Quick Facts
- JoSAA Counselling 2026 registration and choice filling open on June 2, 2026 at josaa.nic.in.
- 127 institutes participate: 23 IITs, 31 NITs, 26 IIITs, and 47 GFTIs, offering 62,000 plus seats.
- JEE Advanced 2026 rank is required for IITs; JEE Main 2026 rank is needed for NITs, IIITs, and GFTIs.
- Six rounds of seat allotment run from mid-June to late July 2026.
JoSAA Counselling 2026 registration opens on June 2, 2026, at the official portal josaa.nic.in. This is the only route to a seat in any IIT, NIT, IIIT, or GFTI for the 2026-27 academic year.
The Joint Seat Allocation Authority (JoSAA) is a body set up by the Ministry of Education to run a single, centralised counselling process for India’s top government engineering colleges. JoSAA Counselling 2026 covers 127 institutes and approximately 62,000 seats. Registration and choice filling open on the same day. Every qualified JEE candidate must register here. There is no separate process for IIT students and NIT students.
JoSAA Counselling 2026: Key Dates at a Glance
The official schedule is released on josaa.nic.in after JEE Advanced results. The table below shows confirmed and expected dates based on the official June 2 start and prior-year patterns. Always verify the final schedule on the official portal.
| Event | Date (2026) | Status |
|---|---|---|
| JEE Advanced 2026 exam | May 17, 2026 | Completed |
| JEE Advanced 2026 result | June 1, 2026 (expected) | Expected |
| JoSAA registration and choice filling open | June 2, 2026 (5:00 PM) | Confirmed |
| Mock seat allotment Round 1 | Mid-June 2026 (expected) | Expected |
| Mock seat allotment Round 2 | Mid-June 2026 (expected) | Expected |
| Choice filling closes | Mid-June 2026 (expected) | Expected |
| Round 1 seat allotment result | Mid-June 2026 (expected) | Expected |
| Rounds 2 to 6 seat allotment | June to July 2026 | Expected |
| JoSAA counselling concludes | Late July 2026 (expected) | Expected |
The most critical window is the first 10 days after June 2. Registration, choice filling, and two mock allotments all happen within this period. Missing the choice-filling deadline means no seat allotment in any round.
Who Is Eligible for JoSAA Counselling 2026?
Eligibility depends on which type of institute you are targeting.
For IITs: you need a valid rank in both JEE Main 2026 and JEE Advanced 2026. You must also have passed Class 12 with at least 75% marks in five subjects (65% for SC and ST candidates), or be in the top 20 percentile of your board’s successful candidates. Both conditions must be met.
For NITs, IIITs, and GFTIs: you need a valid JEE Main 2026 rank. The Class 12 marks requirement applies as per each institute’s specific admissions policy. JEE Advanced is not needed for these institutes.
JoSAA Counselling 2026: Institutes and Seats
| Institute Type | Number of Institutes | Approx. Seats (2025 data) | Admission Based On |
|---|---|---|---|
| IITs (Indian Institutes of Technology) | 23 | 18,160 | JEE Advanced rank |
| NITs (National Institutes of Technology) | 31 | 24,525 | JEE Main rank |
| IIITs (Indian Institutes of Information Technology) | 26 | 9,940 | JEE Main rank |
| GFTIs (Government Funded Technical Institutes) | 47 | 10,228 | JEE Main rank |
| Total | 127 | 62,853 |
The 2025 seat matrix had 62,853 total seats across all 128 participating institutes. The 2026 seat matrix will be published on josaa.nic.in at the start of counselling. IITs added seats from 17,760 in 2024 to 18,160 in 2025, and a similar trend is expected in 2026. Female supernumerary seats ensure at least 20% female enrolment in IIT undergraduate programmes, as directed by the Ministry of Education.
JoSAA Counselling 2026: How to Register and Fill Choices
Both registration and choice filling open together on June 2, 2026 at josaa.nic.in. Follow these steps carefully.
