NIFT Entrance Exam 2026 Counselling - Registration, Fees, Procedure, Seat Allotment, and Online Reporting

NIFT Entrance Exam 2026 Counselling Process

The NIFT 2025 counselling process is the final step for candidates seeking admission to undergraduate and postgraduate programmes at the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT). Conducted online, the counselling process begins after the declaration of NIFT entrance exam 2026 results and includes registration, document verification, and seat allotment. Candidates who qualify in the NIFT entrance exam must participate in counselling to secure a seat at their preferred NIFT campus and programme. It is crucial to keep track of the counselling schedule, pay the required fees, and upload all necessary documents within the given deadlines to avoid disqualification from the admission process.

NIFT Counselling Dates 2026

You can check the tentative counselling schedule for NIFT counselling 2026 here. The official dates for the counselling will be released by the exam authority after the announcement of the results:

NIFT 2026 Seat Allotment Criteria

There are 19 NIFT campuses across the country, and together they offer a total of 4,837 seats in different programs like B.Des, M.Des, M.F.Tech, B.F.Tech, and MFM. The factors  enlisted below will be considered for the NIFT 2026 seat allotment:

• Your merit rank in the NIFT entrance exam 2026.
• The number of seats available in the program you applied for.
• The choices you made for campus and academic program during your application.
• Your admission category, such as Open, SC, ST, PwD, and others.

The details that will be mentioned on the NIFT seat allotment result include the following:

• Opening and Closing Rank Institute-wise
• Candide’s Category, roll number, and rank
• NIFT Seat Allotment Summary

Eligibility Criteria for NIFT Counselling 2026

As discussed, students must qualify for the entrance exam to participate in the NIFT entrance exam counselling process. The following table highlights the eligibility criteria for the NIFT 2026 counselling process and seat allotment, along with the entrance exam requirements.

Detailed Process of NIFT Counselling 2026

Provided below is the detailed NIFT entrance exam counselling process 2026 for the interested candidates.

Step 1: Register Yourself

• Eligible candidates will have to fill out an online counselling registration form on the official website of the institute.

• The candidate will have to pay online INR 5,000 as a fee to register for participation. 

• For registration, candidates may use their credentials like Form Number, Date of Birth and Password (same as the Application Form)

• On successful registration, candidates will receive a system-generated letter containing details of the nodal officer and documents required at the time of counselling.

Step 2: Upload Documents

• Log in again on the official website using the date of birth, application form number and password. Upload all the required documents. They are considered for document verification and seat allocation. Applicants must note that the file size should not exceed more than 1 MB and the file format must be PDF/JPG/JPEG.

• After verification of the documents is successfully done, applicants will receive a Zoom Meeting Link displaying the date of counselling and important instructions. 

Step 3: Appear for Counselling

• Candidates have to click on the link and appear for counselling on the allotted date.

• A seating chart will be shared with the applicants as per his/her choice. Aspirants have to confirm their final choice and the seats will be allocated to them as per his/her request. The final decision will be forwarded to the NIFT HO for approval.

Step 3: Seat Acceptance Process

Given below is the process for seat acceptance, rejection, or upgradation after NIFT Seat Allotment Result 2026:

• Go to the official NTA NIFT website once the seat allotment list is released on the scheduled date.

• Navigate through the homepage and click on the tab that says "Round 1 or Round 2 Seat Allotment Result 2026".

• Log in using your NIFT UG or PG Roll Number and Password.

• Go through all details mentioned in the allotment letter, including your name, category, allotted institution, program, and fee instructions and verify that they are accurate.

• Choose your willingness option: Freeze, Float, or Slide:

  • Freeze: Acceptance of the allotted seat; you cannot opt for further seat upgradation.

  • Float: Acceptance of the seat and agreeing to be considered for upgradation to higher preferred choices in the rounds that will be conducted in the future.

  • Slide (B.Des. course only): Acceptance of the seat and agreeing to be considered for a higher preferred choice within the same campus.

• Pay the prescribed seat acceptance fee through online mode (credit/ debit card, net banking) between the mentioned dates.

• After the payment of fees, complete the self-reporting process on the admissions portal. For document upload and submission within the deadline, follow the instructions provided.

• If a situation arises that you have not accepted the allotted seat or failed to pay the admission fee by the deadline, your seat will be cancelled and offered to the next eligible candidate.

• Keep a printout of the Allotment Letter and fee receipt for future reference and final reporting at the allotted campus.

Step 4: Seat Allotment

• After the allotment of seats, the candidate will be issued an allotment letter duly signed by the Nodal Officer of the Campus.

• Candidates are advised to check the details as printed in the Admission Fee Receipt.

