IISER Counselling 2026: Round 1 Seat Allotment Released; SAF Payment Till July 28 and Round Wise Seat Allotment

The Round 1 seat allotment results for the IISER Aptitude Test (IAT) 2026 were officially released by the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Berhampur on July 24, 2026. Following the conclusion of the registration and choice-filling phase on July 9, 2026. For those who have been allocated seats, the payment of the Seat Acceptance Fee (SAF) and the submission of willingness must be completed by July 28, 2026. If the allotted seat is not accepted within this stipulated timeframe, the admission offer will be withdrawn, and the applicant will be rendered ineligible for any subsequent rounds. Moving forward, the IAT 2026 Round 2 seat allotment is scheduled to commence on August 1, 2026.

Source: iiseradmission.in/

IAT 2026 Latest Updates

• The Round 1 seat allotment for the participating institutes was officially published on July 24, 2026.
• The initial counselling registration and choice-filling window was successfully concluded earlier on July 9, 2026.
• Allotted candidates must submit their seat willingness and pay the mandatory Seat Acceptance Fee (SAF) no later than July 28, 2026.
• The Round 2 seat allotment is expected to be released on August 1, 2026, for candidates awaiting subsequent upgrades.

Seat Acceptance Fee (SAF)

The Seat Acceptance Fee is required to be paid only after an offer of admission has been made to the candidate. The SAF is to be paid as per the category mentioned in the candidate's offer letter.

• A sum of Rs. 35,000/- (comprising Rs. 25,000/- plus a non-refundable administrative fee of Rs. 10,000/-) is required to be paid by candidates belonging to the General/EWS/OBC/OBC-NCL/PwD/KM/Kashmiri Pandit/Kashmiri Hindu Families (Non-Migrants) categories.
• A sum of Rs. 17,500/- (comprising Rs. 12,500/- plus a non-refundable administrative fee of Rs. 5,000/-) is required to be paid by candidates belonging to the SC/ST categories.
• Once a candidate is registered at the allotted IISER, the SAF is adjusted against the first semester fee.

Source: iiseradmission.in/

IAT 2026 Important Dates

Source: iiseradmission.in/

• IISER 2026 counselling and seat allotment will be held in 8 to 9 rounds , depending on seat availability.
• Around 2,343 BS-MS seats are available across IISER Pune, Kolkata, Mohali, Bhopal, Thiruvananthapuram, Tirupati, and Berhampur.
• After each round, you must choose to freeze or float your allotted seat and pay the Seat Acceptance Fee (SAF) within the given deadline.

IISER Counselling 2026: Overview

IISER Counselling 2026 is the mandatory online process for every student who has qualified the IISER Aptitude Test (IAT) 2026 through the SCB, KVPY, or JEE Advanced channel and appears in the merit list. The Joint Admissions Committee (JAC), with IISER Berhampur as the organising institute for 2026, runs this centralised counselling for all seven IISERs. Your rank alone does not guarantee a seat - you must register, fill choices, and participate in the allotment rounds to get admission.

Seats are allotted based on your IAT rank, category, and the order of preferences you submit. The process runs entirely online through the admission portal, and you do not need to visit any campus until the final reporting stage.

IISER Counselling 2026: Important Dates

Note: The exact schedule for Round 1 onward will be released on iiseradmission.in. Bookmark this page for updates.

IISER Counselling Eligibility 2026

Before you register, check that you meet the basic eligibility conditions below.

• Your name must appear in the IAT 2026 merit list for your admission channel (SCB, KVPY, or JEE Advanced).
• You must have passed Class 12 in the science stream with at least three of Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Biology.
• General, EWS, and OBC-NCL students need a minimum of 60% aggregate in Class 12; SC, ST, and PwD students need a minimum of 55%.
• You must be an Indian citizen, PIO, or OCI to apply through the SCB or KVPY channel; foreign nationals can only be considered through the JEE Advanced channel.
• Your final Class 12 marksheet must be uploaded during counselling, even if you registered with provisional marks earlier.

IISER Counselling Registration 2026

Follow these steps to complete your counselling registration on the official portal.

1. Visit the official website, iiseradmission.in.
2. Log in using your IAT 2026 registered user ID and password.
3. Click on "Registration for Counselling Process."
4. Verify your personal, academic, and category details already on file.
5. Upload any pending documents as prompted by the portal.
6. Confirm your registration before the July 9, 2026 deadline.

Registering for counselling is mandatory - your IAT rank alone does not guarantee a seat. If you miss the registration deadline, you cannot take part in any seat allotment round.

IISER Choice Filling Strategy 2026

Choice filling decides which IISER and programme you can be allotted, so take your time on this step.

• Arrange all seven IISER campuses and available programmes in order of your genuine preference, from most wanted to least wanted.
• Fill as many choices as possible, ideally all available options, to maximise your chances across rounds.
• Do not leave out a campus just because it seems less competitive - a wider spread of choices protects you if your rank does not open a seat at your top preference.
• Once satisfied, lock your choices. You can usually edit the order until the choice-filling window closes, but not after.
• If your preferred seats fill up before your turn, you will not be considered for that choice in later rounds - so order choices realistically against your expected rank.

IISER Round-Wise Seat Allotment 2026

IISER Counselling 2026 will run in 8 to 9 rounds depending on how many seats remain unfilled after each round.

Once you receive an offer, log in to the portal, go to the "Decision Making" section, click "Click Here to View Allotted Seat," generate an OTP, and confirm your choice. If you choose to float, you retain your current seat while remaining eligible for an upgrade in later rounds. If you freeze, your current allotment becomes final and you exit the upgrade process.

Documents Required for IISER Counselling

Make sure your category certificate matches exactly what you declared during application - a mismatch, such as an outdated EWS or OBC-NCL certificate, can delay or block your admission.

IISER Reporting to Allotted College

Once your seat is finally confirmed, complete these steps to secure your admission.

1. Download your final admission/offer letter from the portal.
2. Pay any remaining admission fee as specified by your allotted IISER.
3. Submit your original documents for verification, either online or as instructed by the campus.
4. Report to your allotted IISER campus on the scheduled reporting date with all original documents.
5. Complete campus-specific formalities such as hostel allotment and orientation registration.

Freeze vs Float: What to Choose

This decision determines whether you stay open to a better seat or lock in your current one.

• Freeze if you are satisfied with your allotted IISER and programme - your seat becomes final and you exit further rounds.
• Float if you want a chance at a higher-preference IISER in later rounds. You keep your current seat safely while staying in the running for an upgrade.
• If you got your first choice, the float option will usually not appear, since there is nothing higher left to upgrade to.
• If you withdraw after paying the Seat Acceptance Fee, a portion of it is typically not refunded - check the exact withdrawal policy on the official portal before deciding.
• Floating carries no risk to your current seat, so when in doubt, float rather than freeze early unless you are completely certain of your choice.

IISER Counselling FAQs