NIFT 2026 e-Counselling (UG/PG): Seat Allotment Regular Rounds, Spot Round Seat Allotment, Document Verification, Fees, Admission

National Institute of Fashion Technology Entrance Exam 2026 ( NIFT Entrance Exam )

This exam is conducted for courses given below:
Sayeba Naushad
Updated on Sep 30, 2025 15:59 IST

By Sayeba Naushad, Assistant Manager

NIFT 2026 counselling is expected to consist of three rounds. Three seat allotment rounds will be followed by an NIFT SPOT round. As part of the registration process, the candidate must select academic options and campus in order of priority and pay the registration fee. The registration fee for NIFT Counselling 2026 is around INR 9,300.

Candidates who have secured a valid Common Merit Rank (CMR) in the NIFT final result will be asked to register in the last week of June 2026 on the official NIFT counselling portal: https://nift.admissions.nic.in. Registration is mandatory to participate in the Counselling / Seat Allocation Process.

NIFT 2026 Counselling will start in the last week of June 2026 and will end in the last week of July 2026. After the regular seat allotment round, Spot counselling will begin in the first week of August 2026.

Also read:

Q:   What will be the basis of NIFT 2025 seat allotment?
Q:   What is the NIFT Counselling Process?
Q:   How do I withdraw my seat, allotted during NIFT counseling?
Table of content
  • NIFT Counselling Process 2026 - Registration, Guidelines and Schedule
  • NIFT Entrance Exam 2026 Exam Dates
  • NIFT 2026 Seat Allotment Criteria
  • NIFT Counselling 2026 - Document Checklist
  • NIFT 2026 Counselling & Seat Allotment - Eligibility Criteria
  • NIFT SPOT Counselling 2026
  • NIFT Admissions 2026: Withdrawal of Seat & Refund of Fee
  • NIFT 2026: Test components and Weightage
  • NIFT Counselling 2026 - FAQs
View More
NIFT Entrance Exam Logo

NIFT Counselling Process 2026 - Registration, Guidelines and Schedule

To participate in the NIFT 2026 counselling process, candidates need to register for the same at the NIFT website. 

Step 1: Registration and Choice filling by candidates

Candidates who are shortlisted for the counselling process need to get:

  • Register for NIFT counselling at the official website of the institute
  • Pay the registration fee of INR 9,300 (non-refundable)
  • Fill in the choices of academic programs and campuses 

Note: Choices have to be locked on/before the last date of choice filling, or else the last filled choices will get locked

Step 2: Upload documents

Log in to the NIFT admission portal and upload all the required documents. 

Step 3: Pay the Seat Acceptance Fee 2026

Candidates who have been allocated seats will have to pay the seat-acceptance fees of INR 1,83,200 (approx.). The seat acceptance fees have to be paid online through the Admission Portal only.

Step 4: Take part in Document and Fee Verification

All the documents submitted by the candidate and the fee paid will be verified by the admission cell.

Step 5: Receive Allotment Letter

Once all the above-mentioned steps are completed, allotment letters will be sent to selected candidates via email.

NIFT Counselling Dates and Schedule

The following table shows the tentative dates for NIFT Seat Allotment Round 1:

Event: Seat Allotment Round 1 Date / Timeline (Tentative)
Registration and Document Uploading Last week of June 2026 – First week of July 2026
Document Verification Last week of June 2026 – First week of July 2026
Choice Filling and Locking Last week of June 2026 – First week of July 2026
Seat Allotment First week of July 2026
Willingness Submission & Admission Fee Payment First week of July 2026

The following table shows the tentative dates for NIFT Seat Allotment Round 2:

Event: Seat Allotment Round 2 Date / Timeline (tentative)
Correction in Application Form Second week of July 2026
Document Verification (for corrected applications) Second week of July 2026
Choice Filling / Modifications Second week of July 2026
Seat Allotment Third week of July 2026
Willingness Submission & Admission Fee Payment Third week of July 2026
Withdrawal Third week of July 2026

Refer to the following PDFs for NIFT 2026 Counselling guidelines and schedules.

