MCC NEET UG counselling 2026 Round 3, stray vacancy round schedule out: register by September 27

The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) has announced the schedule for the NEET UG Counselling 2026 Round 3 and the subsequent Stray Vacancy Round. These rounds are designed to fill remaining vacant seats in undergraduate medical, dental, and B.Sc. Nursing programmes across various institutions. The entire process, conducted online via the official MCC website (mcc.nic.in), is scheduled from September 22, 2026, to October 26, 2026.

This counselling process, managed by the Directorate General of Health Services under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, covers All India Quota seats, Institutional Quota, Domicile (internal candidates) of Central Universities, wards of ESIC insured persons, and Armed Forces Medical College, Pune. The release of this schedule follows the final result of UG Round 2 Counselling 2026, which was dated September 12, 2026, and aims to provide further opportunities for admission into these programmes.

NEET UG Round 3 Counselling Schedule and Process

The registration window for NEET UG Round 3 Counselling 2026 opens on September 22, 2026. Candidates must complete their registration by September 27, 2026, up to 3 PM. Following registration, choice filling will be available from September 23 to September 28, 2026. The choice locking facility for Round 3 will commence on September 27, 2026, at 7 PM and will close on September 28, 2026, at 12 noon.

The seat allotment processing for Round 3 is scheduled for September 28 to September 29, 2026. The MCC will release the NEET UG Round 3 seat allotment result on September 30, 2026. Candidates who are allotted seats in this round are required to report to their respective institutes between October 1 and October 9, 2026. The verification of joined candidates’ data by participating institutes for Round 3 will be carried out on October 10, 2026. Candidates who registered in Round 1 or Round 2 and did not receive a seat do not require fresh registration for Round 3.

Stray Vacancy Round 2026 Details

The NEET Stray Vacancy Round 2026, which is the final stage of the MCC counselling process, will begin its registration on October 12, 2026. This registration period will continue until October 14, 2026. Choice filling and locking for the Stray Vacancy Round are scheduled from October 12 to October 15, 2026. The processing of seat allotment for this round will occur from October 15 to October 16, 2026.

The Stray Vacancy Round allotment result is slated for announcement on October 17, 2026. Candidates allotted seats in this round must report to their respective institutions between October 19 and October 26, 2026. The Stray Vacancy Round is conducted entirely in online mode for eligible candidates, offering a final opportunity for admission into MBBS, BDS, and B.Sc. Nursing programmes. The official counselling schedule also includes verification of the tentative seat matrix on September 27, 2026, with alternative dates for Stray Vacancy registration from September 28 to September 30, 2026, and choice filling/locking on September 30, 2026.

Counselling Fees and Important Information

For candidates applying under the 15% All India Quota (AIQ) and Central Universities, a non-refundable fee of ₹1,000 is applicable for the General category, along with a refundable security deposit of ₹10,000. For SC/ST/OBC/PwD categories in the same quota, the non-refundable fee is ₹5,000, with a refundable security deposit of ₹5,000.

Candidates seeking admission to Deemed Universities are required to pay a non-refundable fee of ₹5,000 across all categories (General/SC/ST/OBC/PwD), accompanied by a refundable security deposit of ₹2,00,000. The MCC UG Counselling Information Bulletin outlines the four rounds of counselling: Round 1, Round 2, Round 3, and the MCC Stray Vacancy Round. Candidates are advised to regularly visit the official MCC website for the latest counselling notices, seat matrix updates, and registration instructions.

Further reading

• NEET UG admissions: HC stays 91% quota in 4 UP medical colleges
• Gujarat NEET UG Round 2 Merit List 2026 Out: Check Provisional List at medadmgujarat.org
• NEET cutoff: previous closing ranks and marks Next step
• CUET application form: eligibility, dates and how to apply
• AIIMS Paramedical application form: eligibility, dates and how to apply
• NEET: complete exam guide

Written by Nishit Kumar

Nishit Kumar is a senior EdTech industry leader with over a decade of experience in building and scaling education platforms, shaping their product, content, and growth strategy. At FindMyCollege, Nishit oversees content and editorial strategy, guiding topic selection and content frameworks to ensure accuracy, relevance, and student-first value across the website.

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