JEE Main 2027 from the UAE: dates, exam cities, fees and what to check
In short
JEE Main 2027 runs in January and April 2027, with Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah among its nine exam cities outside India.
- Session 1 registration closes on 22 November 2026 at 11:50 pm IST.
- Paper 1 has 75 questions for 300 marks, with minus one for a wrong answer.
- A General male candidate taking Paper 1 outside India pays ₹5,000 a session.
JEE stands for Joint Entrance Examination. JEE (Main) is set by NTA, the National Testing Agency, and its ranks are used for engineering, architecture and planning admissions at NITs, IIITs and other institutes in India. JEE Main 2027 runs in January and April 2027, and Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah are all exam cities. Applications for Session 1 close on 22 November 2026 at 11:50 pm IST.
The facts below come from NTA's Information Bulletin for JEE (Main) 2027, its Session 1 notice and jeemain.nta.nic.in, read on 6 November 2026. Check the current notice before each session.
JEE Main 2027 dates
| Step | Session 1 | Session 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Apply and pay online, until 11:50 pm IST | 24 October to 22 November 2026 | 5 January to 3 February 2027 |
| Late submission, with a ₹500 late fee on top | 23 to 26 November 2026 | 4 to 7 February 2027 |
| Correction window | 27 to 29 November 2026 | 8 to 10 February 2027 |
| City intimation slip | 30 December 2026 | 12 March 2027 |
| Admit card | 13 January 2027 | 25 March 2027 |
| Exam days | 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 and 28 January 2027 | 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 April 2027 |
- Session 2 uses the same Application Number. NTA says its window "will also be notified separately through a Public Notice", not out yet.
- One form per session. Appearing under more than one Application Number in a session is treated as Unfair Means (NTA clarification).
- Identity. Name and date of birth must match the Class 10 certificate or mark sheet; login is through DigiLocker, JanParichay or e-Pramaan (MeriPehchaan) (NTA advisory).
Shift times
A three-hour paper (Paper 1, 2A or 2B) runs 9:00 am to 12:00 noon or 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm IST; 2A and 2B together run 9:00 am to 12:30 pm or 3:00 pm to 6:30 pm IST. Gates close 30 minutes before the start. Worked out by us, not printed by NTA: IST is UAE time plus 1 hour 30 minutes, so 9:00 am IST is 7:30 am in the UAE and 3:00 pm IST is 1:30 pm.
The three papers, and Paper 1's pattern
| Paper | For | Questions | Marks | Mode |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 | B.E./B.Tech. | 75 | 300 | Computer Based Test (CBT) |
| Paper 2A | B.Arch. | 77 | 400 | CBT, with the Drawing Test on paper |
| Paper 2B | B.Planning | 100 | 400 | CBT |
Paper 1 has Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry, each with 20 multiple choice questions (Section A) and 5 numerical value questions (Section B), for 100 marks.
- Marking: +4 for a correct answer and −1 for an incorrect one, in both sections. Unanswered or marked-for-review questions score 0, and numerical answers are "rounded off to the nearest integer".
- Language: English is the only medium at centres outside India.
- Ties: broken on the NTA score in Mathematics, then Physics, then Chemistry, then the ratio of incorrect to correct answers.
The 2027 syllabus matches the 2026 syllabus word for word apart from the year: 14 units of Mathematics, 20 of Physics and 20 of Chemistry. Our NEET and JEE preparation guide covers planning it from the UAE.
JEE Main exam centres in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah
Appendix II of the bulletin lists nine exam cities outside India:
| Where | Exam cities (code) |
|---|---|
| UAE | Dubai (ZZ04), Abu Dhabi (ZZ17), Sharjah (ZZ08) |
| Elsewhere | Manama, Bahrain; Kuwait City; Muscat, Oman; Doha, Qatar; Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Kathmandu, Nepal |
You choose up to four cities. A candidate with a permanent or present address outside India must include at least one city in India, and NTA may allot a different city.
The 2026 bulletin named 15 cities outside India; 2027 drops Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Lagos, West Java, Washington and Munich. The three UAE cities are on both. The list is not marked by session, so check it again before Session 2.
One caution from 2026: Session 2 in April 2026 was not held in Dubai. NTA's 20 April 2026 result notice lists the cities outside India that were used, with Sharjah and Abu Dhabi but not Dubai, after an advisory for candidates registered from Kuwait, Dubai and Bahrain. Session 1 in January 2026 was held in Dubai. Read the Session 2 city slip on 12 March 2027 closely.
JEE Main fees for centres outside India
Fees are per session and in Indian rupees, even for centres abroad:
| Paper(s) | Category | Centres outside India |
|---|---|---|
| Paper 1, 2A or 2B | General | ₹5,000 male, ₹4,000 female |
| Gen-EWS or OBC (NCL) | ₹4,500 male, ₹4,000 female | |
| SC, ST, PwD or PwBD | ₹2,500 male, ₹2,500 female | |
| Third gender | ₹2,500 | |
| Paper 1 + 2A, 1 + 2B, 1 + 2A + 2B, or 2A + 2B | General, Gen-EWS or OBC (NCL) | ₹10,000 male, ₹8,000 female |
| SC, ST, PwD or PwBD | ₹5,000 male, ₹5,000 female | |
| Third gender | ₹5,000 |
The late fee is ₹500 for every category. Processing charges and GST are extra, and payment is online only.
