DASA UG Counselling 2026: Dates, Registration, Eligibility, Participating Institutes, Seat Matrix, Cutoff
Direct Admission of Students Abroad - UG 2026 ( DASA UG )
DASA 2026: Direct Admission of Students Abroad (DASA) is the initiative of Govt of India under which students who are Foreign Nationals / Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) / Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) / Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) are admitted to NITs, IIITs, IIEST Shibpur, SPAs and a few other premier institutes of the country. All such candidates have to qualify JEE Main in order to be eligible for admission through DASA channel. Seats offered under DASA are supernumerary, over and above the total seats of institute. DASA admissions are managed by the same NIT which organises CSAB counselling.
All foreign nationals studying in any country, including India or Indian nationals studying abroad, have to apply online for admission through DASA to UG engineering and architecture courses offered at NITs, IIITs, SPAs and CFTIs. DASA Registration 2026 will start in June. Candidates have to fill DASA application form online using JEE Main application number and fill choices of courses and institutes in order of preference. Based on the JEE Main rank and choices filled by the candidates, seat allotment will be done.
Dates for DASA 2026 will be announced in June. There will be total 3 rounds of DASA 2026 counselling. Candidates can check here more details related to DASA counselling 2026.
- What is DASA UG?
- DASA UG 2026 Dates & Schedule
- DASA Counselling 2026 Highlights
- DASA UG Eligibility Criteria 2026
- DASA UG Counselling Process 2026
- DASA 2026 Registration
- DASA Choice Filling 2026
- DASA 2026 Seat Allotment
- DASA 2026 Seat Confirmation - Accept / Accept & Upgrade / Decline
- DASA 2026 Provisional Admission Letters and Reporting
- DASA Special Counselling Rounds 2026
- DASA UG Cutoff
- DASA 2026 Participating Institutes
What is DASA UG?
Direct Admission of Students Abroad (DASA) is a scheme under the Ministry of Education (MoE), Government of India for admission to Undergraduate programmes in Engineering/Architecture/ Planning for the Academic offered by the National Institutes of Technology (NITs), Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs), Schools of Planning and Architecture (SPAs), and other premier Technical Institutions in India. DASA counselling is held online in various rounds. The seats are allotted to eligible foreign nationals with JEE Main ranks based on the choices filled by them and their ranks.
For admission to NITs, IIITs, CFTIs and other Premier Technical Institutions (Other than IITs), candidates of Indian nationality and with JEE Main ranks apply for JoSAA counselling. However, Foreign Nationals/Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs)/Non-Resident Indians (NRIs)/ Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) are required to take admission via the DASA scheme.
Commonly asked questions
The DASA UG 2026 registration dates has not been announced yet. DASA UG application form 2026 is expected to be released in July online on the website - dasanit.org. It is also recommended that before filling the DASA UG application form, candidates must go through the information brochure and eligbility criteria carefully. Candidates should fill the correct details in the application form; otherwise, it will be rejected.
Indian Nationals studying abroad (NRIs) and Foreign Nationals/ Persons of Indian Origin or Overseas Citizen of India who have completed the qualifying examination in any country (including India) are eligible for admission in NITs and IIITs through the DASA Scheme. In the case of Indian Nationals, they must have completed the 11th and 12th standard or equivalent from outside India.
The DASA Quota means a particular number of seats at India's top engineering colleges for NRI, PIO, OCI, and foreign students. 15% of the institute's total seats are allocated to the DASA quota. As we know, the DASA scheme offers a chance for non-resident Indians and foreign nationals to gain admission to India's top technical institutes.
Yes, you can apply for BTech admission under DASA UG scheme. However, you have to appear in JEE Mains exam and qualif the same for admission under DASA 2026.
