MCC NEET UG Counselling 2026 Round 1: Registration Window, Fees and Full Schedule Explained

If you cleared NEET UG this year and are eyeing an MBBS or BDS seat, the clock has started ticking. The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC), which runs All India Quota and central institute seat allotment for NEET UG, has opened registration for Round 1 of NEET UG Counselling 2026. This is the stage where your rank actually gets converted into a seat, so missing a deadline in this cycle can cost you an entire admission opportunity. The whole Round 1 process — from registration to reporting at your allotted college — is packed into roughly three weeks, so knowing the exact dates matters as much as knowing your rank.

What has been announced

MCC has begun accepting registrations for Round 1 of NEET UG Counselling 2026 through its official portal, mcc.nic.in. Only candidates who have qualified NEET UG are eligible to register for this round.

This registration covers the All India Quota (15% of MBBS/BDS seats in government colleges, plus seats in central universities, deemed universities, AFMC and ESIC institutions) that MCC allots directly, alongside its role in coordinating the broader counselling calendar that state authorities also follow.

Round 1 schedule at a glance

The Round 1 process is a sequence of tightly-linked steps. Each stage has its own start and end date, and candidates must complete every step — registration, choice filling, and choice locking — to be considered for seat allotment.

How to register and apply

The application process is done entirely online through the MCC portal, and candidates should keep scanned documents and payment details ready before starting.

• Go to mcc.nic.in and click the UG Medical Counselling link on the homepage.
• Select the Round 1 registration link on the page that opens.
• Enter your NEET registration details and submit to create your counselling account.
• Fill in the application form with personal, academic and category details.
• Pay the applicable application fee online.
• Submit the form and download/print a copy for your records — you may need it later during verification or reporting.

Fee structure you need to budget for

The amount you pay at registration has two parts: a non-refundable processing fee and a refundable security deposit. The deposit is returned later if you do not take up a seat or as per MCC's refund rules, but it must be paid upfront to complete registration.

General/EWS candidates pay Rs 1,000 as the non-refundable fee plus Rs 10,000 as a refundable security amount, totalling Rs 11,000. SC, ST, OBC and PwD candidates pay Rs 500 non-refundable plus Rs 5,000 refundable, totalling Rs 5,500. This combined amount applies for candidates opting into categories such as central universities, AFMC and ESIC seats as well.

What this means for your admission strategy

Because choice filling and choice locking dates overlap with the last date of registration, aspirants effectively have very little slack. It is worth registering as early as possible within the window so you have more days available to research colleges and arrange your preference list calmly, rather than rushing through choice filling in the final 24-48 hours before locking closes.

Remember that Round 1 allotment is based purely on your NEET rank, category, and the choices you lock — there is no interview or additional test. If you are allotted a seat and it is not your first preference, you still generally get the option to try for an upgrade in later rounds depending on the rules for that year, but reporting at the allotted institute within the given window is usually mandatory to keep that seat live.

MCC has also released a video tutorial covering registration, choice filling and document requirements, which is a useful first stop if you are counselling for the first time or guiding a family member through it.

Frequently asked questions

With Round 1 registration, choice filling and locking all compressed into roughly a week, this is not the moment to procrastinate — decide your preferred colleges and courses in advance, then use the registration window mainly to execute, not to deliberate. Keep checking mcc.nic.in for any date extensions or updates as the round progresses.