Who can sit JEE Main 2027
Chapter 3 of the bulletin sets the rules:
- Age: "there is no age limit for the candidates", though admitting institutes may have their own.
- Class 12 year: passed Class XII or equivalent in 2025 or 2026, or appearing in 2027. Those who passed in 2024 or earlier are not eligible.
- Boards: any Indian board, NIOS with at least five subjects, GCE A level, the IB Diploma, or a foreign exam AIU recognises as equivalent; an unlisted foreign board needs an AIU certificate.
- Attempts and subjects: the bulletin sets no separate limit on attempts and no subject combination for sitting it.
- OCI candidates who passed Class XII abroad are eligible for All India quota seats in NITs, IIITs and other CFTIs, "but NOT for Home State quota seats".
Two sessions, and the best score counts
A candidate may sit one session or both; if both, "his/her best of the JEE (Main) - 2027 NTA Scores will be considered". NTA publishes a Common Rank List after Session 2, the only list used for admissions through CSAB and JoSAA; NTA itself is "not an admission giving authority".
JEE (Advanced), in outline
JEE (Advanced) is the next step for students aiming at the IITs.
- Indian nationals must be among the top 2,50,000 successful candidates, all categories included, in the B.E./B.Tech. paper of JEE (Main) 2027, NTA's bulletin says.
- No JEE (Advanced) 2027 brochure, organising IIT or date is on jeeadv.ac.in as of 6 November 2026.
- The 2026 brochure's tentative centres outside India were Abu Dhabi and Kathmandu, with the final list on the registration portal. Dubai was not listed, so do not assume Dubai or Sharjah will host it.
- In 2026, foreign nationals and OCI/PIO holders whose cards were issued after 4 March 2021 could register for JEE (Advanced) directly, without JEE (Main) (Foreign Nationals page).
Where a JEE Main rank leads from the UAE
JoSAA: NITs, IIITs and other institutes. Seats are allotted on the Common Rank List (IIT seats need a JEE (Advanced) rank), under JoSAA's own Class 12 rules. In 2026 these were five subjects with 75% aggregate or the board's top 20 percentile, and for B.E./B.Tech. Physics, Mathematics and one of Chemistry, Biology, Biotechnology or a Technical Vocation subject (JoSAA 2026 Business Rules). The 2027 rules are not out yet.
DASA and CIWG. Through DASA, NRIs, OCI and PIO holders and foreign nationals take supernumerary seats at NITs, IIITs and other institutes on their JEE (Main) rank, and NRIs whose parent works in a listed Gulf country, the UAE included, can hold the CIWG tag, with one third of DASA seats. See our DASA and CIWG guide.
IIT Delhi's Abu Dhabi campus. It has two pathways. For 2026 its programmes page listed JEE (Advanced) and JoSAA for Indian Nationals, and CAET for UAE Nationals, Indian Expatriates and other international candidates. Check that the JEE pathway continues for 2027; our CAET guide explains who counts as an Indian Expatriate.
Frequently asked questions
What is the full form of JEE?
JEE stands for Joint Entrance Examination. JEE (Main) is the exam set by NTA, whose Common Rank List is used for admission to NITs, IIITs and other institutes in India.
Is there a JEE Main exam centre in Dubai?
Yes. The JEE (Main) 2027 bulletin lists Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah among nine exam cities outside India. A candidate with an address outside India must also choose at least one city in India, and NTA may allot a different city.
When is the last date for JEE Main 2027 registration?
For Session 1, 22 November 2026 at 11:50 pm IST, or 26 November with a ₹500 late fee. Session 2 applications run from 5 January to 3 February 2027, to be confirmed by an NTA public notice.
When will the JEE Main 2027 admit card be released?
The bulletin gives 13 January 2027 for Session 1 and 25 March 2027 for Session 2. City intimation slips come first, on 30 December 2026 and 12 March 2027.
How much is the JEE Main fee at a UAE centre?
For one paper at a centre outside India, a General candidate pays ₹5,000 (male) or ₹4,000 (female) per session, and SC, ST, PwD and PwBD candidates ₹2,500. Processing charges and GST are extra.
Is JEE Advanced held in Dubai?
Dubai was not on the tentative list in the JEE (Advanced) 2026 brochure, which named Abu Dhabi and Kathmandu as centres outside India; the final list went on the registration portal. No 2027 brochure has been published yet.
Career Launcher UAE coaches students for JEE at our centres in Bur Dubai and Al Nahda 2 in Dubai and Al Qasimia in Sharjah, and online, with mock tests set by our UAE team. Our JEE coaching in Dubai and Sharjah page explains how we prepare students for JEE Main.
Related reading: DASA and CIWG from the UAE, The CAET exam for IIT Delhi's Abu Dhabi campus and Preparing for NEET and JEE from the UAE.