MCC NEET UG 2026 Round 1 Counselling Opens: Registration Deadline, Fee Chart and the New Freeze-vs-Float Rule Explained

If you cleared NEET UG 2026 and are hoping to bag a seat through the All India Quota or one of the central university medical colleges, the clock has started ticking. The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC), the central body that runs seat allotment for these quotas, opened registration for Round 1 of counselling on August 5, 2026, with the window to register and pay fees closing on August 12. This round decides seats in the 15% All India Quota, central universities like AMU, BHU, Delhi University and Jamia Millia Islamia's dentistry faculty, ESIC medical colleges (for children of insured employees), and the Armed Forces Medical College, Pune. A new procedural change this year also affects how you handle your seat after allotment, so it's worth understanding before you touch the choice-filling screen. Missing the registration or fee deadline means missing Round 1 entirely, so timing matters as much as your rank.

Round 1 schedule at a glance

MCC counselling always runs on a tight, sequential calendar — registration, then choice filling, then processing, then result, then reporting. Round 1 for 2026 follows this pattern with firm dates for each step.

Which seats does this round cover?

MCC does not handle every MBBS/BDS seat in the country — state quota seats are managed separately by each state's counselling authority. This round is specifically for the pool MCC controls directly.

Round 1, and the two rounds that follow it plus the stray vacancy round, will fill: the 15% All India Quota seats in government medical and dental colleges, institutional/domicile seats at central universities (Aligarh Muslim University, Banaras Hindu University, Delhi University, and the dentistry faculty at Jamia Millia Islamia), seats reserved for wards of ESIC-insured employees at ESI colleges, and seats at the Armed Forces Medical College, Pune. A spot admission round may follow if seats remain vacant.

How much you'll pay to register

The counselling fee has two parts: a non-refundable processing fee and a refundable security deposit that comes back once all rounds are over. The amount depends on which quota you're registering under and your category.

The freeze-vs-float change you need to understand

Until 2025, every candidate who got a seat — whether they wanted to stay or try for an upgrade in the next round — had to physically visit the allotted institute to complete formalities. That has changed for 2026.

Candidates are now split into two groups after each allotment. 'Freeze' candidates are those who are happy with their allotted seat and don't want to try for an upgrade in a later round; they must still visit the institute in person to complete admission. 'Float' candidates are those who want a chance at a better seat in the next round; they simply indicate this willingness online and upload their documents for verification by the allotted institute, without needing to travel there physically.

This matters practically: if you're allotted a seat far from home and are unsure whether to accept it or wait for an upgrade, floating lets you keep your options open without the cost and hassle of an unnecessary trip. But if you're satisfied with what you got, freezing and reporting in person locks in your seat for good.

Reservation you should keep in mind while filling choices

MCC follows the central government's reservation policy for all AIQ and central institute seats. Knowing your applicable category reservation helps you gauge realistic choices rather than guessing at cutoffs.

• SC: 15% of seats
• ST: 7.5% of seats
• OBC (Non-Creamy Layer, Central List): 27% of seats
• EWS: 10% of seats
• PwD: 5% horizontal reservation across categories, per Indian Nursing Council/medical council norms
• CW (children of war-affected) seats exist at certain Central Nursing Institutes in the Delhi region only

A practical checklist before you log in

Counselling moves fast and MCC does not extend deadlines lightly. A few basics can save you from last-minute panic.

Have your NEET UG scorecard, ID proof, category certificates (if applicable), and passport-size photographs scanned and ready before you start the registration form. If you appeared in the NEET UG re-test conducted on June 21, 2026, and got your result on July 16, use that latest scorecard for the application.

• Register only through mcc.nic.in — avoid third-party links or agents claiming to speed up the process
• Pay the fee from the account you want the refund credited to, since refunds go back to the same account
• Watch for the seat matrix release before locking choices — it tells you exactly which colleges and courses have seats available in this round
• Enter choices strictly in your real order of preference; allotment goes by rank, category, and choice order, not by what you enter last-minute
• If you're a Puducherry domicile candidate applying to JIPMER's internal quota, check that your name appears on the state-issued domicile merit list before registering

Frequently asked questions

Keep the MCC portal and your registered mobile number/email handy over the next two weeks, since choice-filling and result dates move quickly once registration closes. If you're unsure whether to freeze or float after Round 1 results, decide based on how confident you are about upgrading in Round 2 rather than rushing the choice under pressure.