  • NIFT 2025 Seat Allocation Guidelines: Click Here 
  • User Guide for NIFT UG and PG Counselling 2025: Click Here  

 

NIFT Entrance Exam 2026 Exam Dates

Take a look at the table below for the complete schedule of NIFT Entrance Exam 2026 exam

DatesUpcoming Exam Dates
May ' 26 - Jun ' 26

NIFT Stage 2: M.Des and M.F.M Interview

TENTATIVE
Jun ' 26

NIFT Stage 2: M.F.Tech Personal Interview

TENTATIVE
Jun ' 26

NIFT Final Result

TENTATIVE
Jun ' 26 - Jul ' 26

NIFT Registration for e-Counselling / Seat Allotment

TENTATIVE
NIFT Entrance Exam Logo

NIFT 2026 Seat Allotment Criteria

DeskCalendarCounselling: Jun ' 26 - Jul ' 26

The 19 NIFT campuses collectively offer a total of around 4,837 seats across various programs, including B.Des, M.Des, M.F.Tech, B.F.Tech, and MFM. The following factors will be taken into consideration for NIFT 2026 Seat Allotment:

  1. Candidate's merit rank in NIFT 2026
  2. Seat intake for the applied programme
  3. Options (campus + academic program) selected by the candidate 
  4. Admission category - Open, SC, ST, PwD, etc.
Q&A Icon
Commonly asked questions
Q:   What are NIFT Score accepting colleges other than participating colleges?
Q:   What documents do I need for NIFT counselling?
Q:   When can I download the NID DAT 2025 answer sheets?
NIFT Entrance Exam Logo

NIFT Counselling 2026 - Document Checklist

At the time of NIFT 2026 counselling, the candidate will be required to present the following documents:

Documents required for NIFT Counselling 2026

Qualifying examination

12th class/ degree (marks Sheet and Certificate)

Note: In case of admission to PG courses, the candidate will also have to upload mark sheets and certificates of the qualifying degree examination.

If the candidate has appeared in the final semester/ final year exam, then he/she has to upload mark sheets of all previous semesters/years.

The candidate has appeared for the qualifying exam/compartment (of final year/semester) and the result is due.

The date sheet /admit card for the examination has to be brought.

Proof of Date of Birth

10+2 mark sheet/certificate. (Original and Photocopy).

Certificate of category 

SC, ST, OBC-NCL, GEN-EWS

  • As per the GOI format, and should be issued by a competent authority
  • In the case of OBC-NCL and GEN-EWS categories, the certificate must be issued.

Basis of funding of the tuition fee

Certificate of the parents' income, e.g., Income Tax Return, Salary Certificate, etc.

Medical Fitness certificate

To be signed by a Registered Medical Practitioner in the prescribed format in original.

Provisional Admission

Affidavit on non-judicial stamp paper of INR.10/- for seeking provisional admission only in case the result of qualifying examination is yet to be declared (in the format at Annexure-I)

Size and format of documents to be uploaded

  •  Documents should be in JPEG, JPG, or PDF format.
  • The minimum file size should be 50 KB
  • The maximum size allowed is 4 MB. 

Useful Resources

  • The counseling documents should be in Hindi/ English. 
  • If any of the documents are in any other language, then a certified translation in Hindi/English, duly verified by the issuing institution/ gazetted officer / Self-attested (original and photocopy) should be produced by the candidate at the time of counseling.
Q&A Icon
Commonly asked questions
Q:   What is NIFT cut-off for Accessory Design programme for NIFT Bangalore campus?
Q:   Is there a counselling fee in NTA NIFT?
Q:   Is the NIFT cut-off fixed?
NIFT Entrance Exam Logo

NIFT 2026 Counselling & Seat Allotment - Eligibility Criteria

To participate in the NIFT counselling process, the candidate needs to meet the following conditions.

Program Entrance exam Qualifying exam
UG programs

Qualified NIFT Entrance Exam

  • B.Des - Any subjects
  • B.F.Tech - Physics and Mathematics

Appeared for SAT (for Bachelor's program) and has a valid score received by NIFT 

-

Qualified NIFT Entrance Exam for Artisan/ Children of Artisan category 

-

Qualified NLEA Entrance Exam

The candidate must have passed:

