NEET Eligibility Criteria 2026: Age Limit, Academic Qualification, Attempts

NEET Eligibility Criteria 2026 states the basic requirements that students must meet to appear for the exam. To be eligible, candidates must be at least 17 years old by December 31, 2026, with no upper age limit or restriction on the number of attempts. Applicants should have passed or be appearing in Class 12 with Physics, Chemistry, Biology or Biotechnology, and English as main subjects. General category students must score at least 50% marks in PCB, while SC, ST, and OBC candidates need 40%, and PwD candidates require 45%. NEET exam is open to all Indian citizens, NRIs, OCIs, PIOs, and foreign nationals.

NEET 2026 Application Form was released on February 8, 2026, and candidates were able to apply for this exam till March 8, 2026. The ReNEET 2026 Exam Date is June 21, 2026 (Sunday). After meeting the eligibility conditions and qualifying for the exam, candidates need to take part in the counselling process to get admission into medical courses.

NEET Eligibility Criteria 2026: Overview

To apply for NEET 2026, Applicants must meet NEET Eligibility Criteria about age, and subjects studied, and nationality. These criteria must be fulfilled to apply for the NEET 2026 Application Process. Applicants can apply if they are Indian citizens, NRIs (Non-Resident Indians), OCIs (Overseas Citizens of India), PIOs (Persons of Indian Origin), or foreign nationals. Applicants must have passed Class 12 (or an equivalent exam) with Physics, Chemistry, Biology or Biotechnology, and English as main subjects. Applicants must be at least 17 years old on or before December 31, 2026. There is no upper age limit to appear for the NEET 2026 Exam.

Course-wise NEET Eligibility Criteria 2026

NEET exam eligibility differs for the MBBS, BDS, BUMS, and BSMS courses. Here are the number of percentage required to join the MBBS, BDS, BUMS, and BSMS courses:

NEET UG Eligibility Criteria 2026 Explained

Before applying for NEET 2026 exam, it is important to know the detailed eligibility rules. These include age limits, nationality requirements, and educational qualifications. Understanding these criteria will help students confirm if they are eligible to appear for the exam and avoid any mistakes during the application or counselling process.

NEET Age Limit 2026

Understanding the age limit is crucial for NEET applicants, as it directly affects eligibility. The age criteria have seen changes in past years, so candidates are advised to always refer to the official NEET website for the latest updates.

• Minimum Age: Candidates must be 17 years old on or before December 31, 2026, to be eligible for NEET UG 2026.
• Maximum Age: There is no upper age limit for NEET Exam 2026, as per the latest guidelines from the National Medical Commission (NMC).

NEET Nationality 2026

NEET 2026 exam is open to students from various national and international backgrounds. All candidates must follow the rules set by the Government of India and the concerned medical/dental institutions for admission. The following categories follow the NEET Eligibility Criteria 2026:

• Indian Citizens.
• Non-Resident Indians (NRI's).
• Overseas Citizens of India (OCI).
• Persons of Indian Origin (PIO).
• Foreign Nationals.

NEET Educational Qualification 2026

To be eligible for NEET UG 2026, students must have studied specific subjects in their Class 12 or equivalent examination and must meet the minimum percentage required for their respective categories.

Required Subjects:

• Physics.
• Chemistry.
• Biology/ Biotechnology.
• English (as a core subject).

Minimum Qualifying Marks

Candidates must pass all the subjects individually and obtain the minimum required aggregate to qualify for NEET 2026 Cutoffs:

• General Category: 50% marks in PCB (Physics, Chemistry, Biology)
• SC/ST/OBC Category: 40% marks in PCB
• PwD Category: 45% marks in PCB

NEET Reservation Criteria 2026 for AIQ

15% of the total seats across medical colleges are filled through All India Quota (AIQ) counselling, which is conducted online. This quota is open to Indian citizens, NRIs, OCIs, PIOs, and foreign nationals. Any seats left unfilled after the AIQ counselling are returned to the respective states for state-level NEET Counselling.

State Quota Reservation Criteria

Each state or Union Territory handles its counselling process for the remaining 85% of seats under the State Quota. The reservation rules differ from state to state but usually include categories like SC, ST, OBC, EWS, and PwD. In Tamil Nadu, there's an extra 7.5% reservation for students from government schools who qualify in NEET. In NEET 2026, some students get special seat reservations based on their background or personal situations. This helps ensure fairness and gives extra support to those who need it. Here's some details related to NEET Seat Matrix 2026:

OBC-NCL Reservation:

• 27% seats are reserved for OBC (Non-Creamy Layer) candidates under All India Quota (AIQ).
• Candidates must meet income and family background criteria as per government rules.

EWS Reservation:

• 10% reservation is given to candidates from the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS).
• Family income should be less than ₹8 lakh per year.
• There are limits on land and property owned by the family.

PwD (Persons with Disabilities) Reservation:

• 5% of seats are reserved for candidates with at least 40% disability.
• Applicants must have a valid disability certificate from a government-approved centre.

