NEET UG Counselling Process 2026: Complete Guide to Registration, Fees, Documents and Seat Allotment
Clearing NEET UG is only half the journey, the counselling process is what actually decides which MBBS, BDS or BSc Nursing seat a candidate gets. The NEET UG 2026 counselling process covers the following seats:
- 15% All India Quota (AIQ) MBBS/BDS seats of states (participation of the Union Territory of J&K subject to their contribution of seats)
- 100% MBBS/BDS seats of BHU
- 100% MBBS seats of AIIMS across India
- 100% JIPMER seats (Puducherry/Karaikal)
- 100% AMU seats
- 85% of State Quota seats of Delhi University/IP University (VMMC/ABVIMS/ESIC Dental),
- 100% seats at the Faculty of Dentistry (Jamia Millia Islamia) along with a 5% internal quota for Jamia students, and 15% IP quota seats of ESIC across MBBS, BDS and BSc Nursing courses for 2026.
In this guide we break down every stage of the NEET UG counselling process, the authorities involved, the fee structure, the eligibility percentiles, the reservation matrix, and the documents you must carry. Let’s start with a basic overview:
Who Conducts NEET UG 2026 Counselling Process?
NEET UG counselling is split between central and state-level authorities depending on the seat category, and candidates need to understand both tracks clearly.
NEET UG Counselling for 15% All India Quota and Central Institutions
Counselling for successful candidates under the 15% All India Quota, along with all seats of Deemed Universities, Central Universities, ESIC and AFMC including Delhi University (DU), BHU and AMU is conducted by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) on behalf of the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC).
This is tentatively scheduled for the second week of June, for admission to MBBS and BDS courses. Online counselling for this category is conducted by MCC.
NEET UG Counselling 2026 for Seats other than 15% AIQ
Candidates applying for admission to State Medical Colleges, Universities or Institutions using the NEET UG 2026 merit list are done as per the respective State Government or the concerned Medical/Dental college authority.
Counselling for Private Medical Colleges (except Deemed universities) is handled entirely by the respective State Governments.
For government medical colleges, 15% of seats are counselled by MCC, while the remaining 85% are counselled by state authorities.
For the central and deemed universities, basically MCC itself conducts the NEET UG 2026 counselling for 100% of seats.Â
Counselling for admission to private and self-financed colleges in India is completely done by the state counselling committees or authorities. All medical institutes or colleges in India apart from JIPMER and AIIMS admit candidates strictly based on the NEET 2026 marks.
NEET UG Counselling Process 2026 – Number of Rounds
| Categories | Rounds |
| 15% All India Quota seats | Two Rounds |
| Central and Deemed Universities | Three Rounds (First Round, Second Round and Mop-Up Round) |
Important Dates for NEET UG Counselling Process 2026
For the 15% All India Quota, Central and Deemed Universities, AIIMS, JIPMER, and ESIC & AFMC institutes (MBBS & BDS seats), the schedule is as follows:
| Event | Date |
| NEET UG 2026 Entrance Exam | June 21, 2026 |
| NEET UG 2026 Result | July 16, 2026 |
| NEET UG Counselling 2026 – Round 1 Seat Matrix | To be announced |
| Registration & Payment for Round 1 | To be announced |
| Choice Filling/Locking of Round 1 | To be announced |
| Processing of Round 1 Seat Allotment | To be announced |
| Result of Round 1 | To be announced |
| Reporting to Allotted College Round 1 | To be announced |
| NEET UG Counselling 2026 – Round 2 Seat Matrix | To be announced |
| Registration & Payment for Round 2 | To be announced |
| Choice Filling/Locking of Round 2 | To be announced |
| Processing of Round 2 Seat Allotment | To be announced |
| Result of Round 2 | To be announced |
| Reporting to Allotted College Round 2 | To be announced |
| Mop-Up Round (AIQ/Deemed/Central University/AIIMS/JIPMER) | To be announced |
NEET UG Counselling Process 2026 – Eligibility Criteria
Candidates must qualify NEET UG 2026 to participate in counselling, which means securing the minimum required percentile, given category-wise below. All candidates who are allotted an All India Rank are eligible for the NEET UG counselling process.
