NEET UG counselling through the Medical Counselling Committee starts with a separate online registration, payment and a ranked list of college and course choices. Qualifying NEET does not automatically register you for counselling or guarantee a seat. MCC's revised 2026 information bulletin also distinguishes between candidates who accept an allotment without seeking an upgrade and those who want to move to a preferred seat in the next round.
This guide explains that process using the revised MCC bulletin dated 20 August 2026 and its candidate user guide. The fee figures below were checked at 10:02 pm IST on 15 November 2026. A registration link on the website should always be read alongside the applicable round's schedule and eligibility notice.
NEET UG counselling fees: registration and security deposit
| Seat group and category | Registration fee | Security deposit | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| AIQ and specified central institutions, UR or EWS | Rs 1,000 | Rs 10,000 | Rs 11,000 |
| Same group, SC, ST, OBC or PwD | Rs 500 | Rs 5,000 | Rs 5,500 |
| Deemed universities, all categories | Rs 5,000 | Rs 2,00,000 | Rs 2,05,000 |
The registration fee is non-refundable. The security deposit is refundable subject to the counselling rules, including forfeiture conditions. These are counselling payments, not the college's tuition fee. Before placing a college in your preference list, check its own fee structure, service bond and other admission conditions. MCC specifically asks applicants to examine these details before choosing a seat.
If you apply for both the government or central institution group and deemed universities, the bulletin says you pay the higher applicable fee, rather than adding both groups' payments. Refunds go back to the account used for the original security payment. Keep that account active until the refund process is complete.
How to register for NEET UG counselling on MCC
Start at the official UG Medical Counselling page. Its Candidate Activity Board carries the new-registration link. Use the round-specific schedule to establish whether you can participate before proceeding. MCC covers the 15% All India Quota in participating government medical and dental colleges, alongside specified central institutions, deemed universities and other listed seat groups. State counselling has its own authority and timetable.
- Read the registration instructions and document requirements. The candidate guide shows an agreement step followed by Proceed to Application.
- Review the consent statements and confirm them as required.
- Enter the identifying details exactly as recorded in your NEET UG documents, including roll number, application number, name, mother's name and date of birth.
- Check your contact details, create your password and complete the OTP verification and final submission steps.
- Complete the application sections, review the information and pay the applicable registration fee and security deposit.
The official candidate user guide illustrates the screens. Keep your NTA application details available for reference, and retain the payment record. Do not assume an attempted transaction has completed the process: successful payment is required before choice filling.
Choice filling and locking: what applicants must do
Prepare a preference list before entering choices. Put courses and colleges in the order you actually want them. The bulletin permits as many choices as you wish, but an available choice should still be one for which you meet the relevant eligibility conditions and can accept the institution's costs and obligations.
Saved choices can be changed before locking. Once locked, they cannot be modified. The bulletin provides for automatic locking of saved choices according to the schedule if you do not lock them yourself. Review the list and keep a print of the submitted choices. Registration without filling choices does not produce an automatic allotment from leftover seats.
What happens after allotment in the 2026 process?
For the earlier rounds, Freeze means you do not seek an upgrade and physically report to the allotted institution for admission formalities. Float means you seek an upgrade and follow the online willingness and document-verification process. Both groups must upload the required scanned documents. A Float candidate must respond to document discrepancies within the notified reporting period.
Round 3 brings mandatory physical reporting for its allotted candidates and earlier Float candidates who have not upgraded. The bulletin also sets out deposit forfeiture for candidates who do not join an allotted seat in Round 2 or later. Read the applicable round's notice before deciding to leave a seat, since resignation rights and later-round eligibility are restricted.
For dates, use the eservices/Schedule section on the UG page and read the relevant notice in full. Check registration, payment, choice locking, allotment and reporting separately: each can have its own deadline. Earlier-round dates are not a new opportunity to apply, and this process guide does not announce a fresh registration window.
Related reading: our guides to the NEET age eligibility rule, JoSAA document preparation and UGC rules on returning original certificates cover separate admission questions.