Candidates from Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh:

• They are not eligible for the 15% All India Quota seats unless they fill out a self-declaration form during the NEET application.
• They can apply for seats under the state quota of J&K or Ladakh.

Reservation for Victims of Terrorism:

• Seats are reserved for children or spouses of people affected by terrorist attacks.
• These seats are offered under the Central Pool Quota for MBBS/BDS.

NEET Eligibility Criteria 2026 for Deemed Universities

Deemed universities have a separate seat system but follow MCC’s NEET counselling. Here's how they reserve seats:

• All Seats: Filled through All India Quota (AIQ) via MCC counselling.
• Management Quota: Open to all NEET qualified students.
• NRI Quota: Reserved for students with NRI status.
• Minority Quota: Some colleges reserve seats for Muslim/Christian minorities.
• SC/ ST/ OBC/ EWS Quota: Some colleges may offer relaxation per their rules.
• General Category: Open to everyone with a NEET qualification.
• Fee Structure: Usually higher than that of government colleges.
• Counselling Website: Conducted by MCC at www.mcc.nic.in.

Also Check: NEET 2026 Preparation

NEET 2026: Number of Attempts

There is no limit on the number of attempts for NEET 2026. Students can take the NEET UG exam as often as they want, as long as they meet the eligibility conditions each time. To appear for NEET, Applicants must be at least 17 years old by December 31, 2026, but there is no upper age limit. The rule that limited the number of attempts was removed in 2018. Since then, students have been free to take the exam multiple times. However, NEET is held only once a year, so Applicants can appear for it just once every year. Furthermore, for every attempt, Applicants must ensure that Applicants meet the required educational qualifications and age criteria.

NEET Qualifying Marks 2026

To take part in the NEET admission process, students must score a minimum qualifying mark based on their category. These marks decide whether Applicants are eligible for medical or dental courses. Candidates can check the NEET 2026 Result to know about the qualifying marks.

• General Category: Students from the general category must usually score at least 50% marks. Occasionally, this cutoff may be slightly lower depending on the situation.
• Reserved Categories (SC/ST/OBC): Students from these categories need to score around 40% marks to qualify. This requirement may change slightly based on official updates.
• PwD Candidates: These students follow the same qualifying marks as their category (General or Reserved). For example, a PwD candidate from the general category needs 50%, while one from SC/ST/OBC needs 40%.

NEET Eligibility Criteria 2026: Qualifying Codes

While filling out the NEET 2026 application form, students must choose the correct qualifying examination code based on their academic background. These codes help determine a candidate’s eligibility for the exam. Below is a simplified explanation of each NEET 2026 qualification code for better understanding.

• Code 01: Students who are appearing for their Class 12 board exams in 2026 and are waiting for their results should select this code. However, they must pass the exam with the required subjects before admission.
• Code 02: Students who have already passed their Class 12 or an equivalent exam like ICSE, with Physics, Chemistry, Biology/Biotechnology, English, and possibly Mathematics, and who have not taken any other course after Class 12, should pick this code.
• Code 03: This code is for students who have passed an Intermediate or Pre-degree examination in Science with Physics, Chemistry, Biology/Biotechnology, and English from a recognised board or university, including practical tests.
• Code 04: Students who have completed a Pre-professional or Pre-medical course after their Higher Secondary or Pre-University examination, with the required science subjects and practical exams, should select this code.
• Code 05: If Applicants are studying in the first year of a three-year degree course with Physics, Chemistry, and Biology/Biotechnology, including practicals, and Applicants passed Class 12 with the required subjects, Applicants should pick this code.
• Code 06: Students who have completed a B.Sc. degree with at least two subjects among Physics, Chemistry, Biology, or Biotechnology, and also passed Class 12 with all the required subjects, should use this code.
• Code 07: Candidates who have passed any other exam, including those from foreign boards, which is equivalent to Class 12 with Physics, Chemistry, Biology/Biotechnology, and English, including practical exams, should pick this code.

Also Check: NEET Exam Day Guidelines 2026

NEET Eligibility Criteria 2026: Nationality

To appear for NEET 2026, nationality plays an important role. Here's a simple breakdown of NEET 2026 eligibility criteria about nationality:

• Indian Citizens: All Indian nationals who meet the education requirements can apply for NEET 2026.
• Overseas Citizens of India (OCI): Students with OCI cards are also allowed to take the NEET. This includes people of Indian origin living in other countries who wish to study medicine in India.
• Non-Resident Indians (NRIs): NRIs are Indian citizens living abroad. They are eligible to take NEET 2026 and can apply for medical colleges in India.
• Foreign Nationals: Students from other countries can also apply for NEET 2026. This helps promote academic diversity in Indian medical colleges.
• Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs): Students with Indian roots but without Indian citizenship can also appear for NEET 2026.
• Jammu & Kashmir Candidates: Students from J&K are eligible for the 15% All India Quota only if they submit a self-declaration during the NEET application. They can also apply for seats under their state quota.

NEET Eligibility Criteria 2026 FAQs