Step 1. Register. Visit josaa.nic.in. Click “New Candidate Registration”. Verify your identity using your JEE Main 2026 application number, name, mother’s name, and date of birth. Enter the OTP sent to your registered mobile and email. Create a password for your JoSAA portal login.
Step 2. Fill choices. Log in and start entering your preferred institutes and programmes in order of preference. You can add, delete, and reorder choices as many times as you like before the deadline. List your genuine first choice at the top. Do not waste the top slots on impossible ranks.
Step 3. Use mock allotments. JoSAA runs two mock seat allotments during the choice-filling window. These show where your rank would place you based on your current choice order. Use mock allotment results to review and adjust your list. Mock allotments have no bearing on the final result.
Step 4. Lock your choices. Before the choice-filling deadline, lock your final list. If you do not lock manually, the system automatically locks your last saved order. Once locked, no changes are possible.
What Is Freeze, Float, and Slide in JoSAA 2026?
After each seat allotment round, candidates who receive a seat must choose one of three options. This is one of the most misunderstood parts of the process. Read this carefully before round 1.
Freeze means you are happy with the seat you received. You confirm it and exit all further rounds. No upgrades are possible after this. Choose Freeze only when you genuinely want that specific college and branch and would not trade it for anything else on your list.
Float means you accept the current seat but also want to try for a higher-preference college or branch at a different college in the next round. If a better option opens up for your rank, the system moves you there automatically. Your current seat is held until a better one comes through or the rounds end.
Slide means you accept the current college but want a better branch within that same college. You will not be moved to a different institute. Only a branch upgrade at the same institute is possible with Slide.
One critical rule: Float and Slide are not available in Round 6, the final round. In Round 6, you must choose either Freeze or Withdraw. Plan your strategy around this before you reach the final round.
Seat Acceptance Fee: How Much Do You Pay?
| Category | Seat Acceptance Fee (SAF) | Adjusted Against |
|---|---|---|
| General, OBC-NCL, EWS candidates | Rs 45,000 | First-semester tuition fee |
| SC, ST, PwD candidates | Rs 20,000 | First-semester tuition fee |
| Withdrawal before final round | Rs 3,000 deducted | Balance refunded |
The SAF is not an extra charge. It is adjusted against your first-semester fee when you join the institute. If you choose Float or Slide in an earlier round, you do not pay the SAF again in the next round. You pay it only once per counselling cycle.
Documents Required for JoSAA 2026 Verification
After paying the SAF, you upload documents through the JoSAA virtual reporting centre. A verification officer reviews them. If they raise a query, you must respond before the deadline they set. Failing to respond leads to seat cancellation. Check your portal login every day during this period. JoSAA does not always send a separate SMS or email for queries.
Prepare these documents in advance:
- Class 10 certificate or Aadhaar card or birth certificate (for date of birth proof).
- Class 12 marksheet and passing certificate.
- JEE Main 2026 admit card.
- JEE Advanced 2026 admit card (for IIT candidates).
- Category certificate: OBC-NCL or GEN-EWS certificates must be issued after April 1, 2026. Uploading an older certificate will result in your category being changed to General, costing you your reservation benefit.
- PwD certificate (if applicable), verified by a government medical board.
- Passport-size photograph.
The OBC-NCL and GEN-EWS certificate date rule is the single most common reason students lose their reserved category seat in JoSAA. This is not a small detail. Act on it now.
About JoSAA
The Joint Seat Allocation Authority (JoSAA) was established by the Ministry of Education, Government of India, to manage centralised seat allocation for undergraduate engineering, architecture, and science programmes in India’s top government-funded technical institutes. JoSAA replaced the earlier separate counselling processes of IITs and NITs with a single platform. It covers 23 IITs, 31 NITs, 26 IIITs, and 47 GFTIs. All processes are conducted online at josaa.nic.in. JoSAA is not a separate organisation; it is a joint effort of the IIT Council and the NIT Council under Ministry of Education oversight.