DASA UG 2026 Dates & Schedule
Take a look at the table below for the complete schedule of DASA UG 2026 exam
| Dates | Upcoming Exam Dates |
|---|---|
| Jul ' 26 - Aug ' 26 | DASA 2026 choice filling and submission TENTATIVE |
| Jul ' 26 - Aug ' 26 | DASA 2026 registration TENTATIVE |
| Aug ' 26 | DASA 2026 Seat Allotment Round 1 TENTATIVE |
| Aug ' 26 | DASA 2026 Seat Allotment Round 2 TENTATIVE |
| Sep ' 26 | DASA 2026 Seat Allotment Round 3 TENTATIVE |
DASA Counselling 2026 Highlights
Check below the important highlights of the DASA counselling 2026
| DASA Counselling Particulars |
Details |
|---|---|
| Counselling Name |
Direct Admission of Students Abroad |
| Conducting Body |
National Institute of Technology (Same NIT which organises CSAB) |
| Counselling Level |
National |
| Counselling Frequency |
Once a year |
| Mode of Counselling |
Online |
| Accepting exam |
|
| Courses offered |
Undergraduate programmes: |
| Participating Institutes |
|
| Seats offered |
Around 5000 |
| Counselling Fees (Registration + Tuition) |
CIWG Category: USD 1046.06 (Approx) Non-SAARC Category: USD 4300 SAARC Category: USD 2300 |
| Number of counselling rounds |
3 main rounds 1 special round Spot round (if seats are vacant) |
| Official Website |
|
| Contact Details |
To be announced |
| Information brochure (2025) |
Download here |
Commonly asked questions
Applicants must have completed Class 12 coursework in mathematics, physics, and one of the following subjects: biology, chemistry, computer science, or biotechnology from an educational programme accredited by the Association of Indian Universities (AIU). Applicants appearing for the qualifying examination in the academic year 2025-26 and expecting their final results by September 30, 2025, may also apply.
CIWG stands for Children of Indian Workers in Gulf Countries. CIWG is a category under the DASA scheme. It was started by the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India, mainly for the children of Indian expatriates (NRIs, OCIs, and PIOs) in Gulf countries who wanted to study at the top engineering colleges, including IITs and NITs. The countries that are under CIWG are the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Iraq, Iran, Kuwait, and Oman.
DASA is the abbreviation for Direct Admission of Students Abroad. For admission to NITs, IIITs, CFTIs and other Premier Technical Institutions (Other than IITs), candidates of Indian nationality and with JEE Main ranks apply for JoSAA counselling. However, Foreign Nationals/Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs)/Non-Resident Indians (NRIs)/ Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) are required to take admission via the DASA scheme.
The documents required while filling out the DASA UG application form are a passport, proof of date of birth, a mark sheet for Class 10, Class 11 and Class 12; Proof of 2 years of education (Class 11 and Class 12 or equivalent), CIWG quota documents, and a certificate from the company/organization as proof that the parent is working in the Gulf country.
DASA UG Eligibility Criteria 2026
The following are the essential eligibility criteria for DASA UG counselling 2026
Age
Applicants born on or after October 01, 2001, are eligible. Date of birth as recorded in the Secondary Education Board / University Certificate.
Academic Eligibility
Applicants should have a valid JEE Main 2026 rank.
And
Applicant must have passed the class 12 exam or any equivalent exams from any system of education as recognised by the Association of Indian Universities (www.aiu.ac.in) with specified subjects. Applicants appearing for the qualifying examination in the academic year 2026-27 are also eligible to apply.
And
Applicant should have completed Mathematics, Physics and one of the subjects from (Chemistry, Biotechnology, Computer Science, Biology) in 12th with 75% marks (CGPA of 7.5 out of 10) in aggregate, as applicable in the respective boards.
Residential Requirement
All foreign nationals studying in any country including India or Indian nationals studying abroad who fulfil prescribed admission criteria shall be eligible. Prescribed admission criteria for Indian Nationals shall be at least two years of education, inclusive of 11th & 12th or equivalent (not beyond), in a foreign country during the last 8 years and must pass the qualifying examination from abroad.
| Important: VISA Requirement |
|---|
| Foreign nationals allocated under DASA need to acquire a valid student visa from the Indian Missions in their country by presenting the provisional admission letter and necessary documents. They should also register with a unique ID from the ‘Study in India’ Portal after allocation through the DASA using the following link: https://studyinindia.gov.in/. |
Commonly asked questions
All foreign nationals studying in any country including India or Indian nationals studying abroad who fulfil prescribed admission criteria shall be eligible. Prescribed admission criteria for Indian Nationals shall be at least two years of education, inclusive of 11th & 12th or equivalent (not beyond), in a foreign country during the last 8 years and must pass the qualifying examination from abroad.
DASA UG application process includes registration, filling details, uploading photo and signature, fee payment, and final submission of the application form. The DASA UG application forms are released on the official website.