  1. 10th exam
  2. 3- or 4-year diploma recognized by AICTE/ AIU/ UGC or a State Board of Technical Education in courses related to Fashion/ Apparel/ Textile and Accessories/ Home Science/ Handloom Technology/ Products/ Visual Communication/ Graphic Design/ Industrial Design/ Interior Design/ Multimedia Design/ Apparel Technology/ Leather/ Fine Arts. OR passed 10+2 exam recognized by AIU.
  3. Completed 2 years regular UG Diploma at NIFT after passing 10+2
M.Des and MFM 

The candidate must have qualified in NIFT Entrance Exam or appeared for GMAT and has a valid score received by NIFT

The candidate must have a valid UG degree:

  • The candidate must have passed UG exam in any discipline. OR
  • Completed a 3-year UG diploma from NID/NIFT 
M.F.Tech

The candidate must have qualified in NIFT Entrance Exam or appeared for GMAT and have a valid score received by NIFT

The candidate must meet any of the following criteria:

  • B.F.Tech from the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), OR
  • B.E/B.Tech from any recognized institute
Q&A Icon
Commonly asked questions
Q:   How many rounds of counselling are there for NIFT admissions?
Q:   When will NIFT seat allotment announced for Round 1?
Q:   Will NTA also conduct the NIFT 2025 counseling?
NIFT Entrance Exam Logo

NIFT SPOT Counselling 2026

NIFT Spot Counselling is counselling which is used to fill the remaining vacant seats across the NIFT institutes after the regular rounds of Seat Allotment. In NIFT Counselling 2026, NIFT SPOT Round will be used to fill the vacancies, which are available in all NIFT Campuses after the last Round of Admission Fee Payment and withdrawal.

The NIFT Spot Counselling tentative vacancy list, course- and campus-wise, will be made available on the official NIFT Admissions Portal: https://nift.admissions.nic.in/tentative-vacancy-position/. The result of the Seat Allotment of SPOT Round Counselling will be made available in the candidate's login ID at https://nift.admissions.nic.in. Candidates who will be allotted a seat can download their Provisional Admission Letter from their portal.

Eligibility Criteria for NIFT Spot Counselling 2026

In the NIFT Spot Round 2026, all the eligible candidates, including absentees of previous rounds of counselling, will be allowed to participate in the Spot Round of counselling, except those who became ineligible during document verification due to NIFT cut-off marks or any other valid reasons, age, etc.

Non-eligibility Criteria for NIFT Spot Counselling

In the NIFT Spot counselling 2026, those candidates who became ineligible during the registration or the document verification process of the main counselling will not be eligible.

Also Read:

NIFT Spot Counselling: Vacancy Position

The vacancies for the Spot counselling of NIFT 2026 are for those seats in all NIFT Campuses after the last round of Admission Fee Payment and withdrawal.

NIFT Registration Process Rules: Spot Counselling

The online registration process for NIFT Spot Counselling will be similar to the earlier registration. Candidates who desire to participate in the Spot Round should log in to the NIFT Counselling portal and complete the registration process.

Spot Round Participation Fee

• Newly registered candidates will pay the participation/registration fee of around Rs. 5,000/- before choice filling.
• Candidates who have already paid the seat acceptance fee and have not withdrawn in any previous rounds are exempted from the registration fee of Rs 5,000/-.
• Registration fee/Participation Fee of Rs. 5,000/- is non-refundable.

Document Verification Rules

Document verification rules will be the same as NIFT Counselling Round 1. The document verification process will be only for new candidates.

Spot Round Choice Filling & Locking

  • Choice Filling can be done by only those candidates who have paid the participation fee and whose documents have been verified.
  •  All the choices will be shown to the candidate irrespective of whether a seat is available or not, because during processing few virtual vacancies may arise.
  • For all provisionally admitted candidates who have already paid the admission fee, if they desire to participate in the Spot Round, then during choice filling, the provisionally admitted campus & program where he/she has already completed admission will not appear in the list of available choices. After locking, the admitted choice will automatically be added in the last position of the newly filled choices.
  • Lock Choice button will be enabled as per the NIFT 2026 counselling schedule.
  • If candidates fail to explicitly lock their choices by the last date & time, their last saved choices will be automatically locked by the system after this deadline.
  • All the choice filling features will be the same as the main counselling choice-filling process.

