Centre issues new guidelines for NRI medical admissions, sponsorship letter no longer valid

The Central Government has issued new and stricter guidelines regarding admissions under the NRI (Non-Resident Indian) quota in medical colleges across India.

The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) has also clarified that sponsorship letters will no longer be accepted for NRI quota admissions. Only candidates who are themselves NRIs or whose parents hold valid NRI status, certified by the Indian Embassy or the Ministry of External Affairs, will be eligible to apply under the NRI quota.

According to the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC), the following documents are now mandatory for NRI quota admissions:

NEET Score Card issued by the National Testing Agency (NTA)

Self-Attested Declaration stating that the candidate is an NRI/OCI/PIO or the child of NRI parents (as per the prescribed format)

OCI/PIO Card of the candidate, if applicable

The NRI status must be confirmed through a certificate issued by the Indian Mission or Embassy abroad. The submission of this document is mandatory at the time of admission reporting. These certificates will be scrutinised by the MCC and then sent to the respective embassies for verification.

If any document is found to be forged or invalid, the candidate’s admission will be cancelled, and further action will be initiated by the relevant authorities, including the medical college.

An NRI Certificate is valid for one year and must be renewed with proof of continued stay abroad. Those who mentioned ‘NRI’ as their nationality while registering for NEET UG 2025 with the NTA do not need to resend the documents, but original documents will be verified at the time of college reporting.

This move aims to ensure transparency and curb misuse of the NRI quota in medical admissions, especially during the ongoing All India Quota (AIQ) counselling process for MBBS courses after Class 12 Science.