If you qualified NEET UG and hold a Maharashtra domicile, the Maharashtra NEET counselling 2026 dates are the calendar you cannot afford to ignore. The State Common Entrance Test Cell (State CET Cell) runs the entire admission through its Centralised Admission Process (CAP) on cetcell.mahacet.org — and because Maharashtra is a closed state, this is your only route to an 85% state quota seat in MBBS, BDS, or AYUSH.
This guide lays out the CAP schedule, the documents, the fees, and the exact registration steps for your Maharashtra state quota seats. Before you touch the portal, make sure you are getting your domicile sorted — without it, you cannot claim a single state seat.
Table of Contents
Who Can Apply: Maharashtra Is a Closed State
Maharashtra restricts its state quota to domicile holders, so eligibility is stricter than in open states. You must:
- Qualify NEET UG 2026 with the minimum percentile for your category.
- Hold a valid Maharashtra domicile certificate — non-domicile candidates can only apply against All India Quota seats surrendered back to the state.
- Have cleared Class 10 and Class 12 from a recognised board with Physics, Chemistry, and Biology.
- Be at least 17 years old as on 31 December 2026, with no upper age limit.
One Maharashtra-specific trap: the state uses its own reservation sub-categories — VJ, NT-B, NT-C, NT-D, SEBC, and OBC — which may differ from your central category. Candidates in these groups need a Non-Creamy Layer certificate, so double-check your category certificate rules before uploading, as a mismatch here quietly costs students their reservation benefit.
You May Also Like
- MCC NEET Counselling Schedule
- UP NEET Counselling 2026
- Karnataka NEET Counselling 2026
- Tamil Nadu NEET Counselling
- Rajasthan NEET Counselling 2026
- West Bengal NEET Counselling
- MP NEET Counselling 2026
- Bihar NEET Counselling 2026
Maharashtra NEET Counselling 2026 Dates: CAP Round 1 Schedule
The CET Cell conducts CAP across multiple rounds — Round 1, Round 2, Mop-Up, and Stray Vacancy. Here are the Round 1 Maharashtra NEET counselling 2026 dates as released on the portal:
| Event | Round 1 Schedule |
|---|---|
| Registration & document upload begins | 6 August 2026 |
| Last date to register | 12 August 2026 (11:59 PM) |
| Fee payment & document upload deadline | 13 August 2026 |
| Choice filling & locking | 13 August – 22 August 2026 |
| Round 1 seat allotment result | 23 August 2026 |
| Reporting / joining at college | 24 August – 28 August 2026 (by 5:30 PM) |
There will be no extension on these dates, so log in early rather than on deadline day when the servers are slowest. Once results are out, you can check your seat allotment on the portal and decide whether to freeze, float, or exit before the next round opens.
How to Register on the CET Cell Portal
Registration is fully online through the CAP portal and opens right at the start of the Maharashtra NEET counselling 2026 dates window. The flow runs in parallel with the all-India quota process on the MCC portal — so if you qualify for both, register for both. Here is the sequence:
- Open the portal — Visit cetcell.mahacet.org and enter the NEET UG 2026 section.
- Fill your details — Add your NEET application number, personal information, and Class 12 details.
- Upload documents — Add scanned copies of your scorecard, marksheets, domicile, and category certificates.
- Pay the fee — Complete the online payment; see the full fee structure for category-wise amounts before you proceed.
- Fill and lock choices — List your colleges and courses in genuine order of preference, then lock them before the deadline.
Missing any single step before the 12 August cut-off will disqualify your application, so treat each stage as non-negotiable.
Maharashtra NEET Counselling 2026 Registration Fees
The CAP registration fee is modest compared to many states, but the amount depends on your category:
- General category: ₹800
- Reserved category candidates: ₹600
Because the Maharashtra NEET counselling 2026 dates leave a tight window, complete this payment online through the CAP portal the moment registration opens. Depending on the colleges you target, you may also face a refundable security deposit for certain quota and private-college choices, so keep some buffer ready when you sit down to pay.
Documents Required for CAP Counselling
Keep these ready in scanned form for upload and in original for verification:
- NEET UG 2026 admit card and scorecard
- Class 10 and Class 12 marksheets and certificates
- Maharashtra domicile certificate
- Category / Non-Creamy Layer certificate, if applicable
- Nationality and identity proof (Aadhaar/passport)
- Recent passport-size photographs
- Seat allotment letter (at the reporting stage)
Blurry or mismatched uploads are the most common reason CAP applications stall, so verify every scan is clear and correctly labelled.
Maharashtra NEET Merit List and Seat Matrix
The Maharashtra CET Cell publishes a state merit list on cetcell.mahacet.org, carrying your state merit rank, NEET 2026 marks, and category. Seats are then allotted based on this rank, your locked preferences, and the seat matrix released for each round.
Maharashtra’s CAP covers a wide spread of courses — MBBS, BDS, BAMS, BHMS, BUMS, and allied health programmes — so your merit rank interacts with a much larger seat pool than MBBS alone. The seat matrix shows exactly how many Maharashtra state quota seats sit in each college, so study it carefully before locking choices — a smart preference order often matters as much as your raw score.
Final Tips Before You Register
Watch the Maharashtra NEET counselling 2026 dates like a hawk, register on day one rather than the deadline, and never leave document uploads for the last hour. Confirm your domicile and category certificates are current, list colleges in true order of preference, and read every CET Cell notice as it drops — closed-state counselling rewards preparation and punishes guesswork.
Get your paperwork sorted early, respect the CAP calendar, and treat your merit rank as a starting point, not a verdict. A disciplined candidate with an average rank frequently lands a better seat than a stronger one who fumbled the process.
❓ FAQ Section
Q: What are the Maharashtra NEET counselling 2026 dates for Round 1? A: CAP Round 1 registration opened on 6 August 2026 and closed on 12 August 2026, with choice filling from 13 to 22 August, seat allotment on 23 August, and reporting between 24 and 28 August. Always confirm the latest schedule on cetcell.mahacet.org.
Q: Who conducts Maharashtra NEET UG counselling? A: The State Common Entrance Test Cell (State CET Cell), Maharashtra, conducts the counselling through the Centralised Admission Process (CAP) at cetcell.mahacet.org for MBBS, BDS, and AYUSH seats.
Q: What is the registration fee for Maharashtra CAP counselling? A: The registration fee is ₹800 for General category candidates and ₹600 for reserved category candidates, paid online at the time of registration. Some quota and private-college choices may also carry a refundable security deposit.
Q: Can non-domicile students apply for Maharashtra state quota? A: No. Maharashtra is a closed state, so only candidates with a valid Maharashtra domicile certificate can claim the 85% state quota. Non-domicile students can only apply against All India Quota seats surrendered to the state.
Q: How many rounds are there in Maharashtra NEET counselling? A: There are generally four rounds — Round 1, Round 2, Mop-Up, and Stray Vacancy — with additional rounds if seats remain vacant. All rounds are online except, typically, the final one.
Q: Where is the Maharashtra NEET merit list published? A: The state merit list is published on the official CET Cell portal, cetcell.mahacet.org, under the NEET UG admission section, with your state merit rank and category details.