NIFT Spot Counselling 2026: Seat Allotment

  • Choices of all such candidates who have completed all the steps will be processed as per business rules.
  • The last allotted choice of all admitted candidates of previous rounds, who have not participated in the Spot Round of counselling, will also be processed for category upgradation only.
  • Conversion of seats will be applicable in the Spot Round of seat allotment as per the conversion rules.

Seat Allotment Result Publishing 2026

The NIFT Spot Counselling Seat Allotment Result 2026 will be published on the official website tentatively in the second week of August 2026. Candidates need to download the “Provisional Allotment Letter”. NIFT Opening and closing ranks will also be published in the public portal.

Online Payment of Admission Fee

Candidates who have been allotted a seat must pay the fees before the deadline to avoid any cancellation of the seat.

NIFT Spot Counselling Schedule 2026

The dates and events for NIFT Spot counselling 2026 are:

Event: Spot Counselling Dates & Deadlines (Tentative)
Spot Round Registration & Participation Fee Payment First week of August 2026
Document Verification for New Registered Candidates First week of August 2026
Choice Filling/Modifications and Locking First week of August 2026
Seat Allotment Result Second week of August 2026
Admission Fee Payment Second week of August 2026
Physical Reporting at Allotted Institute Second week of August 2026
 
NIFT Entrance Exam Logo

NIFT Admissions 2026: Withdrawal of Seat & Refund of Fee

Candidates who are allotted seats in the first few rounds of seat allotment will be given the option to withdraw from the admission process. If the candidate withdraws on or before the given deadline, then the candidate will be refunded the full fee minus the registration fee. However, if the candidate withdraws after the due date, only the Security Deposit will be refunded. 

Particulars

Amount to be refunded

Withdrawal requests received on the Admission Portal before the given deadline

The full fee is to be refunded after deducting the registration fee of INR 9,300

Withdrawal request after the deadline

Only the Security Deposit will be refunded

Candidates can go through the options available for seat withdrawal along with a fee refund for NRI/ SAARC/ Foreign National/ OCI Candidates/ Children/wards of NRI below:

Particulars Amount to be refunded
Withdrawal requests after confirmation of seat requests received online on the portal till the stipulated date. No physical request will be entertained. Full fee except for 50% tuition fee and registration fee
Refund initiated stipulated date onwards Only the security deposit

NIFT 2026 Seat Withdrawal Option and Important Points

If the candidate has accepted a seat allotted by NIFT:

  •  The seat can be withdrawn online starting from the 2nd round.
  • Seats can be withdrawn only up to the penultimate round.
  • Candidates who have withdrawn their seats will not be considered for seat allotment in subsequent rounds.
  • After the seat allotment results have been announced for the last round of counselling, there will be no option to withdraw the allotted seat.

Step-wise process to withdraw NIFT 2026 seat

To exercise the withdrawal option, the candidate needs to follow these two steps:

  1. Confirm on the NIFT portal - The candidate will have to log in to the portal and confirm their withdrawal from the seat allocation process. On confirmation, the allotted seat will be cancelled. Further, the candidate will not be considered for seat allotment in subsequent rounds.
  2. The seat acceptance fee will be refunded to the candidate; for the refund amount, check the table given above.
NIFT Entrance Exam Logo

NIFT 2026: Test components and Weightage

Check below the components and weightage of the NIFT 2026 entrance exam, based on which candidates will be shortlisted for seat allotment:

Weightage for NIFT UG Programmes

NIFT UG programmes have the following weightage:

Programme GAT CAT Situation Test Total
B.Des 30% 50% 20% 100%
B.F.Tech GAT (Sec-A): 30% GAT (Sec-B): 70% 100%
B.F.Tech candidates opting for B.Des 30% 50% 20% 100%

Weightage for NIFT PG Programmes

NIFT PG programmes have the following weightage:

Programme GAT CAT Personal Interview Total
M.F.M GAT (Section A & B): 70% 30% 100%
M.Des GAT (Section A): 30% 40% 30% 100%
M.F.M candidates opting for M.Des GAT (Section A): 30% 40% 30% 100%
M.F.Tech 70% 30% 100%

Also Read:

NIFT Entrance Exam Logo

NIFT Counselling 2026 - FAQs

The candidate may go through the important FAQs related to the NIFT counselling 2026 below.