Candidates must have been born on or after October 1, 2000, to be eligible for DASA UG 2025. Before applying candidates should check all the eligibility criteria as mentioned in the official DASA UG brochure.
Indeed, in order to register, you must have a working email address. On the official website, the DASA UG 2025 application procedure will open. The dates of DASA UG 2025 should be known to candidates so they can stay on top of all the important dates, such as the application deadline. It will be updated here as well as when it is launched.
DASA UG Counselling Process 2026
Counselling: Jul ' 26 - Aug ' 26
The DASA counselling process is explained below:
DASA UG Counselling Process 2026
Counselling Registration and Choice Filing: One-time mandatory registration activity, which includes providing the following information
- Personal Details (including category selection, CIWG, SAARC, Non-SAARC etc.)
- Contact Details
- Passport Information
- Qualification
- Filling of Refund Details
- Documents Upload
- DASA Enrollment Fee (DEF) Payment
- Choice filling
- Submission
DASA Rank Declaration: The DASA office will declare the DASA rank (based on JEE Main rank declared by NTA) for only those students who fills and submit their online registration form for DASA 2026.
The above two steps are a one-time process and the below-given steps will be repeated in each round of DASA counselling
DASA seat allotment: The seat allotment result is declared by DASA on the website.
Seat confirmation by candidates who have been allotted a seat: Candidates have to choose from the following options:
- If any seat is allotted: Accept (Directly report to the admitting Institute as per schedule. He/ she can’t participate in the DASA special round. However, will be automatically considered for Internal Sliding after the FINAL allotment round).
- Accept & Upgrade (Will participate in next rounds and considered for higher choices, but can’t participate in DASA special round)
- Decline: The candidate is exited from the whole counselling process including the special round. The tuition fee will be refunded (after making deductions) as per the refund rule
Online reporting to allotted Institutes for admission: This part is done by the Participating Institutes. The student has to join an online meeting with the verification team at the allotted institute. The online meeting link will be provided by the allotted Institute through your(student’s) registered email. You will be directed to provide your willingness for internal sliding/not for internal sliding/cancellation of admission.
Announcement of vacant seat matrix for Special round: The new seat matrix will be displayed on the DASA website after internal sliding for the special round.
Choice refilling for DASA 2026 Special Round: The Candidates who are already registered but have not received any allotment till now are eligible for the choice refilling for the Special Round against vacant seats. After the candidate login in the counselling portal, the candidate has to choose one of the following options:
- Participate in Special Round: Candidate may opt for this option to fill the choices. Candidates allotted a seat in the special round will not be eligible for any refund.
- Exit: The candidate may opt for this if s/he doesn’t want to participate in counselling. The candidate is exited from the whole counselling process. The full tuition fee will be refunded as per refund rules.
Special Round Allotment and physical reporting: The special round set allotment result is announced. The candidates allotted seats after the special round and also in rounds 1, 2, 3 and 4 have to physically report to allotted Institutes for admission.
Commonly asked questions
If the candidates do NOT lock their choices in DASA UG counselling, their last saved choices will be locked automatically upon reaching the deadline for choice filling. If no choices are saved, the candidate will not be considered for allotment of any seat.
Candidates can start with the DASA UG choice filling process, after successful fee payment and document verification. Candidates are required to fill in their choices of academic programs. Note that, candidates MUST “lock” their choices on or before the last day of choice filling. If the candidates do NOT lock their choices, their last saved choices will be locked automatically upon reaching the deadline for choice filling.
The DASA UG counselling mock seat allotment helps candidates understand what seat they might be allotted based on their rank and preferences before the official rounds begin. This will help candidates rearrange/edit/delete/add choices to their DASA choice list, if necessary. It is a trial allotment for the candidates.
However, the seat allotment done in each round of the DASA UG counselling is not a trial allotment but a final allotment. The seat allotted here cannot be changed. However, candidates can opt for float/slide willingness option after the final allotment.
Once the choice filling deadline is over and candidates have locked their choices, they cannot make changes in their choice list. Candidates must note that they will NOT be allowed to edit their choice-list after the deadline for choice filling, i.e., candidates CANNOT change the order of their choices or add any more choices or delete any choices from their choice-list after the deadline for choice filling.
