MCC NEET-PG 2026 Round 3 & Stray Vacancy: Dates, Registration & Choice Filling

The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) has released the official schedule for Round 3 and the Online Stray Vacancy Round of NEET-PG 2026 counselling for 50% All India Quota (AIQ) seats and 100% seats in Deemed Universities, Central Universities, and AFMS institutions. This schedule sets out every key date — from registration and payment through choice filling, locking, seat processing, and result declaration — for the academic year 2025. If you are eligible for AIQ or these central/deemed institutions and have not yet been allotted a seat, or if you wish to upgrade your seat in Round 3, you must follow these dates carefully. Missing even one deadline can mean losing your chance to participate in that round.

What is this schedule and who needs it?

This is the official timetable for the final two rounds of NEET-PG 2026 counselling managed by the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC). It applies to candidates eligible for 50% All India Quota (AIQ) seats — the seats that the central government allocates across India — and to 100% of seats in Deemed Universities, Central Universities, and Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) institutions.

Round 3 is the third and final main counselling round. If you were allotted a seat in Round 1 or Round 2 but did not join, or if you were not allotted in earlier rounds, you can participate in Round 3 to try to secure a seat. The Stray Vacancy Round that follows is a final opportunity to fill any seats that remain vacant after Round 3.

This schedule is binding on all participating colleges and institutes. All Saturdays, Sundays, and gazetted holidays are treated as working days — there are no breaks. Every date and time is in server time (the official MCC server clock), not your local time, so you must be careful to register and submit before the exact deadline.

Round 3: Complete Timeline and Key Dates

Round 3 is the main final round of counselling. Below is the complete schedule, with every step explained so you know exactly when to act.

The round begins with colleges verifying their seat matrix (the number and type of seats they are offering) on 15 January 2026. On the same day, registration and payment open for candidates.

Registration and Payment: What You Must Do

Registration is your first step. You must log into the MCC counselling portal using your NEET-PG 2026 roll number and password. Fill in your details as prompted. Registration opens on 15 January 2026 at 12:00 AM (midnight) server time and closes on 31 January 2026 at 2:00 PM server time.

Payment of the counselling fee must be completed during registration. The payment gateway will be available until 5:00 PM on 31 January 2026 — note that this is 3 hours after the registration deadline. This means you can register up to 2:00 PM and still have until 5:00 PM to pay. However, do not rely on this buffer; complete both registration and payment well before 31 January.

Keep your registration confirmation and payment receipt safe. You will need your registration number to fill in choices and to check your allotment result. If you do not register and pay, you cannot participate in Round 3.

• Registration window: 15 January to 31 January 2026 (up to 2:00 PM server time)
• Payment window: 15 January to 31 January 2026 (up to 5:00 PM server time)
• You must complete both registration and payment to be eligible for choice filling
• Save your registration number and payment receipt

Choice Filling and Locking: How to Rank Your Preferences

After you register and pay, you can begin filling in your choices. The choice-filling window opens on 16 January 2026 and remains open until 11:55 AM on 2 February 2026. During this entire period, you can add, remove, or reorder your choices as many times as you wish. There is no penalty for changing your mind.

You must rank the colleges and courses in order of your preference. The allotment algorithm will try to match you to the highest-ranked choice for which you are eligible. If you are not eligible for your first choice, it will try your second choice, and so on. Therefore, rank your choices carefully: put your most-desired college and course first, your second preference second, and so on.

Choice locking is optional but strongly recommended. Locking begins at 8:00 PM on 1 February 2026 and closes at 11:55 AM on 2 February 2026. Once you lock your choices, you cannot change them. Locking confirms your final preference list and prevents accidental changes. If you do not lock, your last-saved choice list will be used for allotment.

⚠️ **Critical trap:** If you do not fill in any choices by 11:55 AM on 2 February, you will not be allotted any seat in Round 3, even if you registered and paid. Filling choices is mandatory to participate.

• Choice filling window: 16 January to 2 February 2026 (up to 11:55 AM server time)
• You can change your choices unlimited times until the deadline
• Rank your choices in order of preference (most desired first)
• Choice locking window: 8:00 PM on 1 February to 11:55 AM on 2 February 2026
• Locking is optional but recommended to finalize your preferences
• If you do not fill any choices, you will not be allotted a seat

Seat Allotment Processing and Result Declaration

After the choice-filling deadline (11:55 AM on 2 February), the MCC will process all registered candidates' choices using a computerized allotment algorithm. This process runs from 2 February to 5 February 2026. During this time, you cannot make any changes; the system is working to match candidates to seats based on merit, eligibility, and preferences.

