NEET UG 2026 stray vacancy round registration opens 16 October in West Bengal

In short

Online registration for the stray vacancy round opens on 16 October 2026, from 11 am to 8 pm.
The fee payment deadline for this round is 16 October 2026, until 12 midnight.
Candidate verification is scheduled for 17 October 2026, from 9 am to 4 pm.
The allotment result for the stray vacancy round will be published by 23 October 2026, 12 noon.
Reporting and admission to allotted institutes will occur from 23 October to 26 October 2026.

The West Bengal Medical Counselling Committee (WBMCC) today, 13 October 2026, released the schedule for the Online Stray Vacancy Round of NEET UG 2026 counselling. This round is for the allotment of MBBS and BDS seats under State Quota, Private Management Quota, and NRI Quota in government medical colleges, private medical colleges, and dental colleges across West Bengal.

Official notification screenshot — Screenshot of the official page at wbmcc.nic.in

This stray vacancy round provides an additional opportunity for candidates who were not allotted seats in the preceding counselling rounds or who wish to upgrade their previously allotted college or course. The WBMCC conducts online counselling and admission for various Post-Graduate and Under-Graduate courses in Medical, Dental, and AYUSH at the State level.

Stray Vacancy Round Key Dates and Process

The online registration for the Stray Vacancy Round will commence on 16 October 2026, from 11 am and will conclude on the same day at 8 pm. Candidates must complete their fee payment by 16 October 2026, until 12 midnight. Following registration and fee payment, the verification of candidates is scheduled for 17 October 2026, from 9 am to 4 pm.

The WBMCC will publish the list of verified candidates and the seat matrix for the Stray Vacancy Round on 17 October 2026, after 5 pm. Online choice filling and choice locking will be available from 17 October 2026, 6 pm to 18 October 2026, 10 am. The allotment result for this round is expected by 23 October 2026, 12 noon. Reporting and admission to the allotted institutes for both Round 3 and the Stray Round will take place on 23 October 2026, from 2 pm to 6 pm; 24 October 2026, from 10 am to 4 pm; and 26 October 2026, from 10 am to 4 pm.

Counselling Activity	Dates & Timings
Online Registration for NEET UG 2026 Qualified Candidates	15th October 2026, 11 AM to 16th October 2026, 6 PM
Online Fee Payment	15th October 2026, 11 AM to 16th October 2026, 12 Midnight
Candidate Verification at Designated College	16th & 17th October 2026, 11 AM to 4 PM
Publication of Verified Candidates List & Stray Vacancy Seat Matrix	17th October 2026, After 5 PM
Online Choice Filling & Choice Locking	17th October 2026, 6 PM to 18th October 2026, 10 AM
Stray Vacancy Round Seat Allotment Result	By 23rd October 2026, 12 Noon
Reporting & Admission at Allotted Institute	23rd October 2026, 2 PM to 6 PM; 24th & 26th October 2026, 10 AM to 4 PM

Eligibility Criteria for NEET UG 2026 Counselling

To be eligible for NEET UG 2026 counselling, candidates must have appeared and qualified in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET-UG) 2026 examinations conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA). The NEET UG Exam 2026 was held on 21 June 2026, and its results were released on 16 July 2026. The counselling notification was initially released on 11 August 2026.

Candidates must be 17 years old as of December 31, 2026. Academic qualifications require candidates to have completed 12th grade with Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and English. The minimum marks in the qualifying examination are 50% for General category candidates, 40% for SC, ST, and OBC categories, and 45% for PwD candidates. Only Indian citizens are eligible to participate in the counselling process.

Eligibility Criteria	Information
Age Limit	17 years as of December 31, 2026
Academic Qualification	Completed 12th grade with PCB and English.
Minimum Marks in Qualifying Exam	General: 50% SC, ST and OBC: 40% PwD candidates: 45%
NEET Exam Requirement	Must have qualified NEET UG 2026 conducted by NTA
Nationality	Indian citizens are eligible to participate in counselling.

Overview of Previous Counselling Rounds

The counselling process for NEET UG 2026 includes four stages: Round 1, Round 2, Mop-Up Round, and the Stray Vacancy Round. The WBMCC conducts admission for 85% State Quota seats for Under-Graduate courses (MBBS/BDS) through online counselling at the State level, along with State Quota, Management Quota, and NRI Quota (only Medical) seats in Private Medical and Dental Colleges.

The Directorate of Medical Education, Govt. of West Bengal, issued a Revised Tentative Schedule for Round 2 of Counselling WB NEET UG 2026 on 03 September 2026. Round 2 online registration was conducted from 07 September 2026 to 09 September 2026, with the allotment result published on 15 September 2026. Round 3 counselling included online registration from 28 to 30 September 2026, and the allotment result was published on 8 October 2026. The official website for the West Bengal Medical Counselling Committee is wbmcc.nic.in.

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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