• The presence of the candidate at the time of counselling is mandatory.

• All candidates will be called for counselling as per their Common Merit Rank and admission will be strictly on merit. 

• The status of vacant seats will be updated on the NIFT website every day. All candidates are recommended to check the NIFT website regularly and plan their counselling accordingly.

Documents Required for NIFT Counselling 2026

Here is an overview of the documents required for NIFT counselling:

• NIFT Admit Card
• NIFT Scorecard
• Class 10th and 12th marksheets
• Graduation marksheets
• Birth certificate
• Category certificate
• Medical certificate
• Passport-size photographs
• Transfer and immigration certificate

Check out the course-wise documents required for NIFT entrance exam counselling process 2026 below.

Documents for B.Des Admissions

1. 2 passport-size and 4 stamp-size photographs

2. Class 10th certificate from the Board from which the candidate has cleared the High School or Secondary Examination (for Date of Birth)

3. Self-attested copy of the Certificate and Marksheet of having cleared any of the following class 12th or equivalent examination for B.Des course at NIFT:

• +2 level examination in the 10+2 pattern of examination of any recognized Central or State Board of Secondary Examination.

or

•  A pass grade in the Senior Secondary School Examination conducted by the National Open School with at least five subjects.

or

• 3 or 4-year diploma recognized by a State Board of Technical Education or AICTE.

or

• Any Public School/Board/University Examination in India or foreign countries recognized by the Association of Indian Universities as equivalent to the 10+2 system.

or

• GCE (General Certificate Education) Examination (London/Cambridge/Sri-Lanka) at the Advanced (A) level/ International Baccalaureate (IB).

Documents for B.FTech Admissions

1. 2 passport-size and 4 stamp-size photographs

2. Class 10th certificate from the Board from which the candidate has cleared the High School or Secondary Examination (for Date of Birth)

3. Self-attested copy of the Certificate and Marksheet of having cleared any of the following class 12th or equivalent examination with the subjects Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics for B.FTech course at NIFT:

• +2 level examination in the 10+2 pattern of examination of any recognized Central/State Board of Secondary Examination with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics.

or

•  A pass grade in the Senior Secondary School Examination conducted by the National Open School with at least five subjects with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics.

or

• 3 or 4-year diploma in any branch of Engineering recognized by a State Board of Technical Education or AICTE.

or

• Any Public School/Board/University Examination in India or foreign countries recognized by the Association of Indian Universities as equivalent to a 10+2 system with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics.

or

• GCE (General Certificate Education) Examination (London/Cambridge/Sri-Lanka) at the Advanced (A) level/ International Baccalaureate (IB) with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics.

Documents for M.Des Admissions

1. 2 passport-size and 4 stamp-size photographs

2. Class 10th certificate from the Board from which the candidate has cleared the High School or Secondary Examination (for Date of Birth)

3. Self-attested Copy of first, second & third-year graduation mark sheet or self-attested copy of final year appearing certificate

4. UG Degree (Undergraduate Degree) in any discipline from any University or Institute recognized by the law in India.

or

           UG Diploma or Undergraduate Diploma of at least 3 years duration from NID or NIFT.

Documents for M.F.M. Admissions

1. 2 passport-size and 4 stamp-size photographs

2. Class 10th certificate from the Board from which the candidate has cleared the High School or Secondary Examination (for Date of Birth)

3. Self-attested Copy of first, second & third-year graduation mark sheet/ self-attested copy of final year appearing certificate

4. UG Degree (Undergraduate Degree) in any discipline from any University or Institute recognized by the law in India.

or

           UG Diploma or Undergraduate Diploma of at least 3 years duration from NID or NIFT.

Documents for M.FTech Admissions

1. 2 passport-size and 4 stamp-size photographs

2. Class 10th certificate from the Board from which the candidate has cleared the High School or Secondary Examination (for Date of Birth)

3. Self-attested Copy of first, second & third-year graduation mark sheet/ self-attested copy of final year appearing certificate.

4. B.FTech from NIFT (National Institute of Fashion Technology)

or

          B. Tech or B.E. from any University or Institute recognized by law in India

NIFT Counselling Fees 2026

As previously mentioned, students who pass the exam will be able to register for NIFT 2026 counselling through the NTA website. Candidates should be aware that NIFT entrance exam counselling process 2026 registration is free of charge. Nevertheless, an applicant must pay a seat-acceptance fee of INR 1,83,200 after being assigned a seat during the allocation process.