NEET UG 2026 (Minimum Qualifying Percentile)
| Category of Candidates | Minimum Percentile |
| Unreserved Category | 50 |
| Other Backward Classes | 40 |
| Scheduled Caste | 40 |
| Scheduled Tribe | 40 |
| Unreserved Physically Handicapped | 45 |
| OBC-PH | 40 |
| SC-PH | 40 |
| ST-PH | 40 |
NEET UG 2025 (Qualifying Score)
| Category | Qualifying Score |
| Unreserved (UR) | 137 |
| Other Backward Classes (OBC) | 107 |
| Scheduled Caste (SC) | 107 |
| Scheduled Tribe (ST) | 107 |
| Unreserved Physically Handicapped (UR-PH) | 121 |
| OBC-PH | 108 |
| SC-PH | 108 |
| ST-PH | 108 |
NEET UG Counselling Process 2026 (Seat Reservation)
| Category of Candidates | Reservation Percentage |
| Other Backward Classes (OBC) | 27% |
| Scheduled Caste (SC) | 15% |
| Scheduled Tribe (ST) | 7.5% |
| Physically Handicapped (PH) | 5% |
Step-by-Step NEET UG Counselling Process 2026
Step 1 – New User Registration
- Visit the official link and register
- Submit details such as stream (Medical/Dental), NEET UG roll number, application number, name, date of birth and a security PIN.
- Click “Submit.”
- An agreement page then appears with “I Agree”/”I Don’t Agree” options. Click on “I Agree”.
Step 2 – Submit Your Personal Information
Submit your respective personal details such as mother’s name, father’s name and address.
Step 3 – Payment for Counselling
- Pay a non-refundable registration fee and a refundable tuition fee
- Pay via Credit Card/Debit Card/Net Banking.
Step 4 – Registration Slip
- Once details are successfully submitted, a registration slip is displayed on screen
- Print it as it is useful for the further admission process.
- Click “Login” to continue.
Step 5 – Available Choices
“Available Choices” link is enabled once counselling begins, and choices are displayed on the left side of the screen.
Candidates who pay fees for both 15% AIQ/Central Universities and Deemed Universities become eligible to apply for both categories of seats.
Step 6 – Selecting the Choices
- Click the “+” button against each preference; the selected choice moves from the left side of the screen to the right side.
- Click “Save & Continue” or “Save & Go to Home Page.” Choices can be moved up or down one step at a time using the up/down arrows, deleted, or dragged to a new position to interchange order.
Step 7 – Choice Locking
Lock choices for the final submission of preferences. Choices can be modified until locked. If candidates do not lock their choices, the filled choices are considered final and get automatically locked on the notified date.
Step 8 – Take a Printout
Print your filled choices. This printout can be taken even after the choice-locking process is over, if choices weren’t manually locked.
Step 9 – Allotment of Seat
After every round of a counselling process, the seat allotment result is well declared in the form of a list and seat allotment letter. Candidates need to check their roll number, name, allotted category, candidate’s category, allotted college, quota and course in the seat allotment list. The seat allotment letter must be submitted at the time of reporting to the allotted college to the candidate along with all the required documents.
Step 10 – Candidates Should Report to the Allotted Institute
Candidates must report to the allotted college to complete admission formalities and other respective responsibilities and need to submit original copies of all the respective documents.
