CLAT 2026 Counselling Important Documents: NLUs Seat matrix, Mandatory Instructions

Common Law Admission Test 2026 ( CLAT )

DeskCalelnderCounselling - 22 Jan '26

Anupama
Anupama Mehra
Assistant Manager – Content
Updated on Jan 22, 2026 10:01 IST
Only those candidates who have received an invitation through email or SMS or on the CLAT 2026 admission portal will be eligible to register for the CLAT Counselling 2026 admission process. With the fifth round, the Counselling process for CLAT 2026 will conclude.

The CNLU has published the CLAT Second Allotment List 2026. Only those candidates who have registered for the Counselling process will be allowed. With the fifth round, the CLAT Counselling Process 2026 will conclude. Students will be allocated seats based on their rank in the CLAT merit list and NLU seat matrix.

CLAT 2026 Counselling: Documents, NLU seat matrix, mandatory instructions, documents

The Consortium of National Law Universities (NLUs) has published the CLAT Second Merit List 2026 on January 22, 2026. The CLAT First Merit List was released on January 7, 2026. The Consortium closed the CLAT Counselling 2026 Registration on December 27, 2025. Candidates can use CLAT College Predictor 2026 to get an idea about which NLU they have chances to get admission into. Only those candidates who have received an invitation through email or SMS were eligible to register for the CLAT Counselling 2026 process.

Latest Update: CLAT 2026 Second Merit List Live Updates

Earlier, the Consortium released the CLAT Counselling Notification 2026, mentioning all important details. Candidates will be allocated seats based on their rank in the CLAT merit list and NLU's seat matrix. The CLAT Entrance Exam was conducted on December 7, 2025. 

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Table of contents
  • CLAT 2026 Counselling Dates
  • CLAT 2026 counselling instructions
  • How to Check CLAT 2026 Counselling and Seat Allotment Result?
  • CLAT 2026 Counselling Fee Refund
  • What after CLAT 2026 counselling registration?
  • Documents required for CLAT 2026 counselling

CLAT 2026 Counselling Dates

Q:   When will CLAT 2026 Counselling be held?
A:

The Consortium of NLUs has begun CLAT Counselling Process 2026. The counselling process of CLAT will be conducted in online mode on the official website of Consortium of NLUs; i.e. consortiumofnlus.ac.  The  Counselling Process will be held in five rounds. 

Q:   Can I appear for CLAT Counselling if I failed to clear the exam?
A:

No, you can not appear for counselling if you have not cleared CLAT Exam. 

Q:   How many rounds will be there in CLAT Counselling?
A:

There will be five rounds of counselling. During CLAT 2025 Admission, the number of rounds were reduced to three. But until then the CLAT Counselling use to be of five rounds only. 

Candidates can check CLAT Merit List 2026 Dates below:

Event

Dates

CLAT 2026 Counselling Registration (Begins)

17-Dec-2025

CLAT 2026 Counselling Registration (Ends)

27-Dec-2025

CLAT First Allotment List 2026

07-Jan-2026
Payment of Confirmation Fee to Consortium for Freeze and Float options and Admission by NLUs for the First Allotment List

 

15-Jan-2026
CLAT Second Allotment List 2026 22-Jan-2026
Payment of Confirmation Fee to Consortium for Freeze and Float options and Admission by NLUs for second Allotment List 29-Jan-2026
CLAT Third Allotment List 2026 05-Feb-2026

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CLAT 2026 counselling instructions

Candidates who have received an invite from the consortium could register for the CLAT 2026 counselling process. Candidates could follow the simple instructions given below to participate in CLAT 2026 counselling

  • Log in to the CLAT account
  • Enter your credentials
  • Validate the invitation for counselling in each round
  • Click the ‘Make Payment’ tab
  • Pay the counselling registration fee of INR 30,000 (general category candidates) or INR 20,000 (ST/ SC/ OBC/ BC/ EWS/ PWD categories)
  • CLAT Counselling Registration Fee 2026 has to be made online
  • Once the fee payment is done, you can log out.

Also Read: CLAT Reservation Criteria

How to Check CLAT 2026 Counselling and Seat Allotment Result?

Candidates can follow the instructions mentioned below to check the CLAT seat allotment result:

  • Visit consortiumofnlus.ac.in.
  • Enter your mobile number and password.
  • Click on Login.
  • Check the seat allotment result.

Note: There are 3, 213 seats for UG courses, and 1,217 seats for PG courses. The candidates who qualified for CLAT 2026 will be shortlisted for admission rounds after they complete counseling registration and eligibility-related documentation. 

