The NEET UG 2026 counselling schedule for admission to undergraduate medical courses has been announced for All India Quota (AIQ), Deemed and Central Universities, and State Quota seats. The counselling process will be conducted in multiple rounds, including Round 1, Round 2, Round 3 and the Stray Vacancy Round.
As per the schedule, the Round 1 admission process for All India Quota, Deemed and Central Universities will be conducted from August 4 to August 17, 2026. The last date for joining under this category is August 22, 2026.
For State Quota admissions, verification of joined candidates will be conducted from August 13 to August 22, 2026, with the final data to be submitted by the respective state counselling authorities by August 29, 2026.
| Counselling Round | AIQ/Deemed/Central Universities Admission | Last Date of Joining | State Quota Verification | State Data Verification |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Round 1 | August 4–17, 2026 | August 22, 2026 | August 13–22, 2026 | August 29, 2026 |
| Round 2 | August 24–September 2, 2026 | September 8, 2026 | August 31–September 8, 2026 | September 15, 2026 |
| Round 3 | September 10–18, 2026 | September 26, 2026 | September 16–26, 2026 | October 2, 2026 |
| Stray Vacancy Round | September 28–October 3, 2026 | October 10, 2026 | October 3–5, 2026 | — |
After completion of Round 1, the second round of AIQ, Deemed and Central University counselling will be conducted from August 24 to September 2, 2026. Candidates allotted seats in this round will have to complete joining by September 8, 2026.
For State Quota counselling, verification of joined candidates will take place from August 31 to September 8, while the consolidated data will be shared by state authorities by September 15, 2026.
The third round of NEET UG 2026 counselling for AIQ, Deemed and Central Universities is scheduled from September 10 to September 18, 2026. The last date for joining allotted seats will be September 26, 2026.
State counselling authorities will verify joined candidates from September 16 to September 26, and the verified data is scheduled to be submitted by October 2, 2026.
The Stray Vacancy Round for AIQ, Deemed and Central Universities will be conducted from September 28 to October 3, 2026. MCC will share the data of allotted candidates on October 3, while the State Quota process is scheduled from October 3 to October 5, 2026.
The last date for joining under the Stray Vacancy Round is October 10, 2026.
According to the schedule, the academic session for NEET UG courses is scheduled to commence on September 8, 2026. Candidates are advised to carefully follow the counselling and joining deadlines to avoid losing their allotted seats.
The schedule also states that, considering the limited time available for counselling, all participating institutes and colleges will treat Saturdays, Sundays and gazetted holidays as working days.
The schedule further states that data of candidates who have joined through State Quota counselling will be shared by the respective DMEs and State Counselling Authorities with the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC). This data will be used for weeding out candidates during the seat processing of Round 3.
Candidates participating in NEET UG 2026 counselling are advised to keep track of the official counselling portals and follow the prescribed timelines for registration, seat allotment, reporting and admission.Click here
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