The allocation of seats for NIFT 2026 will take place across several phases. Additionally, SPOT rounds will be held following the completion of regular rounds. The merit rank, seat intake, and alternatives chosen during choice filling will all be taken into account when allocating seats. To confirm their seat allotment, candidates should enter their email address and password to log in. Payment of the seat acceptance fee must be made by the NTA's specified deadline. Also, if the seat acceptance fee is not paid by the stipulated deadline, the allotment will be cancelled.

NIFT Counselling Process 2026 Choice Filling Guidelines

At the time of choice filling during the NIFT entrance exam counselling process 2026, students must keep the following things in mind: 

• Students' preferences will only be taken into account for the campus and programmes that they have filled out. If a candidate fails to pick a campus or course on the preference list, they will not be considered for admission there, even if those campuses have open seats. Even if the student meets additional requirements from the merit list, this is still the case.

• If you are eligible, check and complete your preferences for academic programmes on your domicile campus.

• Do not select a campus or programme that you are unwilling to enroll in.

• Wait until you are certain of your selections and preference order before locking in your preferences. Make sure you lock down your selection before the deadline, though. Once the deadline passes, they will automatically lock.

• Avoid waiting until the last minute to submit your selections. There shall not be a postponement.

• If you are qualified for the Kashmiri migrant quota, submit your option at NIFT Srinagar.

NIFT Counselling Process 2026 Seat Matrix

For UG and PG programmes, qualified candidates would be required to select their desired institution from a list of 3,547, which is displayed in the table below based on various NIFT campuses for the NIFT 2026 counselling process.

NIFT 2026 Reservation Policy

The following table will vividly describe the reservation policy of the NIFTs:

Cancellation of Admission in NIFT 2026

Passing the NIFT 2026 entrance exam is not the sole prerequisite for acceptance into the institution as a whole. Hopefuls can also encounter midway cancellations. The following guidelines provide important details about the circumstances under which a candidate may have their NIFT admissions 2026 cancelled:

• The exam administrators or authorities retain the right to refuse admission to any applicant at any time if they are not satisfied with their behaviour, character, or academic record.

• The Campus Director may terminate a prospective student's registration at any moment if it is discovered that they submitted a fraudulent application or that they failed to include certain necessary information or documents.

• A student's acceptance may be withdrawn at any point during their studies and with no prior notice if it was granted as a result of inattention, error, or mistake.

• The NIFT 2026 admissions process can be terminated at any point: during, before, or after an applicant's ineligibility is determined.

• After being admitted, an applicant has a full week or seven days to report to the designated NIFT campus. Their admission will be automatically denied if they do not accomplish this.

• An applicant's enrolment may be revoked or suspended by the Director-General for any cause, with or without notice.

NIFT 2026 Withdrawal of Seat & Refund of Fee

Students who are already allotted seats in the initial rounds of seat allotment will be offered a choice to opt out of the admission process. If the student opts out before the due date specified, then the student will get a refund of the entire fee after deducting the registration fee. But if the student opts out after the due date, a refund for the Security Deposit only will be made.

Candidates can navigate the options for seat withdrawal as well as refund of fee for NRI/ SAARC/ Foreign National/ OCI Candidates/ Children/wards of NRI below:

NIFT 2026 Seat Withdrawal: Key Points to Remember

• After you accept a seat at NIFT, you can opt to withdraw it online from the second round onwards.
• But observe that seat withdrawals can only be made until the second-last round.
• If you opt to withdraw your seat, you will not be eligible for seat allotment in subsequent rounds.
• Remember that once the results of the last round of counselling are declared, seat withdrawal will no longer be an option.

Step-wise Process to Withdraw the NIFT 2026 Seat

• Verify Your Withdrawal on the NIFT Portal: First, you need to log in to the NIFT portal and confirm your intention to withdraw from the seat allotment process. After confirming, your seat will be cancelled. Remember that after this, you won't be able to get a seat allotment in any future rounds.
• Refund of Seat Acceptance Fee: Once your withdrawal is made, the seat acceptance fee will be credited back to you. To find out the amount, see the table above.

NIFT Counselling 2026 Instructions for Second-Round Takers

Applicants may enter the second phase of the NIFT entrance exam counselling process 2026 if they are dissatisfied with their seat allocation in the first round. For those participating in the second round of NIFT 2026 counselling, below are some crucial guidelines:

• Candidates who initially accept admission and subsequently withdraw it for whatever reason will not be able to participate in the subsequent phases of the NIFT counselling process 2026.

• Students must participate online in the second phase of the counselling process for NIFT 2026, which will be conducted solely based on merit.

• Aspirants with disabilities cannot participate in the second round of NIFT 2026 counselling.

• Disability-related applicants who receive NRI seats in the first round are not eligible to participate in the second round of the NIFT 2026 counselling process.