Q&A Icon
Commonly asked questions
Q:   Is NIFT a good career option?
Q:   What happens in NIFT counselling?
Q:   What is the seat intake for the B.Des programme through NIFT?
qna

NIFT Entrance Exam Exam

Student Forum

chatAnything you would want to ask experts?
Write here...

Answered a month ago

The fee for M.Des programme offered at NIFT is around INR 8 Lakhs.

Fee ComponentsFee Amount (2 Years) (2025)
Tuition Fees5.86 Lakhs
Hostel Fees*2.21 Lakhs
One-time payment*27,200
Total fees8.35 Lakhs

* Hostel fee is calculated on the basis of 1st year. Actual amount may vary. The fees might include components other than hostel fees. Meal Plan is not included in the mentioned fee.

*One-time payment includes Refundable Security Depos

...Read more

S

Sayeba Naushad

Contributor-Level 10

Answered a month ago

The fee of the B.Des programme at NIFT is around INR 14 lakhs.

SemesterNIFT Fees 2024 (INR)NIFT Fees 2025 (INR)
Semester 11,83,2001,91,700
Semester 21,43,0001,50,000
Semester 31,69,8001,78,700
Semester 41,50,0001,58,000
Semester 51,78,7001,87,800
Semester 61,58,0001,66,000
Semester 71,93,7002,03,200
Semester 81,66,0001,74,000
Total (4 Years)13,42,40014,09,400

 

S

Sayeba Naushad

Contributor-Level 10

Answered a month ago

National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), New Delhi, is the best based on the India Today ranking (2025). 

NIFT Delhi is considered the best NIFT campus in India because of the following:

  • It consistently ranks No. 1 among all NIFTs (India Today Ranking: 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022 and 2021)

  • It has

...Read more

S

Sayeba Naushad

Contributor-Level 10

Answered a month ago

The NIFT entrance exam is considered moderately difficult. The level of difficulty of the exam depends on a student's strengths and preparation. Since seats are limited and competition is high, even average questions feel tougher due to the pressure.

  • B.Des exam tests creativity, design aptitude, obse

...Read more

S

Sayeba Naushad

Contributor-Level 10

Answered a month ago

The educational qualification for NIFT admissions varies from course to course:

ProgrammeEducational Qualification Required
B.Des (Bachelor of Design)Passed 10+2 (Class 12) in any stream (Science, Commerce, Arts, Humanities) from a recognised board
B.FTech (Bachelor of Fashion Technology)Passed 10+2 (Class 12) in any stream, but Mathematics as a subject in 10+2 is compulsory
M.Des (Master of Design)Undergraduate degree in any discipline from a recognised university
M.FTech (Master of Fashion Technology)B.FTech from NIFT or B.E./B.Tech from a recognised university
MFM (Master of Fashion Management)Undergraduate degree in any discipline from a recognised university

S

Sayeba Naushad

Contributor-Level 10

Answered a month ago

There are a total of 19 NIFTs in India that participate in the NIFT admission process. The participating institutes offer B.Des, M.Des, B.F.Tech, M.F.Tech, and M.F.M courses. Admission to the participating institutes will be on the basis of NIFT scores.

NIFT Varanasi has been newly added to the list

...Read more

S

Sayeba Naushad

Contributor-Level 10

Answered 2 months ago

Yes, candidates who have passed their H.S.C. vocational examination may apply for admission to the B.Des program.

S

Sayeba Naushad

Contributor-Level 10

47 Institutes accepting NIFT Entrance Exam

  • 5.86 Lakh
  • 2 years
  • |
  • Full Time

National Institute of Fashion Technology, Bangalore

H.S.R Layout, Bangalore Public

National I
    • 6.16 Lakh
    • 2 years
    • |
    • Full Time
    • 12.96 Lakh
    • 4 years
    • |
    • Full Time
      • 9.02 Lakh
      • 3 years
      • |
      • Full Time

      Explore more Design exams with upcoming dates

      SAT Registration Deadline for November Test Oct '25
      CEED 2026 Application DATE 1 Oct '25 - 31 Oct '25
      UCEED 2026 Application DATE 1 Oct '25 - 31 Oct '25
      SEED 2026 Online registration (B.Des) 1 Aug '25 - 30 Nov '25
      GLS DAT 2026 Application Last Date Sep '25 - Jan '26

      News & Updates

      Latest NewsPopular News