What This Means For You
If you are a JEE Advanced 2026 qualifier targeting IITs
Register on June 2, the moment the portal opens at 5 PM. Do not wait even one day. The choice-filling window lasts only about 10 days, including two mock allotments. Use the CampusFeed Exam Calendar to mark every JoSAA deadline for Round 1 through Round 6. Research last year’s opening and closing ranks for your target IITs and branches before June 2, not after.
If you are a JEE Main 2026 qualifier targeting NITs, IIITs, or GFTIs
You use the same josaa.nic.in portal and the same registration process. Your JEE Main rank determines your options. Log in with your JEE Main 2026 application number. Start building your college and branch preference list now, before the portal opens, by studying previous-year JoSAA opening and closing ranks for NITs and IIITs.
If you are a parent
The SAF of Rs 45,000 (General, OBC-NCL, EWS) or Rs 20,000 (SC, ST, PwD) is adjusted against your child’s first-semester fees. It is not an additional charge. Help your child gather all required documents this week. Pay special attention to the OBC-NCL or EWS certificate date: it must say April 1, 2026 or later. An older certificate loses the reservation benefit.
CampusFeed Take
JoSAA is the most deadline-dense process a student will encounter in their entire school career. Six rounds, each with a 24 to 48 hour window to pay fees, upload documents, and submit Freeze, Float, or Slide. The system is unforgiving: miss one step in one round and the seat is gone with no appeal. The most common casualties are not students with low ranks but students with good ranks who assume they have time. They do not. The most underappreciated strategy insight: build your choice list longer than you think you need. Students often stop at 20 choices. Go to 50 or more. The system runs a computer-based allotment across all rounds simultaneously; more choices means more options to fall back on if your top preference closes. The JEE Advanced result on June 1 is the starting gun. By CampusFeed Desk.
What Is Next
JEE Advanced 2026 results are expected on June 1, 2026 at jeeadv.ac.in. JoSAA registration opens on June 2 at josaa.nic.in. Mock allotments happen within the first 10 days. Round 1 seat allotment is expected in mid-June 2026. CSAB counselling for vacant seats in the NIT-plus system begins after JoSAA rounds conclude in late July. Are you targeting an IIT, NIT, or IIIT? Tell us in the comments and we will cover your priority college’s closing rank data next.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does JoSAA Counselling 2026 registration start?
JoSAA Counselling 2026 registration opens on June 2, 2026 at 5:00 PM at the official portal josaa.nic.in. Registration and choice filling open simultaneously. There is no separate registration window before choice filling.
How many institutes and seats are available in JoSAA 2026?
JoSAA 2026 covers 127 participating institutes: 23 IITs, 31 NITs, 26 IIITs, and 47 GFTIs. Based on 2025 data, approximately 62,853 seats are on offer. The 2026 seat matrix will be published on josaa.nic.in at the start of counselling.
What is the difference between Freeze, Float, and Slide in JoSAA?
Freeze means you accept the allotted seat and exit all further rounds. Float means you accept the current seat but remain open to a better college or branch at a different institute in the next round. Slide means you accept the current institute but want a better branch within the same institute only.
What is the seat acceptance fee for JoSAA Counselling 2026?
The seat acceptance fee is Rs 45,000 for General, OBC-NCL, and EWS candidates and Rs 20,000 for SC, ST, and PwD candidates. This amount is fully adjusted against your first-semester tuition fee when you join the allotted institute. If you withdraw before the final round, Rs 3,000 is deducted and the rest is refunded.
Do I need JEE Advanced rank for NIT admission through JoSAA 2026?
No. JEE Advanced rank is required only for IIT admission. For NITs, IIITs, and GFTIs, your JEE Main 2026 rank is sufficient. Both groups register on the same josaa.nic.in portal using the same process.
Disclaimer: This article is for general informational purposes only and is based on publicly available information at the time of publishing. JoSAA 2026 dates, eligibility criteria, seat matrix, fees, and round schedules are tentative and subject to change. Always verify the latest information from the official JoSAA portal at josaa.nic.in before taking any action. CampusFeed and its authors are not responsible for decisions made based on this article. This is not legal or career advice.
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