical college principals to accept Free Exit requests in the prescribed format and complete the required formalities within the notified timeline.

What Is the Free Exit Facility?

The Free Exit provision allows a candidate who has already reported to or joined a Phase-I MBBS seat under the Competent Authority Quota to leave that seat within the specified period.

Candidates who decide not to continue with their allotted seat must submit their Free Exit request to the Principal of the concerned medical college on or before the prescribed deadline.

The last date for exercising the facility is September 12, 2026, up to 2:00 PM. The university has also directed colleges to process the requests and return the relevant documents and fees to eligible candidates who exit within the permitted period.

Original Certificates and Fees to Be Returned

The notification contains important instructions for medical colleges regarding candidates who exercise Free Exit.

Once a candidate's Free Exit request is accepted, the concerned Principal has been directed to:

• Accept the candidate's Free Exit request in the prescribed format.

• Return the candidate's original certificates.

• Return the entire tuition fee paid by the candidate.

• Return other fees, wherever applicable.

• Complete the process within the stipulated Free Exit period.

The university will also freeze the latest counselling data at 2:00 PM on September 12, 2026. After the deadline expires, candidates will no longer be permitted to withdraw from a Phase-I seat under the Free Exit facility.

Important: Free Exit Ends Eligibility for Further CAQ Counselling

The most significant condition attached to the Free Exit facility is its impact on future counselling eligibility.

Candidates who exercise Free Exit will not be eligible to participate in further Competent Authority Quota counselling rounds for the 2026-27 academic year.

This means that students should not exercise Free Exit merely with the expectation that they will automatically receive another CAQ seat in Phase-II or later rounds.

Therefore, candidates who are satisfied with their existing Phase-I allotment or who want to retain the opportunity to participate in subsequent CAQ rounds should carefully consider their decision before submitting a Free Exit request.

Can Free Exit Candidates Join Management Quota?

Yes. The notification provides an important exception for Management Quota admissions.

Candidates who exercise Free Exit from their Phase-I CAQ seat can still join under the Management Quota (MQ) Phase-I of Dr. NTR University of Health Sciences, Vijayawada, if a seat is allotted to them under that category.

Thus, Free Exit does not completely close the door on all further MBBS admission opportunities. However, it specifically removes the candidate from subsequent CAQ counselling rounds.

Candidates considering this option should therefore distinguish between the Competent Authority Quota and Management Quota before making a final decision.

What Happens to Seats Vacated Through Free Exit?

Candidates who resign from their Phase-I allotted seats within the Free Exit window will be treated as “not reported/not joined” candidates.

The seats vacated by such candidates will subsequently be considered for filling during Phase-II counselling, in accordance with the applicable counselling rules.

This mechanism allows the university to make the seats available to other eligible candidates during the next phase of the admission process.

What Happens If a Candidate Does Not Exercise Free Exit?

Candidates who have already reported or joined their Phase-I seats but do not opt for Free Exit within the prescribed period will continue in the counselling process.

After the Free Exit deadline:

• Such candidates will automatically be considered for Phase-II counselling.

• Phase-II counselling rules will apply to them.

• They will remain eligible to exercise Web Options in Phase-II according to the applicable counselling procedure and their preferences.

Therefore, candidates who want to retain their CAQ counselling opportunity should carefully evaluate whether they want to stay with their existing seat and participate in Phase-II or leave the seat through Free Exit.

Candidates Who Did Not Report to Their Phase-I Seat

The notification also distinguishes between candidates who joined their allotted seat and those who did not report.

Candidates who did not report at their Phase-I allotted college can participate in Phase-II Web Options for other colleges, subject to the counselling rules.

However, they will not be permitted to exercise options for the specific college where they were allotted a seat in Phase-I but failed to join.

This restriction should be kept in mind while preparing the Phase-II preference list.

No Resignation Later If Free Exit Is Not Used

Another important provision concerns candidates who remain in their Phase-I seats after the Free Exit window closes.

According to the notification, candidates who have reported to their Phase-I seats and do not use the Free Exit opportunity within the prescribed period cannot subsequently resign from the seat during the remaining admission process.

