NIFT Counselling 2026 (UG/PG): Seat Allotment, Document Verification, Fees, Admission

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 2025 Counselling Schedule: Click Here 

 

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	NIFTs - Fee Structure for UG and PG courses NIFT Placement Record

• Counselling 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 counselling.

Eligibility Criteria for NIFT for B.Des

The eligibility criteria for NIFT are.

Programme

Eligibility Criteria

Bachelor of Design (B. Des.)

Passed the plus 2 level examination in the 10+2 pattern of examination from any recognized Central/State Board of Secondary Examination, such as the Central Board of Secondary Education/State Board New Delhi/Council for Indian School Certificate Examination, New Delhi. OR A pass grade in the Senior Secondary School Examination conducted by the National Open School with a minimum of five subjects. OR 3 or 4 years diploma recognized by AICTE or a State Board of Technical Education after secondary examination/10th standard. OR Any Public School/Board/University Examination in India or in foreign countries recognized by the Association of Indian Universities as equivalent to the 10+2 system. OR General Certificate Education (GCE) Examination (London/Cambridge/Sri Lanka) at the Advanced (A) level/International Baccalaureate (IB).

Eligibility Criteria for NIFT for B.F.Tech

The eligibility criteria for NIFT B.F.Tech are.

Programme

Eligibility Criteria

Bachelor of Fashion Technology (B.F.Tech.)

Passed the plus 2 level examination in the 10+2 pattern of examination from any recognized Central/State Board of Secondary Examination, such as the Central Board of Secondary Education, New Delhi/Council for Indian School Certificate Examination, New Delhi with Mathematics. OR A pass grade in the Senior Secondary School Examination conducted by the National Open School with a minimum of five subjects with Mathematics. OR 3 or 4 years diploma in any branch of Engineering recognized by AICTE or a State Board of Technical Education after secondary examination/10th standard. OR Any Public School/Board/University Examination in India or in foreign countries recognized by the Association of Indian Universities as equivalent to the 10+2 system with Mathematics. OR General Certificate Education (GCE) Examination (London/Cambridge/Sri Lanka) at the Advanced (A) level with Mathematics/International Baccalaureate (IB).

Eligibility Criteria for NIFT for M.Des, M.F.Tech and M.F.M

The eligibility criteria for NIFT for M.Des, M.F.Tech and M.F.M.

Programme	Eligibility Criteria
Master of Design (M. Des.)	Undergraduate Degree in any discipline from any Institute/University recognized by law in India. OR Undergraduate Diploma of minimum three years duration from NIFT/NID. Note: Master of Design (M.Des.) is an advanced course that demands an understanding of fundamentals in design and presupposes that candidates would be familiar with the basic skills and theories for successful completion of the program. The course will not provide any basic knowledge and skill development in design as a part of its curriculum.
Master of Fashion Management (M.F.M.)	Undergraduate Degree in any discipline from any Institute/University recognized by law in India. OR Undergraduate Diploma of minimum three years duration from NIFT/NID.
Master of Fashion Technology (M.F.Tech.)	B.F.Tech. from the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT). OR B.E./B.Tech. from any Institute/University recognized by law in India. OR B.F.Tech. (4 years) from any Institute/University recognized by law in India.

The 19 NIFT campuses offer a total of 5076 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.

Also Read:

• NIFT Fee Structure

How many seats are there in NIFTs for 2026 Admission?

NIFT offers 5067 seats for B.Des, B.F Tech, M.Des, M.F.Tech and MFM programmes.

Program / Level	Total Seats (All Campuses)	State Domicile Seats	Grand Total
Bachelor of Design (B.Des): Accessory Design (AD)	576	61	637
B.Des Fashion Communication (FC)	644	75	719
B.Des Fashion Design (FD)	712	89	801
B.Des Knitwear Design (KD)	330	21	351
B.Des Textile Design (TD)	606	75	681
B.Des Leather Design (LD)	152	0	152
B.F.Tech – Apparel Production (AP)	542	49	591
M.Des	254	21	275
M.F.M.	644	75	719
M.F.Tech	68	0	68
TOTAL (All Programmes)	4596	480	5076

To participate in the NIFT counselling process, 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: 10th exam 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. 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

Eligibility Criteria for NIFT 2026 Artisan Category 

Check out the Criteria for NIFT Artisan Category. 

