The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) has released the counselling schedule for Round 3 and the stray vacancy round of NEET UG 2026, along with the joining deadlines for Round 2. The notice, dated September 14, 2026, and uploaded on mcc.nic.in on September 15, covers admissions to MBBS, BDS and B.Sc Nursing courses under the 15% All India Quota (AIQ), deemed and central universities, AFMC, AIIMS institutions, JIPMER (Puducherry and Karaikal), and state quota seats for the 2026-27 academic session.
Key Highlights
- MCC has notified the schedule for Round 3 and the stray vacancy round (Round 4) of NEET UG 2026 counselling.
- Round 2 joining deadline is September 18 (AIQ) and September 19 (state quota).
- Round 3 counselling runs from September 22 to September 30 for AIQ seats and September 28 to October 9 for state seats.
- Round 3 seat allotment results will be declared on September 30; reporting continues until October 9 (AIQ).
- The stray vacancy round will be held from October 12 to October 21, with results on October 17.
- Final joining deadline across all rounds is October 26, 2026.
- The academic session for UG medical courses has already commenced from September 15, 2026.
- MCC has directed all participating institutes to treat Saturdays, Sundays and gazetted holidays as working days to meet the compressed counselling timeline.
Round 2: Joining Deadline Approaching
Round 2 counselling for AIQ, deemed and central university seats was conducted from September 3 to September 11, with results declared on September 11 and reporting open until September 18. State quota counselling for Round 2 ran from September 7 to September 11, with candidates required to join by September 19. Institutes must submit verification data on joined candidates to MCC by September 19 and to state authorities by September 20.
Round 3 Schedule
For AIQ, deemed and central university seats, Round 3 seat matrix verification by participating institutes takes place on September 21. Registration and payment are open from September 22 to September 27, with the registration window closing at 3 PM and the payment facility until 6 PM on September 27, as per server time. Choice filling continues until noon on September 28, and choice locking runs from 7 PM on September 27 to noon on September 28.
Seat allotment will be processed on September 28 and 29, with results declared on September 30. Candidates must report to their allotted institutes between October 1 and October 9. Institutes are required to complete verification of joined candidates and share the data with MCC by October 10.
For state quota seats, Round 3 counselling runs from September 28 to October 9, with the last date of joining set at October 14. State DMEs and counselling authorities must complete verification of joined-candidate data by October 15.
Stray Vacancy Round (Round 4)
The online stray vacancy round for AIQ, deemed and central university seats will see registration and payment from October 12 to October 14, with the payment window closing at 6 PM on October 14. Choice filling and locking will run until 10 AM on October 15, followed by seat allotment processing on October 15 and 16. Results will be declared on October 17, and MCC will share data on allotted candidates the same day. Reporting for this round continues from October 19 to October 26.
For state quota seats, the stray vacancy round is scheduled from October 17 to October 21, with the same final joining deadline of October 26 that applies to AIQ seats.
Why the Timeline Is Tight
MCC’s notice states that “for ensuring faithful obedience of schedule and also keeping in view the limited time available for conducting counselling, all participating institutes/colleges are directed to treat all Saturdays/Sundays and Gazetted Holidays as working days.” This directive applies across all three rounds to prevent delays, since the academic session for UG courses has already begun from September 15, 2026.
Important Dates / Timeline
| Round | AIQ / Deemed & Central Universities | State Quota |
|---|---|---|
| Round 2 Counselling | Sept 3 – Sept 11, 2026 | Sept 7 – Sept 11, 2026 |
| Round 2 Joining Deadline | Sept 18, 2026 | Sept 19, 2026 |
| Round 3 Counselling | Sept 22 – Sept 30, 2026 | Sept 28 – Oct 9, 2026 |
| Round 3 Joining Deadline | Oct 9, 2026 | Oct 14, 2026 |
| Round 4 (Stray) Counselling | Oct 12 – Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 17 – Oct 21, 2026 |
| Final Joining Deadline | Oct 26, 2026 | Oct 26, 2026 |
Round 3 & Stray Round: AIQ Step-by-Step Schedule
| Stage | Round 3 | Stray Vacancy Round |
|---|---|---|
| Seat matrix verification | Sept 21 | — |
| Registration & payment | Sept 22 – Sept 27 | Oct 12 – Oct 14 |
| Choice filling & locking | Sept 23 – Sept 28 (till noon) | Oct 12 – Oct 15 (till 10 AM) |
| Seat allotment processing | Sept 28 – Sept 29 | Oct 15 – Oct 16 |
| Result declared | Sept 30 | Oct 17 |
| Reporting | Oct 1 – Oct 9 | Oct 19 – Oct 26 |
Official Website / Important Links
- MCC UG Counselling Schedule: mcc.nic.in/eservices-schedule-ug
- MCC Current Events (UG): mcc.nic.in/current-events-ug