DASA 2026 Registration
The candidates eligible for DASA 2026 counselling have to register online to participate in the admission process. The DASA counselling registration process is given below:
To register, the candidate needs to enter the JEE Main 2026 application number and Date of Birth. A web link will be mailed to complete the registration process on the email ID registered with JEE Main. The application number of JEE Mains will be your username.
In the registration form, candidates have to fill in the required details. Applicants are required to upload the following:
- Latest passport-size photograph in JPG format (size ~ 3.5cmx3.5cm, file size < 100kB).
- Scanned signature of applicant in JPG format (file size<100 kB).
Submit the completed DASA application form 2026. The submitted online registration form should be downloaded and saved for their records. However, there is no need to send the hard copy of the form and documents to the DASA office.
DASA 2026 Registration Fees
During registration, candidates have to submit the registration fee along with the tuition fees. The details of the fees to be submitted are given below:
| Admission Category |
Registration Fee (Non-refundable) (1) |
Tuition Fee (For First Semester only) payable to DASA 2025 (2) |
Total Amount to be paid along with the application form (3) |
|---|---|---|---|
| DASA (CIWG) |
US $300 |
INR 62, 500/- (or Equivalent amount in US Dollars) |
(1) + (2) |
| DASA (Non-SAARC) |
US $300 |
US $4,000 |
US $4,300 |
| DASA (SAARC) |
US $300 |
US $2,000 |
US $2,300 |
How to pay the fees?
The fee can be paid through SWIFT /E-Payment/ NEFT/RTGS Transfer. The full payable amount shall be paid in one transaction, i.e, only one transaction id is to be provided for the entire payable amount.
For E-payment, applicants shall access the online portal which will be interlinked with ICICI Bank Payment Gateway for receiving online payment of fees through their credit/ debit card. On successful completion of the transaction, a Transaction ID will be generated automatically and will appear in the application form.
Commonly asked questions
The DASA UG application form is made available on official website of DASA. Candidates have to fill and complete application online and submit the form as per the deadline.
Registration fee in DASA UG is non refundable. Once candidates submit their application form they cannot withdraw the form. Moreover there is no provision to refund application fee under any circumstances.
- Amount
- Value Date
- Account with Institution (DASA Account Name & SWIFT/BIC Code)
- Beneficiary Customer Account Name & Address (DASA Account Details)
- IFSC Code (DASA Account)
- Remittance Information (Application ID, Application Name, Passport Number and Country)
- Details of Charge (Applicant has to send the extra charges)
No, candidates can not apply for BTech admission through DASA UG if they've not appeared in JEE Mains exam. It is mandatory to apply for JEE Mains and qualify the exam before appearing for DASA admissions.
DASA Choice Filling 2026
The registered candidates have to fill the choices of courses and institutions based on various factors like their ranks and categories. The candidates can fill in as many choices as they want. This is a one time process, once choice filling deadline is over, no more chances will be available to edit or fill the choices. Based on choices filled by candidates and their ranks, category, etc, seats are allotted to candidates. Candidates who do NOT submit their saved choices before deadline, their last saved choices will be submitted automatically when time window for filling choices ends.
Commonly asked questions
The DASA UG Brochure 2025 (information bulletin) has been released. Candidates can download the DASA UG brochure and check all the details related to the DASA admission and application process. from hdasanit.org/dasa2025. Candidates seeking admission under the DASA scheme have to register online, fill out an online application form, and make a fee payment. Candidates who register will only be considered for admission under the DASA scheme.
Candidates must fill maximum choices to increase their chances of getting admission. The choices must be filled in order of preference.
If any candidate fail to lock their choices before the last date of choice filling, it gets locked automatically. In this case, the last available order of choices will be considered for seat allotment.
DASA 2026 Seat Allotment
DASA 2026 seat allotment will be based on JEE Main rank and the choices given by the applicant in the order of their merit and priority taken together. Based on the DASA merit list drawn, the allotment of Institutions and course would be made as per the choices indicated by the applicant in his/her application form. An applicant appearing higher on the merit list would get higher priority in allotment of course/ Institution of his/ her choices as compared to an applicant appearing lower in the merit list. In case the institute/course of the first preference indicated by the applicant is not available, he/ she will be allotted the 2nd preference (Institute/ course) and so on. Such of those applicants who have not been allotted any seat will be indicated as Not allotted in the allotment list. In such cases, the applicants will be eligible for the subsequent rounds of allotment against the vacancies.