Important Documents Required in NEET UG Counselling Process 2026
Candidates allotted a seat under the 15% All India Quota must submit the following original documents, along with attested photocopies, at the time of joining the allotted Medical/Dental college:
- NEET UG 2026 admit card issued by NTA
- NEET UG 2026 result/rank letter issued by NTA
- Birth certificate
- Class 10 Certificate/Marksheet
- Class 12 Certificate/Marksheet
- 8 Passport-size photographs, same as the NEET UG application form
- Provisional allotment letter
- Proof of identity (Aadhaar/PAN/Driving Licence/Passport)
- SC/ST/OBC Certificate (if applicable)
- Disability Certificate (if applicable)
NEET UG Counselling 2026 Registration Fee Structure
Candidates pay two kinds of fees at the time of registering – a non-refundable registration fee and a refundable tuition fee:
| Fee Type | Category | Amount |
| Non-Refundable Registration Fee (15% AIQ/Central Universities) | UR | Rs 1,000 |
| Non-Refundable Registration Fee (15% AIQ/Central Universities) | SC/ST/OBC/PwD | Rs 500 |
| Non-Refundable Registration Fee – Deemed Universities | All Categories | Rs 5,000 |
| Refundable Tuition Fee – 15% AIQ/Central Universities | UR | Rs 10,000 |
| Refundable Tuition Fee – 15% AIQ/Central Universities | SC/ST/OBC/PwD | Rs 5,000 |
| Refundable Tuition Fee – Deemed Universities | All Categories | Rs 2,00,000 |
NEET UG Counselling – Exit and Fee Forfeiture Matrix
The following matrix governs how far candidates can exercise fresh choices during counselling:
| Round | Free Exit | Exit With Forfeiture of Fees | Ineligible for Further Counselling | Registration Fee Amount |
| AIQ I / Deemed | Yes | – | – | – |
| AIQ II / Deemed | – | If not joined | If joined | Government – Rs 10,000 (Rs 5,000 for SC/ST/OBC); Deemed – Rs 2,00,000 |
| State Quota I | Yes | – | – | – |
| State Quota II | – | If not joined | If joined | Government – Rs 10,000 (Rs 5,000 for SC/ST/OBC); Private – Rs 1,00,000 |
| State Quota Mop-up | – | – | If joined | – |
| Deemed Mop-up | – | – | If joined | – |
Key Takeaways for Candidates Awaiting NEET UG Counselling 2026
NEET UG counselling 2026 runs on two parallel tracks: MCC/DGHS for the 15% AIQ, Deemed and Central Universities, and separate state authorities for the remaining 85% state quota and private colleges.
AIQ counselling has two rounds; Deemed/Central University counselling has three rounds, including a Mop-Up round.
Minimum qualifying percentiles for NEET UG 2026 range from the 40th percentile (SC/ST/OBC and their PH sub-categories) to the 50th percentile (UR).
Registration involves a non-refundable fee plus a separate refundable tuition fee, and the amounts differ sharply between AIQ/Central University seats and Deemed University seats.
Choice locking is mandatory. Unlocked choices are automatically locked on the notified date, so this step should not be left for the last minute.
Free exit is only available in Round 1 (AIQ/Deemed and State Quota); from Round 2 onward, joining a seat makes a candidate ineligible to exit or continue in further counselling rounds.
Carrying complete original documents at the time of reporting is non-negotiable. Candidates without originals, or with originals deposited elsewhere, will not be granted admission.
FAQs: NEET Counselling Process
The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) conducts NEET UG 2026 counselling for 15% All India Quota seats on behalf of the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC), along with 100% seats of Deemed Universities, Central Universities, ESIC and AFMC.
15% All India Quota counselling is conducted in two rounds. Counselling for Central and Deemed Universities is conducted in three rounds – Round 1, Round 2, and a Mop-Up Round.
The minimum qualifying percentile is 50th for Unreserved (UR), 45th for UR-PH, and 40th for SC, ST, OBC and their respective PH sub-categories.
The non-refundable registration fee is Rs 1,000 for UR candidates and Rs 500 for SC/ST/OBC/PwD candidates, plus a refundable tuition fee of Rs 10,000 (UR) or Rs 5,000 (SC/ST/OBC/PwD).
All candidates pay a non-refundable registration fee of Rs 5,000, along with a refundable tuition fee of Rs 2,00,000, applicable to all categories.
No. Candidates belonging to the state of Jammu and Kashmir are not eligible, till further notice, for counselling of 15% All India Quota seats.
Under the 15% All India Quota, 27% of seats are reserved for OBC, 15% for SC, 7.5% for ST, and 5% for Physically Handicapped (PH) candidates.
Yes. Locking choices is mandatory for final submission of preferences. If candidates do not lock their choices manually, the filled choices are automatically locked on the notified date.
Once joined in Round 2 of AIQ/Deemed counselling, a candidate becomes ineligible for further counselling. If a candidate exits without joining, the refundable registration fee is forfeited (Rs 10,000, or half for SC/ST/OBC, for government seats; Rs 2,00,000 for Deemed Universities).
Candidates must carry, in original along with attested photocopies: the NEET admit card, NEET result/rank letter, Class 10 and Class 12 certificates and marksheets, eight passport-size photographs, the provisional allotment letter, valid proof of identity, and category certificates (SC/ST/OBC/Disability) where applicable.
