Uttar Pradesh NEET Counselling 2026

Uttar Pradesh NEET Counselling 2026 is the gateway through which lakhs of MBBS and BDS aspirants from one of India’s largest medical education hubs will finally turn their NEET UG score into an actual seat. With NTA having conducted the NEET UG 2026 examination as a re-test on 21 June 2026, following the cancellation of the original 3 May 2026 exam over paper leak allegations, the entire counselling calendar this year is running later and tighter than usual. For a state with as many moving parts as Uttar Pradesh, that compressed timeline makes it more important than ever to understand exactly how the process works before registration opens.

There are well over 85 medical colleges and above 25 dental colleges in the state that accommodate thousands of MBBS & BDS seats in state govt, private, and minority quota. It’s in this scenario, Uttar Pradesh NEET Counseling that is administered by DGME, Lucknow in the state involves state 85% seats from government and 100% seats from private/minority colleges while Medical Counselling Committee handles state 15% seats from government colleges.

In this Guide, you will be guided through the entire UP NEET UG Counselling 2026 procedure as anticipated this year, from registrations, document verification process, choice filling, round of seat allotment and the most important information such as reservation policies, counseling fees and a complete list of participating colleges.

Latest News & Notifications – Uttar Pradesh NEET Counselling 2026

Stay updated with the latest UP NEET Counselling 2026 announcements issued by the Directorate General of Medical Education and Training (DGME), Uttar Pradesh. All official notifications, counselling schedules, registration notices, merit lists, seat matrices, choice filling dates, allotment results, and admission notices are published only on the official counselling portal. This section should be updated regularly to provide candidates with the latest counselling developments.

Date	Latest Notification	Status	Download / View
To Be Announced	UP NEET Counselling 2026 Information Bulletin	Upcoming	Download PDF (Available Soon)
To Be Announced	Round 1 Counselling Schedule	Upcoming	Download PDF (Available Soon)
To Be Announced	Online Registration Starts	Upcoming	View Details
To Be Announced	Registration Deadline	Upcoming	View Details
To Be Announced	Choice Filling & Locking Schedule	Upcoming	Download PDF (Available Soon)
To Be Announced	Round 1 Merit List	Upcoming	Download PDF (Available Soon)
To Be Announced	Round 1 Seat Matrix	Upcoming	Download PDF (Available Soon)
To Be Announced	Round 1 Seat Allotment Result	Upcoming	Check Result
To Be Announced	Round 2 Counselling Schedule	Upcoming	Download PDF (Available Soon)
To Be Announced	Round 2 Merit List	Upcoming	Download PDF (Available Soon)
To Be Announced	Round 2 Seat Matrix	Upcoming	Download PDF (Available Soon)
To Be Announced	Round 2 Seat Allotment Result	Upcoming	Check Result
To Be Announced	Round 3 (Mop-up) Schedule	Upcoming	Download PDF (Available Soon)
To Be Announced	Round 3 Seat Matrix	Upcoming	Download PDF (Available Soon)
To Be Announced	Round 3 Seat Allotment Result	Upcoming	Check Result
To Be Announced	Stray Vacancy Round Schedule	Upcoming	Download PDF (Available Soon)
To Be Announced	Stray Vacancy Seat Allotment Result	Upcoming	Check Result
To Be Announced	Corrigendum / Revised Notices	As Released	Download PDF
To Be Announced	Final Reporting & Admission Notice	Upcoming	Download PDF (Available Soon)

Uttar Pradesh NEET Counselling 2026 Highlights

Before getting into the step-by-step detail, here is a quick snapshot of the process so you know what you're dealing with.

