
For every NEET aspirant, the counselling stage is where a rank finally turns into an MBBS seat — and the biggest question right now is simple: NEET counselling 2026 kab shuru hogi? Here's the verified position. NEET UG Counselling 2026 will begin soon after the Re NEET UG 2026 result, which a senior National Testing Agency (NTA) official has said is expected on or before July 20, 2026 at neet.nta.nic.in.
The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) conducts counselling for the 15% All India Quota, and it has not yet released the official 2026 schedule — that will appear on mcc.nic.in once the result process kicks off. Below is everything on the expected start date, registration steps, rounds, fees and documents.
The honest answer: no official date is out yet. MCC will publish the AIQ counselling schedule on mcc.nic.in after the Re NEET result process begins, and candidates are advised not to plan around unofficial dates. Because the May 3 exam was cancelled over an alleged paper leak and the re-exam was held on June 21, 2026, the entire admission cycle has been pushed back and compressed.
Counselling typically starts roughly a month after the result — but this year the timeline is tightened to protect the session. Tentative trackers place Round 1 registration anywhere from the last week of July (around July 21) to August 2026, with the full cycle expected to run through October–November. Treat all of these as expected, not confirmed — the only source that matters is mcc.nic.in.
Counselling can't start until the result is out. NTA is finalising the Re NEET UG 2026 result after examining around 10,000 objections to the provisional answer key (released June 25; objections closed June 28), and is targeting a July 20 release, though no exact date has been fixed. Once results drop, MCC is expected to move quickly on the schedule.
NEET counselling is not one centralised process — most candidates take part in both tracks:
MCC — mcc.nic.in: Conducts counselling for 15% All India Quota (AIQ) seats plus AIIMS, JIPMER, ESIC, AFMC, Deemed and Central Universities (AMU, BHU, DU, Jamia).
State counselling authorities: Conduct counselling for the 85% state-quota government seats and most private/dental colleges — each on its own portal, with separate fees, domicile rules and reservation policies.
For each round, expect a mostly online flow:
Online registration — visit mcc.nic.in, click "New Registration 2026," enter your NEET UG roll number, parent's name, date of birth and security code, and create a password.
Fill the form — add personal, educational and result details; upload photo and signature.
Pay the counselling fee + a refundable security deposit.
Choice filling and locking of colleges and courses.
Seat allotment based on rank, category, reservation and preferences.
Document verification.
Physical reporting to the allotted college with original documents to confirm admission.
MCC generally runs four rounds, added to depending on vacant seats:
Round 1 — first full cycle of choice-filling, allotment and reporting.
Round 2 — for un-allotted candidates and those seeking an upgrade, using seats freed up after Round 1.
Mop-Up Round — targets seats still vacant (mainly deemed/private).
Stray Vacancy Round — final round for leftover seats; no fresh registration, and no exit once allotted.
Each round typically runs 10–15 days. State-quota rounds follow their own schedules on state portals.
Candidates pay a non-refundable registration fee plus a refundable security deposit — indicatively around ₹10,000 for government colleges and up to ₹2,00,000 for deemed universities (both refundable, subject to counselling rules). Exact amounts will be confirmed in the 2026 counselling notice.
Keep both originals and photocopies ready:
No. NTA has committed that the admission calendar will proceed as planned despite the re-exam, which is why MCC is compressing the counselling cycle rather than pushing the academic year.
NEET UG Counselling 2026 covers admission to MBBS, BDS, BAMS, BSMS, BUMS and BHMS across government, private, deemed and central institutions nationwide.