NEET UG Counselling 2026: The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) will be commencing the Round 1 registration for NEET UG Counselling 2026 today, August 5. The counselling process will facilitate admissions to MBBS, BDS and B.Sc Nursing programmes under the 15% All India Quota (AIQ) as well as 100% seats in Deemed Universities, Central Universities, AIIMS and JIPMER.
Eligible candidates can register online, pay the required counselling fee, and participate in the choice-filling process within the prescribed deadlines. The Round 1 seat allotment result is scheduled to be announced on August 17, 2026.
Candidates are advised to complete every stage of the counselling process including registration, fee payment, choice filling and choice locking—well before the respective deadlines, as each activity has a separate closing time.
Direct link to check UG AIQ Counselling Schedule 2026
Direct link to check AIQ and State Schedule UG-2026
NEET UG Counselling 2026: Round 1 Schedule
Tentative seat matrix verification: August 4, 2026
Registration begins: August 5, 2026
Last date for registration: August 12, 2026 (up to 3:00 PM)
Fee payment: August 5 to August 12, 2026 (up to 6:00 PM)
Choice filling: August 6 to August 13, 2026
Choice locking: August 12 (4:00 PM) to August 13 (11:00 AM)
Choice filling closes: August 13, 2026 (11:00 AM)
Seat allotment processing: August 13 to August 16
Round 1 seat allotment result: August 17, 2026
Reporting to allotted institutes: August 18 to August 22, 2026
Verification of joined candidates by institutes: August 23, 2026
NEET UG Counselling 2026: How to Register
Candidates can complete the registration process by following these steps:
Step 1: Visit the official MCC counselling portal.
Step 2: Click on the NEET UG Counselling 2026 Round 1 Registration link.
Step 3: Log in using your NEET UG 2026 credentials and enter the required details.
Step 4: Pay the counselling fee within the specified deadline.
Step 5: Complete the choice-filling process by selecting your preferred colleges and courses.
Step 6: Review the entered choices carefully.
Step 7: Lock your preferences before the choice-locking deadline and save the confirmation page for future reference.
NEET UG Counselling 2026: What’s New This Year
This year's NEET UG counselling process includes several technology-enabled reforms designed to simplify admissions and minimise repeated visits to allotted colleges. One of the key updates is the introduction of a one-time physical reporting system.
Candidates who freeze their allotted seat must visit the assigned institute to complete admission formalities. Meanwhile, those selecting the float option can continue participating in later counselling rounds while completing document verification online. They will be required to report to the institute in person only after the third round if they continue to hold a seat.
In another major change, the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) has launched an online resignation facility, enabling eligible candidates to surrender their allotted seats through the counselling portal without having to visit the college.
The counselling process also features online document verification, digitised NRI admissions, improved support for Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD), stronger cybersecurity measures, and a more robust grievance redressal system.
NEET UG Counselling 2026: Academic Session To Begin On September 8
According to the official counselling calendar, the academic session for undergraduate medical courses will commence on September 8, 2026. Candidates who receive seats in Round 1 must report to their allotted institutes within the scheduled reporting period to complete admission formalities.
To ensure the counselling process is completed on time, MCC has instructed all participating medical colleges and institutes to treat Saturdays, Sundays and gazetted holidays as working days during the admission process.
Candidates participating in both All India Quota (AIQ) and State Quota counselling are advised to regularly check the respective counselling portals for updates regarding the seat matrix, allotment results and reporting instructions.
NEET UG Counselling 2026: How Many Seats Are There ?
According to the seat matrix released by the Medical Assessment & Rating Board (MARB), India will have 1,36,939 MBBS seats across 823 medical colleges for the 2026-27 academic session. This includes 1,27,028 renewed seats and 9,911 newly approved seats. Of the total, 63,296 seats are available in 441 government medical colleges, while 73,643 seats are offered by 382 private medical colleges.
