The Medical Counselling Committee released the schedule for online counselling and seat allotment across four rounds for NEET-UG 2026, beginning in August and concluding in October.
The schedule covers 15 percent All India Quota seats and 100 percent Deemed and Central universities, including AIIMS and JIPMER institutions in Puducherry and Karaikal offering MBBS, BDS and B.Sc. Nursing courses.
All Saturday, Sunday and Gazetted Holidays are to be treated as working days to meet the schedule, according to the notification.
Key schedule highlights
Round 1 runs from Aug. 4 through Aug. 23, with registration spanning Aug. 5-12 and choice filling from Aug. 6-13.
Round 2 begins Aug. 24 and concludes Sept. 9, with registration from Aug. 25-29 and choice filling from Aug. 25-30.
Round 3 follows Sept. 10-27, featuring registration from Sept. 11-15 and choice filling from Sept. 11-16.
A stray vacancy round will be conducted from Sept. 27 through Oct. 10, allowing candidates to fill remaining seats after the three main rounds.
Counselling schedule by round
| Phase | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 | Stray Vacancy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seat Matrix Verification | Aug. 4 | Aug. 24 | Sept. 10 | Sept. 27 |
| Registration Opens | Aug. 5 | Aug. 25 | Sept. 11 | Sept. 28 |
| Registration Closes | Aug. 12, 3 p.m. | Aug. 29, 3 p.m. | Sept. 15, 3 p.m. | Sept. 30, 3 p.m. |
| Payment Deadline | Aug. 12, 6 p.m. | Aug. 29, 6 p.m. | Sept. 15, 6 p.m. | Sept. 30, 6 p.m. |
| Choice Filling Begins | Aug. 6 | Aug. 25 | Sept. 11 | Sept. 28 |
| Choice Filling Closes | Aug. 13, 11 a.m. | Aug. 30, 11 p.m. | Sept. 16, 11 a.m. | Sept. 30, 11 p.m. |
| Choice Locking | Aug. 12, 4 p.m. – Aug. 13, 11 a.m. | Aug. 30, 4 p.m. – Aug. 30, 11 p.m. | Sept. 15, 4 p.m. – Sept. 16, 11 a.m. | Sept. 30, 4 p.m. – Sept. 30, 11 p.m. |
| Seat Allotment Processing | Aug. 13-16 | Aug. 31 – Sept. 1 | Sept. 16-17 | Oct. 1-2 |
| Result Declaration | Aug. 17 | Sept. 2 | Sept. 18 | Oct. 3 |
| Reporting/Joining Period | Aug. 18-22 | Sept. 3-8 | Sept. 19-26 | Oct. 4-10 |
| Data Verification | Aug. 23 | Sept. 9 | Sept. 27 | — |
Important notes
All deadlines are based on server time. Candidates must complete their choice filling and locking within specified windows to ensure participation in seat allotment.
Payment facilities will remain available during extended hours to accommodate candidates. Institutes are required to verify tentative seat matrices before each round begins.
Join NEET News 2026 The schedule requires candidate reporting and joining at allocated institutions within five to eight days of result declaration, depending on the round.