Q:   CLAT 2026 Counselling Process is online or offline?
A:

The CLAT Counselling Process is completely online. Candidates need to register first by uploading their documents, and participate in choice filling and seat allotment. For original document verification aspirants will have to go to thedesignated centres. 

Q:   How to Check CLAT 2026 Counselling and Seat Allotment Result?
A:

Candidates can follow the process mentioned below to check the CLAT seat allotment result:

  • Visit the official website of CLAT
  • Enter mobile number & password.
  • Click on Login.
  • Check the seat allotment result.
Q:   Do I need a scorecard to appear in CLAT Counselling?
A:

Apart from the other important documents required for CLAT Counselling, the CLAT Scorecard is must. Candidates must ensure to cross check the details mentioned on the scorecard before downloading it. In case of discrepancies, reach out to the consortium before the counselling day.

CLAT 2026 Counselling Fee Refund

Candidates who are wondering how to get full refund of CLAT Counselling Registration Fees 2026:

  • If any candidate is not allotted a seat at the end of the Fifth round of the Admissions Counselling Process by the Consortium; or Has not chosen the Freeze or Float option and exited the Counselling Process, the Counselling Registration Fee will be refunded in full. 
  • Where a candidate has been allotted a seat, and has chosen a Float or Freeze option, and then subsequently chooses to Exit or fails to complete their admission at the chosen NLU by paying their fees then their Counselling Registration Fee will be refunded in full if the Exit option is exercised before last date or after a deduction of INR 5,000/- (Rupees Five thousand only) if exercised after the last date.
  • Where a candidate is allotted a seat for the first time in the Fifth round of counselling, and the candidate chooses to Exit or fails to complete their admission at the NLU by paying their fees, their Counselling Registration Fee shall be refunded in full.
  • If a candidate is found ineligible by an NLU based upon the verification of documents/information provided by them, an amount of INR 5,000 will be deducted and the remaining Counselling Registration Fee will be refunded.
  • Refunds will be facilitated to the same account from which the Counselling Registration Fee was paid.
  • Candidates have to ensure that their given bank accounts are functional during the course of the counselling process and the refund process.
  • Requests to settle refunds to another account will not be considered
  • The Confirmation Fee paid by any candidate shall be adjusted against the fees payable at the NLU where a candidate has secured admission. In the event that a candidate chooses the Exit Option, or fails to pay the fees due at the NLU within the prescribed date, or is found ineligible by an NLU based upon the verification of documents/information provided by them, the Confirmation Fee shall not be refunded.

 What after CLAT 2026 counselling registration?

Now that the CLAT 2026 Counselling registration process is over, all the registered eligible candidates will be allotted a seat at the preferred NLU. Candidates will be given the option to freeze, float, or exit during each round of CLAT Counselling 2026. Candidates can check the freeze, float, and exit options in detail below

Freeze Option: In case a candidate is happy with the seat allotted to him/her then they can freeze it. With this, they won't be allowed to appear in the further rounds of counselling. If a candidate freezes the seat, it means that he is confirming their seat at the allotted National Law University (NLU).

Float Option: If a candidate is not happy with the seat allotted to them and wants to participate in further rounds of counselling, they can select the float option. This option means that the aspirant has accepting the seat allotted to them but is willing to participate in further rounds of counselling for a better college. Candidates must note that in case they choose the float option and are allotted a seat in the next round, then the seat allotted in the previous round will be forfeited.

Exit Option: During the counselling process, if a candidate feels that they don't want to participate further, then they may choose an option to exit. If they choose this option, it means that they are withdrawing from the counselling process and they will not be considered for a further round of counselling. The eligible candidate who has been allotted a seat as per NLU preferences will have to pay a non-refundable confirmation fee of INR 20,000 before selecting a ‘freeze’ or ‘float’ option before the deadline.

Also Read: CLAT Rank Predictor 2026: Calculate your CLAT 2026 Rank List Here

Documents required for CLAT 2026 counselling

Candidates could check the list of documents required to upload for the admissions counselling process:

  • Scanned copy of Class 10th marksheet.
  • CLAT 2026 admit card.
  • 12th marksheet.
  • LLB/equivalent degree marksheet (for PG candidates).
  • Character certificate.
  • Transfer/migration certificate.
  • Caste certificate.
  • PwD/SAP certificate.
  • Any other supporting documents.
 

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About the Author
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Anupama Mehra
Assistant Manager – Content

She has over 10 years of experience in the education and publishing sectors. She specialises in exam coverage and content creation. At Shiksha, she writes, analyses, and presents information for students preparing f

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