Particular	Details
Conducting authority	Directorate General of Medical Education and Training (DGME), Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow
Official website	upneet.gov.in
Courses covered	MBBS and BDS (state quota and private quota seats)
Seats under state counselling	85% quota in government colleges; 100% of seats in private colleges
Seats outside DGME UP	15% All India Quota in government colleges, counselled separately by MCC
Number of rounds	Four rounds - Round 1, Round 2, Round 3, and a Stray Vacancy round
Registration fee	Rs. 2,000 (non-refundable) per round; Rs. 2,000 for the Stray Vacancy round if a fresh registration is required
Security deposit	Rs. 30,000 for government colleges; Rs. 2,00,000 for private medical colleges; Rs. 1,00,000 for private dental colleges
Eligibility basis	Valid NEET UG 2026 score and rank, subject to category-wise cutoffs notified by NTA

Uttar Pradesh NEET Counselling 2026 Dates

DGME UP has not released the official UP NEET UG counselling 2026 schedule yet, and realistically it cannot be finalised until NTA declares the NEET UG 2026 result. Because this year's exam was pushed to a re-test on 21 June 2026 after the original attempt was cancelled, the entire downstream calendar, it is expected to shift later than the typical July-August window seen in past years.

Event	Expected timing
NEET UG 2026 result declaration	Likely mid-to-late July 2026 (tentative, pending official NTA notification)
UP NEET UG Counselling registration opens	Expected to open a few weeks after the result, likely August 2026
Document verification	Runs alongside registration, before choice locking for each round
Round 1 choice filling and locking	Shortly after registration closes for Round 1
Round 1 seat allotment result	A few days after choice locking closes
Round 2 and Round 3	Each round follows roughly two to three weeks after the previous one
Stray Vacancy round	After Round 3, for any seats still lying vacant

Uttar Pradesh NEET Counselling Process Step by Step

Overall flow of Uttar Pradesh NEET Counselling 2026 is straightforward once you see it laid out as a sequence. Every candidate, regardless of category or the type of college they are targeting, moves through the same broad stages.

1. Online registration on upneet.gov.in using your NEET UG 2026 roll number and application number
2. Payment of the non-refundable registration fee
3. Payment of the refundable security deposit (security money), based on whether you want to be considered for government colleges, private colleges, or both
4. Online verification of uploaded documents at a designated nodal centre
5. Declaration of category and other particulars in the registration form
6. Choice filling, selecting and ranking your preferred colleges and courses
7. Choice locking before the deadline (without locking, you will not be considered for seat allotment)
8. Seat allotment result declaration for that round
9. Downloading the provisional allotment letter
10. Reporting to the allotted college or nodal centre, document verification, and admission

This entire loop then repeats, with adjustments, across Round 1, Round 2, Round 3, and finally the Stray Vacancy round for any seats that remain unfilled.

UP NEET Counselling 2026: AIQ vs State Quota

One of the most common points of confusion for NEET aspirants targeting Uttar Pradesh is the split between All India Quota (AIQ) and State Quota seats. The two are counselled by entirely different bodies, on entirely different portals, with separate registration.

Particular	All India Quota (AIQ)	State Quota
Conducted by	Medical Counselling Committee (MCC)	DGME, Uttar Pradesh
Portal	mcc.nic.in	upneet.gov.in
Share of seats	15% of government college seats	85% of government college seats, plus 100% of private college seats
Domicile required	No	Yes, for government college state quota seats
Open to candidates from other states	Yes, all India merit	Only for private colleges (and minority institutions); not for the state quota share

Uttar Pradesh NEET Counselling Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility for Uttar Pradesh NEET Counselling 2026 is assessed on two levels: the basic NEET UG eligibility set by NTA, and the additional domicile and category conditions set by DGME UP for state quota seats.

Basic eligibility

• You must have a valid, qualifying score and rank in NEET UG 2026.
• You must complete 17 years of age on or before December 31, 2026. The upper age limit does not apply.
• You must have passed Class 12th or an equivalent examination with Physics, Chemistry, Biology or Biotechnology as the compulsory subjects along with English.
• If applicable, candidates belonging toreserved categories will have to fulfill the qualifying percentile notified by the NTA for NEET UG 2026 according to their respective reserved category.