All eligible applicants would be considered for allotment. The allotments shall be displayed on the DASA 2026 applicant portal dasanit.org as per the schedule mentioned on the DASA website. No individual allotment letters/emails will be sent to applicants who get a seat allotment. Applicants who are allotted seats are required to confirm their options.
- Applicants who are allotted their first choice of Institute/course, would have two options - Accept or Decline.
- Applicants who are allotted any choice of Institute/course other than the first choice, would have three options - Accept, Accept & Upgrade and Decline.
- Applicants who are not allotted any choice of Institute/courses, have to wait for the next allotment.
Commonly asked questions
The exact dates for seat allotment will be announced soon. The tentative DASA UG seat allotment dates 2026 are
- Choice filling: July 2026
- Round 1 – DASA UG Seat Allotment 2026: Aug first week, 2026
- Round 2 – DASA UG 2026 Seat Allotment: August second week, 2026
- Round 3 – DASA UG Seat Allotment 2026: August third week, 2026
Candidates can check their DASA seat allotment status by login to the official website. Candidates who will be allotted seats have will have the option to acccept/freeze and float the seats.
DASA 2026 Seat Confirmation - Accept / Accept & Upgrade / Decline
DASA 2026 Provisional Admission Letters and Reporting
DASA Special Counselling Rounds 2026
DASA UG Cutoff
Commonly asked questions
DASA cutoff is the opening and closing rank of institutes after each round of seat allotment. The cutoffs are published in the official website for all participating colleges.
A candidate can check the DASA scores on the official website, dasanit.org. The DASA cutoff is released post completion of the counselling rounds. In the cutoff list, the candidate will be able to check the opening and closing ranks of the different rounds.
DASA 2026 Participating Institutes
Commonly asked questions
15% of seats are under the supernumerary quota of DASA, out of which 5% supernumerary seats are reserved for children of Indian workers in the Gulf (CIWG). Candidates who will get admission to NITs and IIEST Shibpur under the CIWG category shall pay the tuition fee of INR 1,25,000 per annum, either in INR or equivalent USD.
For the upcoming admission session 2025, candidates are required to fill an online application form on the online admission portal of DASA. To apply for the DASA UG counselling process, candidates can follow the step mentioned below:
- The candidates eligible for DASA counselling have to register to be able to participate in the admission process. The DASA counselling registration process is given below:
- To register, the candidate needs to enter the JEE Main 2025 application number and Date of Birth. A web link will be mailed to complete the registration process on the email ID registered with JEE Main. The application number of JEE Mains will be your username.
- In the registration form, candidates have to fill in the required details. Applicants are required to upload the following:
- the latest passport size photograph in JPG format (size ~ 3.5cmx3.5cm, file size < 100kB).
- Scanned signature of applicant in JPG format (file size<100 kB).
- Submit the completed DASA application form. The submitted online registration form should be downloaded and saved for their records. However, there is no need to send the hard copy of the form and documents to the DASA office.
Check out below to know more details about DASA UG counselling process. For the detailed DASA UG counselling process, click here.
DASA UG Exam
Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered 6 days ago
Candidates can check their DASA seat allotment status by login to the official website. Candidates who will be allotted seats have will have the option to acccept/freeze and float the seats.
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 6 days ago
If any candidate fail to lock their choices before the last date of choice filling, it gets locked automatically. In this case, the last available order of choices will be considered for seat allotment.
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 6 days ago
Candidates must fill maximum choices to increase their chances of getting admission. The choices must be filled in order of preference.
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 6 days ago
No, candidates can not apply for BTech admission through DASA UG if they've not appeared in JEE Mains exam. It is mandatory to apply for JEE Mains and qualify the exam before appearing for DASA admissions.
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a week ago
Yes, you can apply for BTech admission under DASA UG scheme. However, you have to appear in JEE Mains exam and qualif the same for admission under DASA 2026.
S
Contributor-Level 10
43 Institutes accepting DASA UG
NIT Trichy - National Institute of Technology
Tiruchirappalli • Public
4.2DTU - Delhi Technological University
Rohini, Delhi • Public
NIT Rourkela - National Institute of Technology
Rourkela • Public
NIT Surathkal - National Institute of Technology
Mangalore • Public
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