The restriction applies from Phase-III counselling until closure of admissions.

Consequently, the Free Exit window represents a crucial decision point for candidates who are uncertain about continuing with their Phase-I allotment.

Public Holidays Will Be Treated as Working Days

Candidates should also take note of the university's instruction regarding holidays.

For the purpose of this counselling schedule, all public holidays will be treated as working days.

Therefore, candidates should not assume that a holiday will extend the Free Exit deadline. The notified closing time remains 2:00 PM on September 12, 2026.

Who Is Covered Under the Notification?

The notification has been issued to the Principals of the medical colleges concerned with Andhra Pradesh MBBS admissions, including:

• Government Medical Colleges

• Un-aided Non-Minority Private Medical Colleges

• Minority Private Medical Colleges

• Sri Padmavathi Medical College for Women, Tirupati, under SVIMS

The instructions apply to the Phase-I MBBS admissions conducted under the Competent Authority Quota for the 2026-27 academic year.

AP MBBS Phase 1 Free Exit 2026: What Candidates Should Do

Candidates considering Free Exit should make their decision carefully and complete the process before the deadline.

Candidates opting for Free Exit should:

1. Confirm their Phase-I admission status.
The facility applies to candidates who have reported to or joined their allotted Phase-I MBBS seat under CAQ.

2. Approach the concerned medical college.
The Free Exit request has to be submitted to the Principal of the concerned college.

3. Submit the request in the prescribed format.
Candidates should follow the format and procedure specified by the university.

4. Complete the process before 2:00 PM on September 12, 2026.

5. Collect their original certificates and applicable fee refunds after the Free Exit request is processed.

6. Remember the counselling consequence.
Once Free Exit is exercised, the candidate cannot participate in subsequent CAQ counselling rounds.

7. Consider Management Quota separately.
Eligible candidates may still participate in Management Quota Phase-I if a seat is allotted to them.

AP MBBS Phase 1 Free Exit 2026: Important Timeline

The university will freeze the relevant data at 2:00 PM on September 12. Candidates should therefore complete the required formalities well before the closing time rather than waiting until the last few hours.

AP MBBS Phase-I Free Exit 2026: Key Takeaways

• NTRUHS has announced Free Exit for Phase-I joined/reported MBBS candidates under CAQ.

• The notification was issued on September 10, 2026.

• The Free Exit window closes on September 12, 2026, at 2:00 PM.

• Candidates must submit their request to the Principal of the concerned medical college.

• Colleges have been instructed to return original certificates and the entire tuition fee, along with other applicable fees, to candidates who validly exercise Free Exit.

• Candidates using Free Exit will not be eligible for further CAQ counselling rounds in 2026-27.

• Such candidates may still be eligible for Management Quota Phase-I, if allotted a seat.

• Seats vacated through Free Exit will be considered for Phase-II counselling.

• Candidates who remain in their Phase-I seats can participate in Phase-II Web Options according to the applicable rules.

• Candidates who did not join their Phase-I allotted college cannot choose that same college in Phase-II.

• Candidates who do not use the Free Exit facility within the specified period cannot resign their joined seat later during the remaining admission process.

• Public holidays will be treated as working days for this schedule.

Final Advisory for AP NEET UG 2026 Candidates

The Andhra Pradesh MBBS Phase-I Free Exit announcement gives joined candidates a limited opportunity to leave their allotted CAQ seat without waiting for later stages of the admission process. However, the decision has a major counselling consequence, since candidates who exercise Free Exit will lose their eligibility for subsequent CAQ rounds.

Students should therefore compare their present Phase-I seat with their expected options and future admission plans before submitting the request. Those who are comfortable with their current seat or wish to remain eligible for Phase-II CAQ counselling should not exercise Free Exit without fully understanding the consequences.

Candidates choosing to exit should ensure that the formal request is submitted to the concerned college Principal before 2:00 PM on September 12, 2026. Once the deadline passes, the university will freeze the data and the Free Exit facility will no longer be available for the joined Phase-I seat.