Domicile rules for state quota seats

For the 85% state quota seats in government medical and dental colleges, a candidate must be a domicile of Uttar Pradesh. This rule has one important exception that trips up a lot of applicants:

• If you completed both your Class 10 and Class 12 from a school located in Uttar Pradesh, you do not need to submit a separate domicile certificate.
• If you completed Class 10, Class 12, or both from outside Uttar Pradesh but consider yourself a UP domicile, you must submit a domicile or permanent residence certificate issued by a competent UP authority, in the prescribed format.

Private and minority colleges

Domicile is not required for admission to private medical and dental colleges or minority institutions in Uttar Pradesh. Candidates from any state who have passed Class 10 and Class 12 from anywhere in India are eligible to participate in counselling for these seats.

One additional rule worth noting: candidates who were allotted a seat in the stray vacancy round of the previous year's cycle and did not take admission are barred from participating in the current year's counselling, so it is worth keeping that history in mind if you or someone you're guiding sat out a prior round.

Uttar Pradesh NEET Counselling 2026 Documents Required

Document verification happens online at the registration stage, and the originals are checked again physically at the time of admission. Keep both soft copies (for upload) and the originals plus self-attested photocopies (for reporting) ready well in advance.

Documents to upload during online registration

• Class 10 marksheet and certificate
• Class 12 (Intermediate) marksheet and certificate
• Category certificate, where applicable (OBC, SC, ST, EWS, Ex-servicemen, NCC, PwD)
• Domicile certificate, where applicable

Documents to carry at the time of admission

• Copy of the provisional seat allotment letter
• NEET UG 2026 admit card and scorecard
• Class 10 and Class 12 marksheets and certificates (originals)
• Permanent residence or domicile certificate, in the format prescribed by the UP government, where applicable
• Category or reservation certificate, in the format prescribed by the UP government, where applicable
• A government-issued photo ID proof such as Aadhaar card, driving licence, PAN card, or passport

All original documents must be submitted along with self-attested photocopies at the time of reporting. If any document is missing, incorrect, or found to be fabricated at any later stage, the allotment or admission is liable to be cancelled, with further action taken against the candidate as per the applicable rules.

Uttar Pradesh NEET Counselling 2026 Fees

There are two separate payments involved in UP NEET Counselling 2026: a non-refundable registration fee, and a refundable security deposit. Both must be paid online before you become eligible for choice filling.

Registration fee

Round	Registration fee
Round 1, Round 2, and Round 3	Rs. 2,000 (non-refundable)
Stray Vacancy round (fresh registration)	Rs. 2,000 (non-refundable)

Candidates who have already registered in an earlier round of the same year's counselling do not need to register again for subsequent rounds, unless specifically required (such as for the Stray Vacancy round).

Security deposit (refundable)

College type	Security deposit
Government medical and dental colleges	Rs. 30,000
Private medical colleges	Rs. 2,00,000
Private dental colleges	Rs. 1,00,000
Candidates seeking both government and private medical seats	Rs. 2,00,000 (single combined deposit)

This security money is paid online and is fully refundable if you do not end up getting any seat after all rounds of counselling conclude, or if you exit at a stage that qualifies for a free exit. It is best to pay this deposit from your own bank account or your parent's account, since refunds are credited back to the same account the payment was made from.

Uttar Pradesh NEET Counselling 2026 Registration Process

Uttar Pradesh NEET Counselling Registration is to be done through upneet.gov.in. Must follow few things that makes the process of counselling easy.

• Sign in using NEET UG 2026 roll number & application number
• On the counselling portal, name, parents’ names and date of birth is auto-generated from NEET application form and can't be changed or edited.
• You will be asked to fill details such as category, sub-category, address, mobile number & email address yourself.
• It is strongly advisable to fill the registration form yourself rather than through an agent, and to use your own mobile number and email ID, since these are used for all further OTPs and official communication.
• After completing the form, you will be asked to set a password. This password is used later for choice filling, so do not share it with anyone.
• Once registration and fee payment are complete, download and save both the registration form and the fee payment receipt.

