NEET UG 2026 Counselling Process | Rounds, Dates, Fees, Steps
For every NEET aspirant, the NEET UG 2026 counselling process is the final but most important stage to secure an MBBS medical seat across India. The NEET 2026 exam counselling process, including the number of rounds, state and AIQ quotas, important dates, counselling process, required documents, exit rules, and fees, is very crucial for every aspirant to understand.
The NEET UG 2026 Counselling Process is a multi-round process where admission to MBBS, BDS, and AYUSH seats is allotted. Therefore, the correct and accurate information about the NEET counselling process is highly required for students, which is where we have compiled this blog. This blog from Matrix Academy clearly simplifies every aspect of the NEET UG 2026 counselling process to help students in making decisions and avoiding common mistakes during seat allotment from the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC).
Overview of NEET Exam Counselling Process
The NEET UG exam counselling is a structured and multi-step process to get medical seats for MBBS, BDS, AYUSH, and other allied courses after the NEET examination. The NEET exam counselling process is conducted by the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) for the seats associated with All India Quota (AIQ). State-level seats for the NEET exam were managed by the respective authorities of state-quota counselling.
Based on the NEET UG exam rank, registration, choice filling, document verification, and seat allotment processes are conducted in the NEET exam counselling process. NEET 2026 registration started officially by the NTA between 8 February and 8 March 2026, so register now to avoid last-minute panic
Types of NEET 2026 Counselling Process
For the NEET 2026 exam, the counselling process will be conducted into two main categories as follows-
| All India Quota (AIQ) counselling | State Quota Counselling |
| 1. The AIQ quota is for the central government medical institutes, which are officially regulated by the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC). 2. The AIQ quota covers 15% of total MBBS/BDS seats, along with 100% seats in deemed universities, AIIMS, JIPMER, ESIC, and central universities. 3. The allocation of seats in the NEET exam counselling process is mainly based on merit, where anyone who appeared in the same year‘s NEET exam can participate under this category | 1. State quota counselling is for the remaining 85% seats for government and private medical college seats. 2. The state-wise counselling seats for NEET MBBS are managed by the state medical authorities. 3. Only candidates fulfilling the domicile or eligibility conditions of that state can apply under this counselling category. 4. Each state’s medical committee has its own counselling and seat allocation process as per the state’s reservation policies. |
Check the NEET 2026 Cut Off (category-wise) to shape your final preparation for the upcoming NEET 2026 exam.
NEET 2026 Counselling Important Dates
The official NEET 2026 exam important dates for the upcoming exam was announced by the NTA on 8 February 2026, so you should check it carefully to avoid any type of mistake and confusion. Check out the table given below consisting of all important dates related to the NEET 2026 counselling process so that students can keep track of all important events and not miss any round of counselling, if applicable.
| Particulars | Expected Timeline |
| NEET UG 2026 Result Declaration | June 2026 |
| Counselling Registration (Round 1) | July 2026 |
| Choice Filling & Locking | July 2026 |
| Round 1 Seat Allotment Result | July 2026 |
| Reporting to Allotted College | July–August 2026 |
| Round 2 Counselling | August 2026 |
| Mop-Up Round | September 2026 |
| Stray Vacancy Round | October 2026 |
NEET 2026 Counselling Eligibility Criteria
The overall eligibility criteria for the NEET UG exam 2026 are straightforward for the NEET aspirants. Firstly, one of the most important criteria for NEET 2026 counselling is that a candidate must qualify NEET UG Exam 2026 with the minimum required percentile as prescribed by NTA.
The minimum age criteria for the NEET counselling process is 17 years on December 31, 2026. Indian Nationals, NRIs, OCIs, PIOs, and foreign national candidates are also eligible, depending on the seat type they applied for. For the state-quota category, it is necessary for the students to meet state domicile criteria. Providing valid documents is also necessary to participate in the NEET counselling process.
Also, check the latest and updated NEET Eligibility Criteria 2026 to have a clear understanding of the eligibility rules set by the National Testing Agency (NTA) for the upcoming NEET 2026 exam.
NEET 2026 Counselling Rounds
The NEET UG exam is a multi-staged process conducted by MCC, which is generally divided into 4 major rounds as follows-
- Round 1: NEET counselling Round 1 is open for all the eligible candidates from the NEET UG exam and allows seat acceptance or upgradation.
- Round 2: Round 2 NEET counselling process 2 is for candidates who did not get a seat or opted for upgradation.
- Mop-Up Round: The mop-up round will be conducted in September 2026 by the MCC for the AIQ quota. This counselling process is mainly conducted for deemed and private colleges.
- Stray Vacancy Round: The stray vacancy round process is the final round of the NEET exam counselling process. This level counselling process is conducted at the college level for leftover seats, with no option to exit once allotted.
