If your name comes in a reciprocal college, you may wonder whether you can leave the fee unpaid there and wait for your name to come in open merit later. It sounds like a smart way to wait for a better college. Under the UHS rules it is the quickest way to lose your seat for the whole session.
The short answer: no. When your name appears in a UHS college-wise selection list, on a reciprocal seat or any other, you must deposit the college fee, report in writing to that college and upload the signed and stamped joining report on the UHS portal by the due date. If you miss any of these, UHS excludes you from the admission and upgradation process, with no right of admission or upgradation in that session. Your name will not come back in a later open merit list.
Source: this guide follows the UHS MBBS/BDS Prospectus for Public Sector Medical & Dental Colleges in Punjab, Session 2026-27; the rules below are unchanged from 2025-26. Rules are set each year, so check every selection-list notice on the UHS website.
What are reciprocal seats?
Reciprocal seats are MBBS seats in medical colleges outside Punjab that are kept for Punjab-domiciled students. Students with a domicile of any district of Punjab can compete for them. The 2026-27 prospectus lists 14 such seats:
| College | Seats |
|---|---|
| Bolan Medical College, Quetta, Balochistan | 4 |
| Khyber Medical College, Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa | 1 |
| Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Shaheed Medical College, Mirpur, AJ&K | 3 |
| Azad Jammu Kashmir Medical College, Muzaffarabad, AJ&K | 3 |
| Poonch Medical College, Rawalakot, AJ&K | 3 |
| Total | 14 |
The prospectus says these seats are filled with the open merit seats of Punjab, and the candidate must meet the basic eligibility criteria. So a reciprocal college is a real admission offer, exactly like a Punjab college in a selection list. Treat it that way.
Why skipping the fee does not keep you in open merit
Three rules in the prospectus decide this:
- You are admitted only after you complete the joining steps. To count as an admitted candidate you must deposit the prescribed college fee and dues by the due date, report in writing to your college by the due date, and upload the scanned joining report, signed and stamped by the college, on the UHS admission portal.
- Missing a step removes you from the process. Candidates who fail to deposit the fee, report their joining or upload the joining report in time are excluded from the admission/upgradation process and have no right of admission or upgradation in the current session.
- Only those who joined can move up. The right of upgradation is given only to candidates who joined their college in the preceding list. A candidate who is selected but does not join, or cancels the admission, is not eligible for further selection or upgradation.
Separately, the fee rules say newly selected candidates who do not pay within the notified period lose their seat to the next candidate on the waiting list. That student moves up, and you do not get a second chance in the same session.
What to do when your name appears in a selection list
- Check the list yourself. UHS displays selection lists on its website and does not inform selected candidates individually. If you miss the list, you miss the deadline.
- Download your college fee challan from the UHS application portal.
- Pay before the due date on the challan. Deposit it at the nearest Bank of Punjab or National Bank branch, or online through the 1Bill Invoice option (not 1Bill top-up). Under the 2026-27 prospectus, selected candidates get three working days after a list is displayed to deposit the college fee.
- Upload a photo of the paid challan or receipt on the portal.
- Report to your college in writing and get your joining report signed and stamped by the college.
- Upload the scanned joining report on the UHS portal by the due date.
Selected on a reciprocal seat? The prospectus adds that Punjab-domiciled candidates selected on reciprocal seats in other provinces or regions must pay the remaining fee before they join classes at their college. Follow that college’s own instructions for joining as well.
Documents required for joining
For joining, keep photocopies of:
- Joining report
- UHS paid fee slip
- Matriculation certificate
- F.Sc. certificate
- MDCAT result card
- Student CNIC or B-Form
This list is only for joining. It does not replace the fee deadline: you still have to pay the fee first, and the paid fee slip is part of the list. Each college can ask for more, so keep these ready as well:
- Originals with attested copies. The UHS prospectus says selected candidates deposit all original documents with attested copies at the time of interview in the college they are selected for. Original academic documents are kept until you finish your degree.
- A parent or guardian. The prospectus asks parents or legal guardians to accompany candidates at the time of joining.
- Medical and vaccination certificates. A college’s medical board may examine you, and the prospectus lists certificates for enteric fever inoculation and tetanus and hepatitis B vaccination.
Upgradation in short
If you have joined, you are automatically considered for a higher college in later lists when a seat opens there. Upgradation follows the preferences you entered in your application, which become final after the deadline. The shift is compulsory: you cannot refuse it, keep your old seat or ask for a lower college. So join the college you get, and let later lists move you up if your merit allows.
Frequently asked questions
My name is in a reciprocal college but I want a Punjab college. What should I do?
Pay the fee and join by the due date. Not joining ends your admission process for the session. After joining you stay in the process, and the upgradation rules apply to candidates who joined in the preceding list.
Will UHS call or message me when my name comes?
No. UHS says it will not inform selected candidates individually. Check every list on the UHS website on the day it is displayed.
How much time do I get to pay the fee?
The 2026-27 prospectus gives three working days after the list is displayed, with the exact due date printed on your challan. Always go by the date on your challan and the notice with that list.
Can I cancel my admission after paying?
Yes, but it is final. A candidate who has paid and wants to cancel must do it in writing with an undertaking on Rs 50 stamp paper at the University, and a candidate who cancels is not eligible for further selection or upgradation.
Sources
- UHS MBBS/BDS Prospectus, Public Sector Medical & Dental Colleges in Punjab, Session 2026-27: reciprocal seats, joining of selected candidates, upgradation, cancellation and fee rules.
- University of Health Sciences, Lahore: selection lists and the current admission notices.
Read next: our UHS Punjab MBBS admission policy guide, the UHS quota seats guide for other provinces and the UHS closing merit for every college.
This is an independent guide by ePrepare, not an official UHS notice. Deadlines and rules can change each session; the selection-list notice and your fee challan always come first.