After UP NEET UG counselling 2026 registration, you will need to select a nodal centre for document verification. A list of designated nodal centres is published by DGME UP, and your records (marksheets, category certificate, domicile certificate, if applicable) are verified online against this centre before you become eligible to proceed to choice filling.

Uttar Pradesh NEET Counselling 2026 Choice Filling and Locking

Choice filling is the single most important step in the entire process. Your final seat depends entirely on the choices you list, the order in which you rank them, and whether you remember to lock them before the deadline.

How it works

• After the security deposit is paid, you are free to select as many of the available college and course combinations as you want, in any order you prefer.
• Seats are allotted based on your NEET UG rank, your category, and the order of preference in your locked choices, you will be allotted the highest-ranked choice on your list for which a seat is available to you.
• Locking your choices is mandatory. If you fill choices but do not lock them before the deadline, you will not be considered for seat allotment in that round at all.

Practical tips for choice filling

• Fill in every college and course you would realistically accept, even ones you consider a backup, since an unlisted option simply cannot be allotted to you.
• Order your list strictly by genuine preference, not by perceived chances of getting in, the algorithm always tries your top choice first.
• Cross-check last year's closing ranks for your category and course before finalising your order, so your list is realistic rather than purely aspirational.
• Do not assume you can re-edit after locking. Review carefully before you lock.

One detail that surprises many candidates: if you are reshuffled or upgraded into a new seat in a later round based on your stated preferences, your previous seat is automatically released for another candidate. If no upgrade happens, your existing allotted seat simply continues to hold, so there's no risk in listing higher preferences even after you already have a seat you are reasonably happy with.

Uttar Pradesh NEET Counselling 2026 Seat Matrix

Seat matrix is the round-wise breakdown of how many MBBS and BDS seats are available at each participating college. DGME UP releases a fresh seat matrix before each round, since the number of vacant seats keeps changing as candidates take admission, upgrade, or exit.

Uttar Pradesh's government-sector medical colleges and institutions collectively offer thousands of seats, and an even larger number seat with private medical and dental colleges across the state. Because exact seat numbers shift slightly each year with newly added colleges, increased intake, or NMC approvals, always cross-check the live seat matrix for each round before finalising your choice list, rather than relying on a previous year's figures.

Download the official seat matrix PDF: Download PDF

Uttar Pradesh NEET Counselling Reservation Criteria

Reservation for Uttar Pradesh NEET Counselling 2026 follows the state government order applicable for the year, and is split into two broad types including vertical reservation, which is category-based, and horizontal reservation, which cuts across categories for specific groups.

Vertical reservation

Category	Reservation
Scheduled Caste (SC)	21%
Scheduled Tribe (ST)	2%
Other Backward Classes (OBC)	27%
Economically Weaker Section (EWS)	10%

Horizontal reservation

Category	Reservation
Dependents of freedom fighters	2%
Children of ex-servicemen (disabled, retired, or martyred in war)	2%
Persons with disabilities (PwD)	5%
NCC cadets (minimum 'B' grading with 'C' certificate)	1%
Women candidates	20%

For private minority institutions, 50% of seats are reserved for candidates belonging to the relevant religious minority community, and the remaining 50% are open to candidates from any category. EWS and OBC certificates must be issued on or after a date specified by the government each year.

All reservation-related certificates, except disability and NCC certificates, must be issued by a competent Uttar Pradesh authority in the format prescribed by the state government. Certificates accepted for central government recruitment are not automatically valid for this counselling and must follow the UP-specific format.

Counselling Rounds Explained: Round 1, Round 2, Round 3 and Stray Vacancy

Uttar Pradesh NEET Counselling 2026 runs across four rounds, and the rules around exiting, upgrading, and forfeiting your security deposit change meaningfully from one round to the next. Understanding this round-by-round logic in advance can save you a significant amount of money.