Step-by-Step Process to Apply for NEET UG 2026 Counselling
The NEET UG 2026 counselling process is a multi-stage, structured process conducted by the Medical Council Committee (MCC), and this year’s counselling is expected to start in July 2026. The official NEET 2026 counselling dates will be released by MCC soon after the examination is completed.
The NEET UG exam 2026 is an online process, where NEET aspirants should carefully follow all the necessary steps required. Before applying for the NEET UG 2026 counselling process, you should confirm that you have all the necessary documents required for the NEET counselling process as per your NEET exam result and scorecard. A detailed process to apply for the NEET 2026 counselling process for the AIQ quota is as follows-
- Step 1: Open and visit the official website of the Medical Council Committee (MCC): https://mcc.nic.in/ug-medical-counselling/
- Step 2: After this, you have to open the “UG Medical Counselling” section and register yourself with your NEET exam roll number, personal details, and application number. After entering the basic details, you need to create a password and pay the counselling registration fee.
- Step 3: The next step in the NEET counselling process is choice filling and locking the section by choosing medical or dental colleges as per your choice. In this step, be careful and first choose and lock before the date, because after this system will automatically lock the choice. Matrix Academy recommends to fill maximum choices as possible to improve seat allotment chances.
- Step 4: In this step, NEET students have to verify their documents at their college, where MCC offers them admission.
- Step 5: In this step, MCC allocates seats by considering factors like NEET candidate preference, seat availability, NEET exam rank, and seat preferences. If you are selected, then MCC will provide you with a confirmation letter for the allocated seat.
- Step 6: After successful allotment of a medical seat from MCC, students have to report to the respective college with all the important documents and admission fees. If you did not get a medical seat during this counselling round, then you can register yourself for the NEET exam counselling round 2.
Note: For state counselling, the NEET UG 2026 exam counselling is almost the same, but NEET aspirants have to report to their respective state counselling authority to get admission in a medical college.
Category-Wise Fee of NEET 2026 Counselling
The NEET UG 2026 counselling fee is an important factor for students who want to appear in this process to get their desired MBBS medical seat. As per the standard fee norms by MCC and NTA, the counselling registration fee is non-refundable, while the security deposit is completely refundable. An individual NEET counselling fee clearly depends on his/her reservation category and the type of medical institution.
| Category | Registration Fee | Security Deposit |
| General (AIQ/Central Univ.) | ₹1,000 | ₹10,000 |
| SC/ST/OBC/PwD | ₹500 | ₹5,000 |
| Deemed Universities (All Categories) | ₹5,000 | ₹2,00,000 |
Also Read:
- NEET Exam Pattern 2026: Question Format, Marks, Mode
- Do or Die Chapters for NEET 2026 UG Exam
- NEET 2026 Syllabus (Latest & Updated)
Fees and Security Deposit Structure (Refundable and Non-Refundable)
The core objective of the NEET 2026 counselling fee security deposit is to ensure that candidates apply in the counselling process on a serious note. The security deposit for the NEET exam counselling is refundable if a candidate does not get a medical seat or he/she chooses the option of official exit process from counselling. In a situation where a candidate accepts a seat from the MCC counselling committee, the counselling fee is completely non-refundable.
| Seat Type | Refund Status |
| No Seat Allotted | Fully (100%) Refundable |
| Seat Allotted & Joined | Adjusted for Upcoming Rounds |
| Seat Allotted & Not Joined | Forfeited by MCC |
Documents Required for NEET 2026 Counselling
Documents are one of the most important factors during the NEET UG 2026 counselling process. The MCC and NTA have strict guidelines for original documents, their format and size. All the compulsory documents from NTA for Indian and foreign students are as follows-
| Compulsory Documents for Indian Students | Compulsory Documents for Foreign Students |
| 1. NTA issued NEET 2026 exam Admit Card- Hardcopy | 1. A hardcopy of the official passport. |
| 2. NTA issued NEET 2026 exam result certificate | 2. Sponsorship affidavit |
| 3. 8 Passport-size photographs (similar to NEET application form) | 3. Relationship affidavit |
| 4. Provisional allotment letter generated online for NEET counselling. | 4. Apart from this, all the documents necessary for Indian students, such as marksheets, admit card, photographs, and provisional allotment letter. |
| 5. 10th and 12th class mark-sheets (10th mark sheet is mainly for DOB proof). Additionally, you can also carry | |
| 6. A Valid Identity Proof (Aadhaar card/ Driving Licence/ Passport/ Voter ID card, PAN card) | |
| 7. Category certificate (If applicable) for EWS/SC/ST/OBC candidates | |
| 8. PwD certificate, if applicable | |
| 9. Domicile certificate (for students who want to appear in state-quota counselling) |
Overview of NEET 2026 Counselling Rounds Exit Rules
The NEET 2026 counselling exit rules are finalised by MCC to ensure fairness and transparency in the counselling process for every candidate. The MCC-designed NEET counselling exit rules are as follows-
- If you are in round 1 of NEET counselling, you can exit without losing your security deposit money.
