NEET MDS Eligibility Criteria 2025: Age Limit and Qualification

NEET MDS eligibility criteria 2025 will be set by the National Board of Examinations (NBE). Aspirants planning to appear for the NEET MDS 2025 exam must go through the eligibility criteria. Candidates can only appear for NEET MDS 2025 if they fulfill NEET MDS 2025 eligibility criteria. The NEET MDS qualification lists the basic rules of age, nationality, qualification, work experience, and other characteristics.

NEET MDS 2025 exam internship is an eligibility criterion for the candidates to participate in the exam. Hence, it is advised that the candidates finish the internship within the given time. Applicants must check the detailed eligibility criteria discussed below.

Also Read: NEET MDS Exam Pattern

NEET MDS Eligibility Criteria 2025: General

NEET MDS eligibility criteria 2025 based on previous year notification for admission to MDS courses as per MDS Course Regulations 2017 notified by the Dental Council of India with prior approval of MoHFW are shared below. Applicants must note that these are the general eligibility criteria shared on an overall grounds.

• Aspirants must be Indian citizens, Overseas Citizens of India (OCIs), or Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) to sit for NEET MDS 2025.
• Candidates must have passed the Bachelor of Dental Surgery awarded by a university or institute in India registered with the State Dental Council, have obtained provisional or permanent registration, and have undergone a compulsory rotatory internship of a year in an approved/ recognized dental college.
• After passing the final qualifying examination (BDS or the foreign dental degree recognized by GOI/DCI), a candidate undergoing a 12-month compulsory rotatory internship/ practical training is likely to complete the same by Jul 31, 2025, can take up this examination.
• However, the applicant shall only be eligible for admission if they have completed the compulsory rotatory internship and obtained provisional or permanent registration on or before Jul 31, 2025.
• The candidate produces a certificate from the institution's head that they will complete the internship by Jul 31, 2025.

NEET MDS 2025 Eligibility Criteria for All India 50% Quota Seats

All candidates willing to apply under AIQ must meet the following criteria. Candidates must note that those who had already passed BDS from the state of Jammu & Kashmir will not meet NEET MDS eligibility criteria under the 50% AIQ. Still, some provision makes them eligible, read along for more information.

• Candidates who have studied/ passed BDS from Jammu & Kashmir are not eligible for 50% All India Quota seats.
• However, the candidates nominated by the Government of India (under central pool seats) to do BDS from Dental Colleges in Jammu & Kashmir shall be eligible to apply for admission.
• The selected candidates must submit a duly signed affidavit declaring that they were nominated by the Government of India (under central pool seats) to do BDS from Dental Colleges in Jammu & Kashmir. They must submit the Affidavit along with the printout of the acknowledgement of submission of the online application for NEET-MDS 2025.
• Candidates who have completed their BDS from Jammu & Kashmir but failed to submit the Affidavit, as indicated above, will not be considered for participation in All India 50% quota counselling.
• However, the restriction on candidates from Jammu & Kashmir states shall not apply to the categories of Armed Forces for the 'Grant of Short Service Commission in Army Dental Corps ' and MDS admissions in Armed Forces Institutes.

Also Read: NEET MDS Syllabus

NEET MDS Eligibility Criteria for Jammu and Kashmir Candidates

Aspirants from the state of Jammu and Kashmir must meet the following criteria to be eligible for the NEET MDS process. Candidates must go through the following details on NEET MDS eligibility criteria to apply for the exam if they qualify.

• Candidates with Undergraduate degrees from Jammu and Kashmir will not be eligible under AIQ.
• However, the candidates nominated by the Government of India (under central pool seats) to do BDS from Dental Colleges in Jammu & Kashmir shall be eligible to apply for admission.
• Those candidates must submit a duly signed affidavit saying that GOI has nominated them under specific pool seats and send it to the NEET MDS office's registered address with a copy of the application form.

NEET MDS 2025 Eligibility Criteria for Foreign Nationals

Non-Indians also consider NEET MDS and the following are some eligibility criteria for foreign nationals. Meeting these criteria is essential; candidates will only be allowed to appear for the exam if they meet the criteria.

• As per MDS course Regulations 2017, foreign nationals don't need temporary registration with DCI when writing NEET MDS 2025. Foreign Nationals can write NEET MDS without DCI registration.
• On payment of the prescribed fee for registration, the Council may grant temporary registration for the duration of the postgraduate training restricted to the dental college/institution to which they were admitted for the time being exclusively for postgraduate studies.
• The temporary registration to foreign nationals will be subject to the condition that the concerned person is duly registered as a medical practitioner in their own country from which they have obtained their essential dental qualification and that the corresponding state dental council or concerned authority recognizes their degree.
• Applicants need to submit their original Internship completion certificate during the counselling process.

Also Read: NEET MDS Books

NEET MDS Eligibility Criteria for NRI

Candidates applying for NEET MDS under the NRI provision must meet the authorities eligibility criteria. Candidates will be deemed disqualified in case of ineligibility found at any stage of the process. Hence, it is highly advised to go through the following details to understand NEET MDS eligibility criteria for NRI.

• The dates indicated by candidates for about 12 months of Compulsory Rotatory Resident Internship, i.e., starting date, and completion date, shall be treated as final, and candidates will be required to submit the original Compulsory Rotatory Resident Internship completion certificate at the time of counselling.
• No condonation of internship of 12 months period shall be accepted except:
• The batch students were admitted during the academic session 2007-08 and completed a 4 ½ year BDS course and six months of compulsory rotating internships.
• The students admitted during the 2006-07 academic session at Rajah Muthiah Dental College, Annamalai University, have completed a five-year BDS course without the internship.
• Candidates found to be ineligible at any stage of the NEET MDS 2025 will not be permitted to appear in the examination and counselling.
• The results/ candidature of such candidates shall be cancelled.
• Requests for appearing in NEET MDS 2025 from candidates completing internship after March 31, 2023, or having qualifications not recognized per the Dentists Act shall be summarily rejected. Candidates are further advised not to canvas for the same.
• Some universities/institutions have regulations that say that candidates already pursuing the PG Course at their university or another university are only eligible for admission once they complete the course.

NEET MDS Eligibility Criteria: Who are not Qualified?

Applicants must check the pointers below stating the basis of a candidate not meeting the NEET MDS eligibility criteria 2025 and being considered unqualified to appear for the NEET MDS 2025 entrance exam.

• If an applicant is found violating the NEET MDS 2025 eligibility criteria set by the NBE, they will not be allowed to appear for the entrance examination.
• In any case, if an ineligible candidate appears for the exam, the conducting authority will later cancel their candidature.
• If applicants cannot complete their internship within the given time, that is, Mar 31, 2025, they will not be allowed to appear for the NEET MDS examination.

Also Read: NEET MDS Preparation Tips