Round 1

• Open to all eligible candidates.
• If you are allotted a seat in Round 1 and decide you don't want it, you get a free exit, meaning your full security deposit is refunded, provided you withdraw before the choice-locking deadline of Round 2.
• If you take admission in Round 1 and want to try for an upgrade, your existing seat is retained automatically unless you are reshuffled into a better one.

Round 2

• Candidates who got a free exit from Round 1, or who weren't allotted any seat, can participate without depositing security money again.
• If you are allotted a seat in Round 2 and choose not to join, your entire security deposit is forfeited. There is no free exit at this stage.

Round 3

• No candidate is permitted to voluntarily vacate a seat after Round 3 concludes.
• If you skip joining after a Round 3 allotment, your full security deposit and any fees paid at the time are forfeited.

Stray Vacancy round

• Only candidates who did not receive any seat allotment in Rounds 1, 2, or 3 are eligible.
• Candidates admitted through the All India Quota counselling or another state's counselling in any round are not eligible to participate in the UP Stray Vacancy round.
• A fresh registration fee of Rs. 2,000 applies for this round. Candidates who already deposited security money in an earlier round of the same year do not need to deposit it again.
• If a candidate fails to take admission after a Stray Vacancy allotment, the security deposit is forfeited and the candidate is also barred from participating in the following year's counselling cycle.

There is also a structured conversion algorithm for unfilled reserved seats after Round 3: vacant ST seats convert to SC, SC to OBC, OBC and EWS to unreserved, and so on, following a fixed hierarchy, so that no seat goes unutilised purely because a reserved-category candidate wasn't available.

Uttar Pradesh NEET Counselling 2026 Seat Allotment Result

Once the option locking window for the round closes, the DGME UP will work out all the locked preferences with the seat matrix and issue a PDF report for the seat allocation at upneet.gov.in. To view your seat allotment:

• Sign in to your counselling account with the help of your registration details.
• Go to the seat allotment or results section for the desired round.
• You can download your provisional allotment letter with information about the allocated college, course, category, and instructions to report.
• Even if you are not allotted any seat during any round, you will be considered for the next rounds of counselling without further registration.

Maintain a soft copy or print of all allotment letters you receive in the multiple rounds of counseling because in the future at the time of admissions, you might need to submit a previous allotment history, especially if you have upgraded from your seat that was allotted in a previous round.

Check seat allotment result: Download PDF

Reporting to College and Document Verification

Securing an allotment is only half the process, admission is finalized only after you physically report to the allotted institution (or the designated nodal centre, for most private colleges) within the specified window.

At government colleges

Candidates allotted a seat in a government medical, dental, or AYUSH college must complete the entire admission process directly at that institution.

At private colleges

For private colleges, including minority institutions, admission formalities are completed through designated nodal centres rather than at the college itself. A separate list of nodal centres covering different regions of the state is published alongside the counselling brochure, and each private college is mapped to a specific nodal centre.

What happens at reporting

• Original documents are verified against the uploaded copies.
• Fee payment is completed for private colleges (excluding minority institutions), tuition fee is typically paid via demand draft in favour of the Director General, Medical Education and Training, Uttar Pradesh.
• If any document is missing or any discrepancy is found between the uploaded and original documents, the allotment can be cancelled on the spot.

Uttar Pradesh NEET Counselling 2026 Merit List

Uttar Pradesh state merit list will be prepared by DGME UP strictly on the basis of NEET UG 2026 scores/ranks and category after applying the eligibility and reservation rules mentioned above in this article. Only those candidates whose names appear on this merit list are eligible to go through with Choice Filling and Seat Allotment.

• Merit List will be released post Registration Closing Time and before Choice Filling Opens for each Round.
• It contains the candidate’s Name, Roll Number, NEET UG Rank, Category, and State Merit Rank.
• A revised merit list can be published later on as well for new registrants, category changes, or those who are out of the process

Your state merit rank is what actually gets you a seat in UP’s counselling, your All India NEET rank only counts towards AIQ seats, but it’s your UP state specific rank on this list that will get you seated at a good college in the state quota and private colleges round.

