NEET Counselling 2026: Registration, Seat Allotment

NEET Counselling 2026: will conduct the NEET Counselling for 15% of All India Quota (AIQ) seats. The remaining 85% are state quota seats that are filled by specific state counselling authorities. Counselling for NEET 2026 is expected to begin in July 2026 (after results in June) when students register, complete their college preferences and take part in several seat allotments for admission into MBBS, BDS, and other medical programmes and courses.

NEET Counselling 2026 Latest Updates

Counselling starting date & timeliness of NEET UG 2026 Counselling:

• Expected Date of Results for the 2026 NEET Exam: To be declared approximately in June 2026. 2 – 4 weeks after the declaration of NEET Results are when the counselling process would commence.
• Candidates from J&K and Ladakh can now apply to 15% of all India Quota Seats in 2026.
• New courses that will be included in counselling in 2026
• Registration Requirement:

NEET Counselling 2026

NEET Counselling 2026: The last step for medical aspirants who have cleared the NEET UG exam conducted on 03 May 2026. The counselling process of NEET Counselling 2026 is a centralised, merit-based online counselling process by which seats are filled in MBBS, BDS, BSc Nursing, etc., according to the NEET All India Rank (AIR).

NEET UG Counselling 2026 Expected Schedule

Note: All dates above are tentative/expected based on previous years’ patterns.

NEET Counselling 2026: 4 Rounds Explained

NEET UG 2026 counselling in 4 rounds. Each round is approximately 10–15 days long. Candidates must participate in each round they are eligible for missing a round means losing that chance permanently.

Round 1 — Main Round (July 2026)

Open to all eligible NEET 2026 qualifiers. Candidates register, fill choices, and get a seat allotted based on rank and preferences. After allotment, the candidate can: (a) Join the college, (b) upgrade in Round 2, or (c) free exit (security deposit refunded in full). No penalty for free exit in Round 1.

Round 2 — Upgrade Round (August 2026)

Candidates who got a seat in Round 1 but want a better college, or candidates who didn’t get a seat in Round 1, can participate. After the Round 2 allotment, the candidate can join or opt for the Forfeiture Exit (a ₹1,000 GEN / ₹500 SC-ST security deposit is forfeited). Note: Seats are NOT reverted to state after Round 2 is completed.

Mop-Up Round (October 2026)

Conducted mainly for deemed and private universities. Vacant seats after Round 1 and Round 2 are filled in this round. Only candidates who registered earlier and have NOT joined any college are eligible. No fresh registration is allowed in the mop-up round.

Stray Vacancy Round (November 2026)

Final round conducted for seats left vacant after the mop-up round. This is a college-level round. No fresh choice filling — allotment is done directly based on rank. Important: No exit allowed once a seat is allotted in the Stray Vacancy round.

NEET Counselling 2026 Fees

Counselling fees include two components: a non-refundable Registration/Processing Fee and a refundable Security Deposit (refunded if no seat is taken or if free exit is exercised in Round 1).

State-Wise NEET Counselling 2026 Authorities & Websites

Each state has its own counselling authority, portal, and schedule for 85% of state quota seats. Candidates must check their home state’s portal for domicile eligibility, reservation rules, and registration dates.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. When will NEET UG 2026 counselling start?
Ans. NEET UG 2026 counselling is expected to start in July 2026, approximately 2–4 weeks after the NEET 2026 result is declared. Round 1 seat allotment is tentatively expected in July 2026.

Q2. How many rounds are there in NEET counselling 2026?
Ans. NEET conducts 4 rounds of NEET UG 2026 counselling: Round 1, Round 2, Mop-Up Round, and Stray Vacancy Round. State counselling authorities also typically conduct 3–4 rounds. Each round involves registration, choice filling, seat allotment, and reporting to college.

Q3. What is the difference between free exit and forfeiture exit in NEET counselling?
Ans. Free Exit (Round 1 only): If you get a seat in Round 1 but don’t want to join, you can exercise free exit and get your full security deposit refunded (Rs 10,000 for General / Rs 5,000 for SC-ST). Forfeiture Exit (Round 2 onwards): If you exit after Round 2, your security deposit is forfeited and not refunded. In the stray vacancy round, no exit is allowed at all.

Q4. What is the NEET counselling fee for 2026?
Ans. For Central University / 15% AIQ seats: Rs 1,000 registration fee (General/OBC/EWS) + Rs 10,000 security deposit; Rs 500 registration fee (SC/ST/PwD) + Rs 5,000 security deposit. For Deemed Universities: Rs 5,000 registration fee + Rs 2,00,000 security deposit for all categories. The registration fee is non-refundable; the security deposit is refundable on free exit.