Registration for the MCC NEET UG 2026 stray vacancy round opened on October 13, 2026. This is the last round of All India counselling run by the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC), so it is your final chance at the AIQ, central university and deemed university seats that are still empty. As per the extended schedule, you can register on mcc.nic.in until 4:00 PM on October 16 and pay the fee until 6:00 PM the same day. Choice filling closes at 11:55 PM on October 16.
If you did not get a seat in Rounds 1, 2 or 3, here is what you need to know:
- The full schedule, with times
- Who can take part, and the fees
- How to register and fill choices
- Reporting, state stray rounds and your options if no seat comes
MCC NEET UG 2026 Stray Vacancy Round: Important Dates
Here is the full schedule. All times are MCC server time, and weekends and gazetted holidays count as working days for this round.
| Activity | Date and time (Extended) |
|---|---|
| Registration | October 13 to October 16, 2026 (closes at 4:00 PM on October 16) |
| Reset registration option | Till 3:00 PM on October 16, 2026 |
| Fee payment | Till 6:00 PM on October 16, 2026 |
| Choice filling | Till 11:55 PM on October 16, 2026 |
| Choice locking | 7:00 PM to 11:55 PM on October 16, 2026 |
| Seat allotment processing | October 17 to 18, 2026 |
| Result | October 19, 2026 |
| Reporting and last date of joining | October 19 to 26, 2026 |
Source: MCC UG AIQ Counselling Schedule 2026 (Stray Vacancy Round), dated 14.10.2026.
Who Can Take Part in the Stray Vacancy Round?
You must register fresh and fill fresh choices, even if you took part in every earlier round. As per the MCC information bulletin, you can take part unless one of these applies to you:
- You did not register for the stray vacancy round.
- You have already joined, or are holding, a seat at the time of the round.
- You were allotted a seat in MCC Round 3 but did not report to the college.
MCC also shares the data of allotted and joined candidates with the states, and MCC’s Notice No. 25, dated 10.10.2026, directs states to weed out AIQ candidates who joined up to Round 3. So if you have joined a seat anywhere, AIQ or state quota, this round is not for you.
Registration Fee and Security Deposit
You pay a non-refundable registration fee and a refundable security deposit, based on your category and the seats you choose:
- AIQ, central universities, AFMC, ESIC, AIIMS, JIPMER and B.Sc. Nursing (UR/EWS): ₹1,000 fee + ₹10,000 security deposit
- The same seats (SC/ST/OBC/PwD): ₹500 fee + ₹5,000 security deposit
- Deemed universities (all categories): ₹5,000 fee + ₹2,00,000 security deposit
If you want both government and deemed seats, you pay only the higher amount, which is the deemed fee of ₹5,000 plus ₹2,00,000.
Source: MCC Revised UG Counselling 2026 Information Bulletin, dated 20.08.2026, Chapter 16.
Join or Lose Your Deposit: The Strictest Rule of This Round
This round gives you no room to change your mind. As per the MCC information bulletin, if you get a seat in the stray vacancy round, you must join it. If you do not, your security deposit is forfeited, and you cannot take part in any further counselling. Once you join a seat after Round 3, you also cannot resign or surrender it.
Here is one example. Say you pay ₹2,05,000 to include deemed colleges, you get a deemed seat, and then you find the yearly fee is more than your family can manage. If you do not join, the ₹2,00,000 deposit is gone. So settle the money question before you fill choices, not after the result.
How to Register for the MCC NEET UG 2026 Stray Vacancy Round
Keep your NEET UG 2026 details and payment method ready, then follow these steps:
- Go to mcc.nic.in, open the UG Medical Counselling section and click the new registration link.
- Fill in and check your details, then submit the form before 4:00 PM on October 16. If you need to reset your registration, do it before 3:00 PM.
- Pay the registration fee and security deposit before 6:00 PM on October 16.
- Save the confirmation page and the payment receipt.
Choice Filling and Locking: Get It Right the First Time
Most mistakes in this round happen here. Choices from earlier rounds do not carry forward, so an empty choice list means no seat. Follow these steps:
- Log in to the MCC portal and open choice filling for the stray vacancy round.
- Check the vacant seat list for this round as soon as MCC publishes it on mcc.nic.in.
- Add only the colleges you are ready to join in your real order of preference.
- Lock your choices between 7:00 PM and 11:55 PM on October 16, 2026, then download the locked choice sheet.
Under the general MCC rule, saved choices get locked automatically when the window closes, but do not depend on it. Lock them yourself and keep the printout.
What to Check Before You Add a College
A seat you will not join is worse than no seat at all, because it costs you the deposit and your remaining options. So ask these questions for every college:
- Can my family pay the full yearly tuition and hostel fee for the whole course?
- Does the college have a service bond, and am I ready to serve it?
- Is the location practical for me for the full length of the course?
- Is this a course I will really study: MBBS, BDS or B.Sc. Nursing?
Check fee and bond details on the college website and in the participating institute details on the MCC portal. If you cannot get a clear answer, leave that college out.
Stray Vacancy Round Result and Reporting
If you get a seat on October 19, download the allotment letter and report to the college between October 19 and 26. October 26 is also the last date of joining, so do not leave it for the final day.
Keep these documents ready, with originals and self-attested photocopies, and check your allotment letter for anything extra:
- NEET UG 2026 admit card and scorecard or rank letter
- MCC seat allotment letter
- Class 10 certificate or date of birth proof
- Class 12 marksheet and passing certificate
- Valid photo identity proof
- Passport-size photographs
- Category or PwD certificate, if applicable
State Stray Rounds Run Alongside This Round
State quota seats have their own stray rounds. The combined AIQ and state schedule released on September 15 set state stray rounds for October 17 to 21, with joining by October 26. MCC has since extended its own stray round, so these state dates may also change. If you are from Rajasthan, follow the Rajasthan state counselling notices closely.
In the same schedule, MCC was to share its stray round allotment list with the states on October 17. Under the extended schedule, the MCC result now comes on October 19, so watch for a revised date. Either way, decide which seat you would really prefer before you lock your MCC choices.
What If You Do Not Get a Seat?
There is no AIQ round after this one. If no seat comes, try your state’s stray round if you are eligible there. If that does not work either, you can prepare for NEET 2027 or look at other courses. Both are valid paths, so decide calmly, not in a panic on result day.
Final Word
The MCC NEET UG 2026 stray vacancy round is short, strict and final. Lock only colleges you can afford and will join, and settle the fee question with your family today.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Fresh registration and fresh choice filling are compulsory for the stray vacancy round.
No. Candidates who have joined or are holding a seat at the time of the round cannot take part.
Your security deposit is forfeited, and you cannot take part in any further counselling.
After MCC announces that all rounds are complete. As per the bulletin, the refund starts within 15 days of that notice and is completed within 30 days, without interest.