Counselling Round	Merit List / PDF Name	Expected Release	PDF Download Link
Round 1	Round 1 Merit List	Available Before Choice Filling	Download PDF (Available Soon)
Round 1 (Revised)	Revised Round 1 Merit List (if any)	As Notified	Download PDF (Available Soon)
Round 2	Round 2 Merit List	Before Round 2 Choice Filling	Download PDF (Available Soon)
Round 2 (Revised)	Revised Round 2 Merit List (if any)	As Notified	Download PDF (Available Soon)
Round 3	Round 3 Merit List	Before Round 3 Choice Filling	Download PDF (Available Soon)
Round 3 (Revised)	Revised Round 3 Merit List (if any)	As Notified	Download PDF (Available Soon)
Stray Vacancy Round	Stray Vacancy Merit List	Before Stray Vacancy Choice Filling	Download PDF (Available Soon)
Special Stray Vacancy Round (If Conducted)	Special Stray Vacancy Merit List	As Notified	Download PDF (Available Soon)

Uttar Pradesh NEET Counselling Cut Off

Cutoff for Uttar Pradesh NEET Counselling 2026 is the minimum NEET UG score and rank a candidate needs in their category to realistically secure a seat at a particular college and course. Two different cutoffs matter here, and conflating them is a common mistake.

• The NEET UG qualifying cutoff, set by NTA, is the baseline percentile a candidate needs simply to be eligible for any counselling at all.
• The college-wise, round-wise, category-wise closing rank in UP's own counselling is a separate, much more specific number that tells you what rank actually got someone the last seat at a given college in a given round in past years.

Download previous year cutoff PDF: Download PDF

Uttar Pradesh NEET Counselling 2026 Participating Institutes

The list of participating institutes for Uttar Pradesh NEET Counselling 2026 covers government medical colleges, special composite scheme colleges, private medical colleges, private dental colleges, and minority institutions. Each category follows its own seat-sharing and reservation pattern, as outlined earlier in this guide.

• Download Government medical colleges and institutions
• Download Private medical and dental colleges
• Download the full list of participating colleges

Read Also: Participating Colleges in Uttar Pradesh NEET Counselling 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What is Uttar Pradesh NEET Counselling 2026? 

A. It is the state-level admission process carried out by DGME UP for MBBS & BDS seats in government/private medical & dental colleges located all over Uttar Pradesh based on NEET UG 2026 marks and state quota norms.

Q. Who conducts UP NEET Counselling? 

A. The Directorate General of Medical Education & Training (DGME), Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow controls the state counselling process. The All India Quota seats will be taken care of by the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC).

Q. What’s the official website for UP NEET Counselling 2026?

A. The official website for UP NEET Counselling 2026 is upneet.gov.in. All registration, schedules, results, & notifications will be published only on this website.

Q. How many rounds does UP NEET Counselling have?

A. Total of Four – Round 1, Round 2, Round 3 and Stray Vacancy round for any left over seats

Q. Is Domicile certificate compulsory for UP NEET Counselling?

A. Only for state quota seats in government colleges. If you did your class 10th and 12th from a school in U.P. then you don’t need to submit a separate domicile certificate. You don’t need at all for private college

Q. Can candidates from other states apply for UP NEET counselling?

A. Yes they can apply for private medical & dental college seats in Uttar Pradesh as Domicile isn’t required there. But they can’t claim a state quota seat in a government college.

Q. Is UP NEET Counselling security deposit refundable?

A. Yes, if you’re not allotted any seat throughout the counselling or if you exit during the free-exit window in Round 1. Exiting after later rounds typically leads to forfeiture of the entire security deposit.

Q.Is there any service bond for getting govt college seat in UP ?

A. The candidates who will be admitted to MBBS/BDS Programs in Govt Medical/ Dental Colleges have to sign Compulsory 2 year GOVT SERVICE BOND with the fine for breach rather than serving it.