The purpose of this study was to evaluate the physico-mechanical properties and formaldehyde emission of medium density fiberboard (MDF) made from modified urea formaldehyde resin. In this study, nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) (0, 0.5, 1, 1.5 and 2 percent) based on the dry weight of resin was applied to modify urea formaldehyde resin. The results of mechanical properties indicated that MOR and IB of the MDF panels significantly increased as the NCC incorporated into the UF adhesive up to 1%wt. However, further increment in the NCC content (1.5 and 2 wt%) decreased the MOR and IB of the panels. Water absorption and thickness swelling after 2 h were significantly increased when the NCC content increased from 1% to 2%, but no significant differences were observed between the panels after 24 h. Also, the formaldehyde emission significantly decreased with increasing the amount of nanocrystalline cellulose.