JEE Main Counselling 2026: Seat Allotment, Registration Schedule, Dates & Required Documents

JEE Main Counselling 2026: Official JoSAA Schedule & Key Dates

The Joint Seat Allocation Authority (JoSAA) has released the complete counselling timetable for admissions into IITs, NITs, IIITs, and CFTIs. Candidates qualifying JEE Main 2026 and JEE Advanced 2026 can consult the breakdown below for every stage—from registration and mock rounds to seat allocation and fee payment deadlines.

JoSAA 2026 Counselling: Registration & Mock Allotment Schedule
 

Round-Wise Seat Allocation & Reporting Dates
 

Round 1

• Seat Allotment Result: June 13, 2026

• Online Reporting (Fee Payment, Document Upload & Queries): June 13 to June 26, 2026

• Fee Payment Deadline: June 26, 2026

• Query Resolution & Payment Discrepancy Window: June 29, 2026

Round 2

• Seat Allotment Result: June 30, 2026

• Online Reporting & Fee Submission: June 30 to July 3, 2026

• Last Date for Seat Acceptance Fee: July 3, 2026

• Seat Withdrawal / Exit Process: July 1 to July 3, 2026

• Payment Issue Resolution: July 4, 2026

• Final Date to Respond to Queries: July 5, 2026

Round 3

• Seat Allotment Result: July 6, 2026

• Online Reporting Window: July 6 to July 8, 2026

• Last Date for Fee Payment: July 8, 2026

• Seat Withdrawal / Exit Option: July 7 to July 8, 2026

• Query Responses & Payment Clearance: July 9, 2026

Round 4

• Seat Allotment Result: July 10, 2026

• Online Reporting Window: July 10 to July 13, 2026

• Last Date for Fee Payment: July 13, 2026

• Seat Withdrawal / Exit Window: July 11 to July 14, 2026

• Payment Discrepancy Resolution: July 14, 2026

• Last Date to Respond to Withdrawal Queries: July 15, 2026

Round 5 (Final Round for IIT Admissions)

• Seat Allotment Result: July 16, 2026

• Online Reporting Window: July 16 to July 20, 2026

• Fee Payment Deadline: July 20, 2026

• Seat Allocation Concludes for IITs/IISc: July 21, 2026

• Seat Withdrawal (NIT+ System Only): July 16 to July 20, 2026

• NIT+ System Withdrawal Queries Response: July 17 to July 21, 2026

• Partial Admission Fee (PAF) Payment: July 22 to July 24, 2026

Important Guidelines for JoSAA Reporting

• Mandatory Online Steps: Candidates allotted fresh seats in any round must complete document uploading, select willingness status (Freeze, Float, or Slide), and pay the seat acceptance fee before the deadline.

• Document Authentication: Promptly address queries raised by reporting officials in your portal login to avoid seat cancellation.

• NIT+ System Continuity: Round 5 marks the final admission cycle for IITs; vacant seats across NITs, IIITs, and CFTIs subsequently transition to CSAB special counselling rounds.

JEE Main Counselling Procedure 2026

The Joint Seat Allocation Authority (JoSAA) manages the centralized admission process for NITs, IIITs, IIEST Shibpur, and other CFTIs (based on JEE Main ranks), as well as IITs (based on JEE Advanced ranks). Follow these steps to complete the counselling workflow:

Step 1: Online Registration

1. Visit the official JoSAA portal at josaa.nic.in.

2. Log in using your JEE Main Application Number and password.

3. Review your personal details, category, state of eligibility, and contact details fetched from the NTA database.

4. Confirm the profile details to activate your counselling account.

Step 2: Choice Filling and Prioritization

1. Access the list of available branches and institutes based on your eligibility.

2. Add your preferred combinations of colleges and academic programs.

3. Arrange your selections in strict order of preference:

   • Rank your most desired branch/college combinations at the top.

   • Add as many eligible choices as possible to maximize your chances of seat allocation.

