NEET UG Eligibility Criteria 2026: Age Limit, Qualification and Attempts
Before you spend months preparing, check one thing: are you eligible for NEET UG? The NEET UG eligibility criteria decide who can appear in the exam, and they are laid down in the Information Bulletin NEET (UG)-2026 issued by the National Testing Agency (NTA). This guide explains the age rule, the qualification codes, the required subjects, the rules for NRI, OCI and foreign candidates, reservation, and the provisions for candidates with benchmark disabilities. Once you know you are eligible, read the NEET UG exam pattern and the NEET UG syllabus.
In this guide
- NEET UG eligibility at a glance
- Age limit
- Educational qualification and qualification codes
- Required subjects and minimum marks
- Nationality: Indian, NRI, OCI and foreign candidates
- Number of attempts
- Reservation
- Candidates with benchmark disabilities (PwBD)
- Medium of the question paper
- Qualifying percentile
- 2026 application dates and fee
- Documents to keep ready
- Common doubts of students
NEET UG eligibility at a glance
| Criterion | Requirement as per the 2026 bulletin |
|---|---|
| Minimum age | 17 years completed on or before 31 December of the year of appearing |
| Born on or before | 31 December 2009 (all categories) |
| Upper age limit | None |
| Qualification | Class 12 or equivalent, passed or appearing (result awaited) |
| Compulsory subjects | Physics, Chemistry, Biology/Biotechnology and English |
| Nationality | Indian nationals, NRIs, OCIs and foreign nationals |
| Application forms | Only one application form per candidate |
| Exam authority | National Testing Agency (NTA) |
Age limit for NEET UG
Minimum age
The bulletin follows the Graduate Medical Education Regulations, 2023 (amendment dated 16 June 2023). A candidate must have completed 17 years of age on or before 31 December of the year in which he or she appears for NEET UG. For the 2026 cycle, this means you must have been born on or before 31 December 2009. The same date applies to General, General-EWS, SC, ST, OBC-NCL and PwBD candidates.
Upper age limit
The bulletin states that there is no upper age limit. Students who have taken a gap after Class 12 can therefore apply, provided they meet the other conditions.
Educational qualification
The application form asks you to select the qualification code that matches your case. The bulletin lists seven codes.
| Code | Qualification |
|---|---|
| 01 | Currently appearing in the qualifying examination, result awaited |
| 02 | Higher or Senior Secondary Examination, or Indian School Certificate Examination, equivalent to Class 12 after 12 years of study, with Physics, Chemistry, Biology/Biotechnology and English |
| 03 | Intermediate or Pre-degree Examination in Science from an Indian university, board or other recognised examining body, with Physics, Chemistry, Biology/Biotechnology and English as a compulsory subject |
| 04 | Pre-professional or Pre-medical examination with Physics, Chemistry, Biology/Biotechnology and English |
| 05 | First year of a three-year degree course from a recognised university with Physics, Chemistry and Biology/Biotechnology |
| 06 | B.Sc. examination with at least two subjects from Physics, Chemistry and Biology/Biotechnology |
| 07 | Any other examination found equivalent in scope and standard to the Intermediate Science examination |
Choose the code carefully. If you are in Class 12 right now, Code 01 applies.
Required subjects and minimum marks
The required subjects are:
- Physics
- Chemistry
- Biology or Biotechnology
- English (compulsory)
The eligibility section of the bulletin does not lay down a minimum percentage of marks for appearing in the exam. Minimum marks in Class 12 are a matter for the regulator and the counselling authority at the time of admission, so read the counselling brochure carefully and do not rely on figures shared on social media.
Nationality rules
| Candidate type | Eligible? | What the bulletin requires |
|---|---|---|
| Indian national | Yes | Standard eligibility |
| NRI (Non-Resident Indian) | Yes | Upload a certificate from the concerned Indian Diplomatic Mission in the country of residence |
| OCI (Overseas Citizen of India) | Yes | As per the Supreme Court order dated 3 February 2023, OCI candidates are entitled to the rights and privileges conferred on them earlier |
| Foreign national | Yes | Upload documentary proof, such as the relevant pages of a valid passport or a certificate from the competent authority of the country of nationality regarding citizenship status |
Being allowed to appear does not mean every quota is open to you. Whether you can claim All India Quota, state quota or NRI quota seats is decided by the counselling authority.
Number of attempts
The eligibility section of the 2026 bulletin does not state a limit on the number of attempts. Many candidates appear more than once. Rules of individual institutes, states or regulators can differ, and a new notification can change the position, so confirm the current rule before planning a drop year.