- If you are in the NEET counselling round 2, you can exit with forfeiture of the security deposit and disqualification from further rounds.
- If you are in the NEET counselling Mop-Up round phase and have joined a seat, you cannot exit or upgrade.
- The Stray Vacancy round is final in the NEET counselling, where if you did not report, then it will lead to permanent disqualification from counselling for that academic year.
Tips for Successful NEET 2026 Counselling Process
The NEET 2206 exam counselling process will mainly require awareness and strategy. Some of the important tips to consider as given by expert faculty of Matrix Academy are as follows-
- Carefully research colleges before filling a choice.
- You should focus on filling as many options as possible to get the desired college.
- Maintain and track all the important deadlines associated with counselling notices. Careful about the state-wise quota and AIQ quota.
- Try to participate in all the rounds of NEET 2026 counselling and arrange all the documents earlier.
- Monitor seat matrix updates regularly from MCC and NTA by avoiding last-minute choice locking.
- Try to remain flexible and open to reputed colleges rather than chasing only top-ranked institutions.
Conclusion
The NEET UG 2026 counselling process is a very important stage for the aspirants who successfully cleared the examination. The expected counselling date for NEET UG 2026 counselling has not been announced yet by the MCC, but it is expected to start from July 2026.
For a successful NEET 2026 counselling process, students should have a clear understanding of the state and AIQ quotas by considering all important dates, documents, fees, and exit rules. Every step demands clarity and careful planning. The AIQ category counselling is responsible for 15% seat quota, while the state-wise seat quota is responsible for 85% medical seats.
FAQs
After the NEET exam, the NEET 2026 counselling process is a multi-round process, where the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) allots you a medical MBBS seat by considering factors like NEET rank, choices filled, eligibility, category, and availability of seats.
The application process for the NEET 2026 exam is very simple; you can register on the official website of MCC. During the counselling registration process, you can choose your preferred colleges to get admission, pay the counselling fee, participate in seat allotment, download the official seat allotment letter, and, based on the allotted seat, report to the respective college with the necessary documents.
For the NEET 2026 counselling process, MCC set 4 major rounds as follows-
1. Round 1: Open round to apply for all the eligible candidates.
2. Round 2: The Round 2 counselling process is open for candidates who did not get a medical seat in Round 1, or who are trying for an upgradation of a medical seat.
3. Mop-Up Round: To get a medical seat in deemed universities and private colleges.
4. Stray Vacancy Round: Final round of the counselling for the remaining seats with no option to exit once allotted.
The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) is the regulatory body that conducts the NEET exam of 2026, where the expected date of NEET counselling is in July 2026. The official dates of NEET 2026 counselling will be announced after the declaration of the exam result by MCC.
As per the latest notification from MCC, NEET 2026 counselling process compulsory documents are NEET admit card, NTA result document, allotment letter, 10th and 12th class mark sheets, a valid identity proof (Aadhaar card/PAN/Driving Licence/Voter ID card), category certificate (if applicable), passport-size photographs, and domicile certificate for state quota candidates.
Yes, MCC sets clear eligibility criteria for the NEET 2026 counselling process, which are compulsory for every candidate. To participate in the NEET 2026 counselling process, a student must be at least 17 years old, clear the NEET 2026 exam, fulfil nationality, documents, and domicile requirements as applicable for AIQ or state quota seats.
The NEET 2026 counselling is a multi-staged process, which is mainly divided into 4 major areas: Round 1, Round 2, Mop-Up Round, and Stray Vacancy Round. Each round has its own processes, such as fresh allotment, upgradation, or final admission, depending on the availability of seats.
Generally, the counselling registration fee of NEET 2026 is non-refundable. However, the security deposit is refundable if no seat is allotted or if candidates exit as per official rules in permitted rounds.
Yes, the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) allows NEET aspirants to actively participate in both AIQ and state quota counselling. You can register for the AIQ quota from the MCC website, and state-wise quota seats can be applied with the state medical counselling committee.
If you fail to join an allotted medical seat through the NEET 2026 counselling process after Round 2, your security money gets forfeited, and you are also disqualified from counselling rounds.
To increase your chances of getting a medical seat from the NEET 2026 counselling process conducted by MCC, you should opt for the maximum number of college choices, carefully consider all the deadlines, participate in all counselling rounds, and research preferred institutes carefully.