4. Rearrange, insert, or delete options using the dashboard controls before the submission deadline.

Step 3: Mock Seat Allocation

1. JoSAA releases two rounds of Mock Seat Allotment based on initial candidate choices.

2. Review your tentative allotment to gauge your admission chances.

3. Modify and reorder your preferred choices based on the mock allotment trends before the final deadline.

Step 4: Choice Locking

1. Lock your saved choices before the specified cutoff date.

2. If you do not manually lock your choices, the portal automatically locks your last saved preferences at the deadline.

3. Print or save a PDF copy of your locked choices for future verification.

Step 5: Seat Allotment Results

1. JoSAA declares seat allocation results round-by-round (Rounds 1 through 5).

2. Log in to your JoSAA account to view your allotment letter.

3. The letter details your allotted institute, academic program, allocated category, and quota.

Step 6: Online Reporting & Willingness Selection

Candidates securing a fresh seat allotment must complete mandatory online reporting, which includes three actions:

1. Submit Seat Willingness: Select one of the following options:

   • Freeze: Accept the allocated seat and opt out of further up-gradation in subsequent rounds.

   • Float: Accept the allocated seat but remain eligible for higher-preference choices across any institute in later rounds.

   • Slide: Accept the allocated seat but remain eligible for higher-preference branches within the same institute.

2. Upload Required Documents: Upload scanned, legible copies of mandatory certificates (Class 10 mark sheet, Class 12 mark sheet, category/caste certificates, PwD certificate if applicable, state of eligibility proof, and medical certificate).

3. Pay Seat Acceptance Fee (SAF): Pay the non-refundable seat acceptance fee online via net banking, UPI, or debit/credit card to validate your claim.

Step 7: Query Verification & Resolution

1. Document verification officials review your uploaded records online.

2. If discrepancies or unclear documents are detected, officials raise an online query in your candidate portal.

3. You must respond to and clear all verification queries within the stipulated deadline for that round; failure to do so results in seat cancellation.

Step 8: Partial Admission Fee (PAF) & Institutional Reporting

1. NIT+ System (NITs, IIITs, CFTIs): After Round 5, candidates who have retained a seat must pay the Partial Admission Fee (PAF) online through the JoSAA portal to confirm final admission.

2. Physical / Final Reporting: Visit the allotted institute's official website for instructions on physical verification, balance tuition fee payment, and commencement of the academic session.

3. Vacant Seats: Unfilled seats in the NIT+ system move to CSAB Special Rounds for further allocation.

Mandatory Documents for JEE Main / JoSAA Counselling 2026

Candidates securing a provisional seat must upload clear digital copies during online reporting and carry the original certificates along with self-attested photocopies for final verification at the allotted institute.

Document Checklist for Verification & Admission

• Provisional Seat Allotment Letter: Downloaded from the official JoSAA portal for the relevant round.

• Seat Acceptance Fee (SAF) Receipt: Proof of online fee payment or e-challan counterfoil.

• JEE Main 2026 Admit Card: The official examination hall ticket issued by NTA.

• JEE Main 2026 Scorecard / Rank Card: Showing candidate percentile scores and All India Rank (AIR).

• Class 10 Mark Sheet & Certificate: Serves as official proof of date of birth (or formal Birth Certificate).

• Class 12 Mark Sheet & Passing Certificate: Validates basic qualifying criteria and minimum aggregate percentage.

• Valid Photo Identity Card: Government-issued identification (Aadhaar Card, Passport, Voter ID, or School ID).

• Passport-Size Photographs: At least 3–4 recent passport photographs identical to the one uploaded during registration.

• Category / Community Certificate: Valid Gen-EWS, OBC-NCL, SC, or ST certificates issued in the central format by competent authorities (if applicable).

• Medical Fitness Certificate: Original certificate issued in the prescribed JoSAA format and signed by a registered medical practitioner.

• PwD Certificate: Issued by an authorized medical board for candidates claiming disability reservations (if applicable).

Important Tip: Ensure all digital scans are legible to avoid verification queries, and maintain at least three sets of physical photocopies alongside original documents during institute reporting.

Participating Institutes in JEE Main (JoSAA) Counselling 2026

Candidates qualifying JEE Main can secure admission into premier engineering and technical institutions across India through the central JoSAA seat allocation framework (NIT+ System).

(Note: In addition to the NIT+ system, qualifying candidates with valid JEE Advanced ranks participate in the same JoSAA portal for admission across 23 Indian Institutes of Technology.)