Programme

Eligibility Criteria

Bachelor of Design (B.Des.)

Passed the plus 2 level examination in the 10+2 pattern of examination of any recognized Central/ State Board of Secondary Examination, such as Central Board of Secondary Education / State Board New Delhi / Council for Indian School of Certificate Examination, New Delhi. OR A pass grade in the Senior Secondary School Examination conducted by the National Open School with a minimum of five subjects. OR 3 or 4-years Diploma recognized by AICTE or a State Board of Technical Education after secondary school examination. OR Any Public School/Board/University Examination in India or in foreign countries recognized by the Association of Indian Universities as equivalent to 10+2 system. AND Artisan/Ward of Artisan can seek admission under this category on submission of a valid Artisan Card issued to Self/ Father/ Mother by the Development Commissioner (Handicraft), or Development Commissioner (Handlooms), Ministry of Textiles, Government of India or have applied for the Artisan Card before the launch of Prospectus for Admissions-2026.

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.

Stepwise 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.

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:

Program	Exam	Weightage
B. Des.	GAT	30%
	CAT	50%
	Situation Test	20%
B.F. Tech.	GAT (Sec-A)	30%
	GAT (Sec-B)	70%
B.F. Tech. Opting for B. Des.	GAT (Sec-A)	30%
	CAT	50%
	Situation Test	20%

Weightage for NIFT PG Programmes

NIFT PG programmes have the following weightage:

Program	Exam	Weightage
M.F.M.	GAT (Section A and B)	70%
	Personal Interview	30%
M. Des.	GAT (Section A)	30%
	CAT	40%
	Personal Interview	30%
M.F.M. opting for M. Des.	GAT (Section A)	30%
	CAT	40%
	Personal Interview	30%
M.F. Tech.	GAT	70%
	Personal Interview	30%

NIFT Exam Components

Check out the components of NIFT.

Programme	Entrance Examination Components	Shortlisting Criteria
B.Des.	General Ability Test (GAT), Creative Ability Test (CAT)	Shortlisted based on the entrance examination, followed by a Situation Test
B.F.Tech.	General Ability Test (GAT)	Shortlisted based on the GAT
B.F. Tech & B. Des	General Ability Test (GAT), Creative Ability Test (CAT)	Separate Common Merit Ranks (CMRs) will be generated for: B. Des: Based on entrance exam results + Situation Test B.F.Tech: Based on GAT
		Candidates applying for B.F. Tech with Maths can also enrol for B. Des by taking CAT along with GAT (not applicable for NLEA).
M.Des.	General Ability Test (GAT), Creative Ability Test (CAT)	Shortlisted based on GAT + CAT, followed by a Personal Interview (PI)
M.F.M.	General Ability Test (GAT)	Shortlisted based on the GAT, followed by a Personal Interview (PI)
M.F.M & M. Des.	General Ability Test (GAT), Creative Ability Test (CAT)	Separate Common Merit Ranks (CMRs) will be generated for: M.F.M: Based on GAT (Sections A & B) + PI M.Des: Based on GAT (Section A) + CAT + PI
M.F.Tech.	General Ability Test (GAT)	Shortlisted based on the GAT, followed by a Personal Interview (PI)
Ph.D.	Written test	Research Proposal Presentation and Interview (RPPI)

Also Read:

• NIFT Study Material 2026 - Recommended Books, Sample Papers and Mock Tests
• NIFT 2026 Quantitative Ability Questions, Syllabus & Preparation Tips

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 Marks vs Rank: What Your Score Means, How to Calculate Score and Expected NIFT Ranks

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 last date 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