NEET UG 2026 Round 3 counselling is underway right now, with the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) running registration and choice filling for MBBS, BDS and B.Sc Nursing seats under the All India Quota. Candidates who missed Round 1 and Round 2, or who want to try for a better seat, can register and lock choices until September 28, with the Round 3 seat allotment result due on September 30, 2026. MCC has also added 183 new MBBS and BDS seats this round and issued fresh vacancy notices, which change the seat picture for anyone still in the running.
Key Facts: NEET UG 2026 Round 3 Counselling
- Round 3 registration and payment: September 22 to September 27, 2026 (payment window closes 6:00 PM on September 27).
- Choice filling: September 23 to September 28, 2026, with choice locking from 7:00 PM on September 27 to 12:00 noon on September 28.
- Seat allotment processing: September 28 to September 29, 2026.
- Round 3 result declaration: September 30, 2026, at mcc.nic.in.
- Reporting to allotted institutes: October 1 to October 9, 2026.
- MCC added 183 new MBBS and BDS seats for Round 3, including additions at colleges in Nagpur and Puducherry, per its September 24 notice.
- MCC published separate Clear Vacancy and Virtual Vacancy notices for Round 3 (MBBS, BDS, B.Sc Nursing) on September 25, 2026.
- Round 4 (Stray Vacancy Round) registration is scheduled for October 12 to October 14, with results on October 17, 2026.
What This Means for Students
If you registered for NEET UG counselling but didn’t get a seat in Round 1 or Round 2, Round 3 is a fresh chance — and a bigger one this time, since MCC has pushed 183 additional MBBS and BDS seats into the pool. You don’t need to have participated in the earlier rounds to register now, but you do need to complete registration and payment before the September 27 cutoff to be eligible for this round’s allotment.
Choice filling stays open a day longer than registration, until noon on September 28, which gives you a short window after payment to review and lock your college and course preferences. Once locked, choices cannot be edited, so treat the ranking of your options as final the moment you submit.
How the Newly Added and Vacancy Seats Work
The latest notices released by MCC on September 24 and 25 have changed the seats available for Round 3 choice filling. On September 24, MCC added new seats to the counselling process, while the September 25 notices updated the clear vacancy and virtual vacancy lists that appear in the seat matrix.
A clear vacancy is a seat that is officially empty because it was never allotted or has been confirmed vacant. A virtual vacancy is a seat that is expected to become available if candidates move to a different college in the current round. The newly added seats are completely new additions, including seats at colleges like Datta Meghe Dental College in Nagpur and Vinayaka Missions Medical College in Puducherry, along with seats across six states and union territories.
Since the seat matrix can change even close to the choice-locking deadline, check the latest version on mcc.nic.in just before locking your choices instead of relying on the list you saw when the choice-filling window first opened.
What Happens After the Result
Once the Round 3 result is out on September 30, allotted candidates must report to their allotted institute for document verification and admission between October 1 and October 9. MCC will share the joining data with institutes on October 10. Anyone who doesn’t get a seat in Round 3, or wants to try once more, will get another shot in the Stray Vacancy Round, which opens for registration on October 12 and declares results on October 17.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. When will the NEET UG 2026 Round 3 result be declared?
Ans. MCC is scheduled to declare the Round 3 seat allotment result on September 30, 2026, on mcc.nic.in.
Q. Can new candidates register for NEET UG Round 3 counselling?
Ans. Yes. Candidates who did not register in Round 1 or Round 2 can register fresh for Round 3, provided they complete registration and payment within the September 22-27 window.
Q. How many new seats has MCC added for Round 3?
Ans. MCC’s September 24, 2026 notice added 183 new MBBS and BDS seats across colleges in six states and union territories for Round 3.
Q. What is the difference between a clear vacancy and a virtual vacancy in NEET counselling?
Ans. A clear vacancy is a seat confirmed empty after earlier rounds, while a virtual vacancy is a seat MCC expects to open up as candidates move to other allotted seats; both are listed in MCC’s separate Round 3 notices dated September 25, 2026.
Q. When is the NEET UG 2026 Stray Vacancy Round?
Ans. Registration for the Stray Vacancy Round (Round 4) runs from October 12 to October 14, 2026, with results expected on October 17.
Next Steps
If you’re still in the running for a seat, complete registration and payment before 6:00 PM on September 27, and lock your choices by noon on September 28 after checking the latest seat matrix. Keep your documents ready for reporting between October 1 and October 9 in case you’re allotted a seat, and keep checking mcc.nic.in directly for any last-minute schedule changes before the result date.