Reservation
For admission to MBBS, BDS and B.Sc. Nursing through the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) and DGHS, the bulletin gives the following reservation.
| Category | Reservation |
|---|---|
| General-EWS | 10% of seats |
| OBC-NCL | 27% of seats |
| SC | 15% of seats |
| ST | 7.5% of seats |
| PwBD (horizontal) | 5% in each category |
- OBC-NCL: The candidate's caste must be listed in the current updated central list of OBC-NCL.
- General-EWS: The candidate must satisfy the conditions in the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment Office Memorandum dated 17 January 2019 (OM No. 20013/01/2018-BC-II).
- State quota seats: Reservation in medical colleges of a State or Union Territory follows the laws applicable there.
Get your category certificate ready in the prescribed format early, since it can take time. Claim a category only if you hold a valid certificate.
Candidates with benchmark disabilities (PwBD)
A person with benchmark disability means a person with not less than 40% of a specified disability, as certified by the competent authority. The bulletin provides these facilities:
- Compensatory time: A minimum of one hour for an exam of three hours, whether or not a scribe is used. Candidates using a scribe get not less than 20 minutes per hour of examination.
- Scribe: Allowed for candidates with benchmark disabilities, in particular blindness, locomotor disability (both arms affected) and cerebral palsy. Other candidates need a certificate stating that they have a physical limitation to write and that a scribe is essential.
- Scribe qualification: The scribe must be one step below the qualification of the candidate.
- Assistive devices: Permitted as per the guidelines dated 29 August 2018 and 10 August 2022.
Medium of the question paper
The paper is available in 13 languages: English, Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu. English medium candidates get an English test booklet. Candidates of Hindi and regional languages get a bilingual booklet (English plus Hindi or the regional language). If there is any ambiguity in a translation, the English version is treated as final.
Qualifying percentile
Eligibility to appear is different from qualifying. After the exam, a candidate must reach the cut-off percentile for the category to be declared qualified. NTA applies the following percentiles.
| Category | Qualifying percentile |
|---|---|
| General / General-EWS | 50th percentile |
| General PwBD | 45th percentile |
| SC / ST / OBC-NCL (including their PwBD candidates) | 40th percentile |
In 2026, about 20 lakh candidates appeared and around 11.21 lakh qualified. Qualifying only makes you eligible for counselling. Your seat depends on your All India Rank and category. See the NEET UG cut off page for the result highlights.
2026 application dates and fee
These dates are from the 2026 bulletin. NTA later issued a notice extending the last date of application, so treat the original schedule below as the announced plan and not as the final closing date.
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Online application (as first announced) | 8 February 2026 to 8 March 2026 (up to 9:00 PM) |
| Fee payment (as first announced) | Up to 8 March 2026 (11:50 PM) |
| Correction window (as first announced) | 10 March 2026 to 12 March 2026 |
| Exam | 3 May 2026 (Sunday); re-conducted on 21 June 2026 |
| Result and final answer key | 16 July 2026 |
| Category | Application fee |
|---|---|
| General | Rs. 1,700 |
| General-EWS / OBC-NCL | Rs. 1,600 |
| SC / ST / PwBD / Third gender | Rs. 1,000 |
| General candidates applying from outside India | Rs. 9,500 |
NEET UG 2027 dates have not been announced yet. Fees and dates can change from year to year, so always check the latest notice from NTA.
Documents to keep ready
- Class 10 certificate for the date of birth, and Class 12 marksheet or admit card
- Recent passport-size photograph and signature, in the format given in the bulletin
- Category certificate (SC, ST, OBC-NCL or General-EWS), if claiming reservation
- PwBD certificate and scribe-related certificate, if applicable
- For NRI candidates, the certificate from the Indian Diplomatic Mission; for foreign nationals, passport pages or citizenship proof
- Active mobile number and email address for all NTA communication
The bulletin says that under no circumstances will a candidate be allowed to fill more than one application form, and that false information can lead to disqualification. Enter details exactly as in your certificates.
Common doubts of students
Can I apply if I am in Class 12 right now?
Yes. Select Code 01, appearing in the qualifying examination with result awaited. Admission depends on passing with the required subjects.
Can I appear with Biotechnology instead of Biology?
Yes. The bulletin accepts Biology or Biotechnology.
Is English compulsory?
Yes. English is a compulsory subject in the qualifying examination.
Is a gap year a problem?
No. There is no upper age limit, so a gap year alone does not make you ineligible.
Can I fill more than one application form?
No. Multiple applications are not allowed.
Next steps
After confirming eligibility, build a study plan around the syllabus and pattern. You can practise with NEET UG mock tests on Testkart and track your progress over time. For the complete picture, see the NEET UG overview.
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