The allotment result will be declared on 6 February 2026. You must log into the MCC portal and check your result. The result will show whether you have been allotted a seat, and if so, which college, course, and seat category (e.g., General, OBC, SC, ST) you have been allotted.

If you are allotted a seat, you must report to the college and join within the reporting window (6 February to 13 February 2026). If you do not join within this window, your seat will be cancelled and offered to the next eligible candidate. If you are not allotted in Round 3, you may be eligible for the Stray Vacancy Round (see below).

• Allotment processing: 2 February to 5 February 2026 (no candidate action required)
• Result declaration: 6 February 2026
• Check the portal on 6 February to see your allotment
• Reporting and joining window: 6 February to 13 February 2026
• Failure to join within the window forfeits your seat

Stray Vacancy Round: Your Final Chance

The Stray Vacancy Round is a final counselling round held after Round 3. It is used to fill any seats that remain vacant because candidates did not join in Round 3. If you did not get a seat in Round 3, or if you wish to try for a different seat, you can participate in the Stray Vacancy Round.

The Stray Vacancy Round follows immediately after Round 3 joining. The schedule is compressed because time is limited. Registration and payment open on 16 February 2026 and close on 18 February 2026 (up to 12:00 PM server time). Payment is available until 3:00 PM on 18 February. Choice filling runs from 16 February to 19 February 2026 (up to 11:55 PM server time). Choice locking is from 4:00 PM on 19 February to 11:55 PM on 19 February 2026.

Seat allotment processing occurs on 20 February 2026, and the result is declared on 21 February 2026. Reporting and joining must be completed between 22 February and 28 February 2026. This is your last opportunity to secure a seat in this counselling cycle.

• Stray Vacancy Round is for seats left vacant after Round 3
• Registration & payment: 16–18 February 2026 (up to 12:00 PM and 3:00 PM respectively)
• Choice filling: 16–19 February 2026 (up to 11:55 PM)
• Choice locking: 4:00 PM to 11:55 PM on 19 February 2026
• Allotment processing: 20 February 2026
• Result: 21 February 2026
• Reporting and joining: 22–28 February 2026

Important: Server Time and Deadline Precision

Every deadline in this schedule is in **server time** — the official time on the MCC counselling portal server, not your local time or your computer's clock. If your computer clock is even a few minutes slow, you may miss a deadline. Before the counselling begins, synchronize your device's time with an official source (e.g., time.nist.gov or your phone's network time).

Deadlines are strict and non-negotiable. The portal will close automatically at the exact time specified. For example, if choice filling closes at 11:55 AM on 2 February, any submission after 11:55:00 AM will be rejected. Do not attempt to submit at the last second; submit well before the deadline.

⚠️ **Critical trap:** Many candidates lose their seats because they miss a deadline by a few minutes. Plan to complete every step at least 1–2 hours before the deadline. Do not rely on the last-minute window.

• All times are in MCC server time, not local time
• Synchronize your device's clock before counselling begins
• Deadlines are strict; the portal closes automatically
• Submit all documents and choices well before the deadline, not at the last second
• A delay of even a few minutes can result in rejection

Weekends and Holidays Are Working Days

The notice explicitly states that all Saturdays, Sundays, and gazetted holidays are treated as **working days** during the counselling period. This means the counselling process does not pause for weekends or national holidays. If a deadline falls on a Saturday or Sunday, it still applies on that day.

For example, if choice filling is scheduled to close on a Sunday, you must submit your choices by that Sunday's deadline. There is no extension for weekends or holidays. Plan your schedule accordingly and do not assume that counselling will pause for any reason.

• Saturdays and Sundays are working days during counselling
• Gazetted holidays are also working days
• No extensions are granted for weekends or holidays
• Plan to complete all steps on the scheduled dates, regardless of the day of the week

Who Is Eligible for This Counselling?

This counselling schedule applies to candidates who are eligible for 50% All India Quota (AIQ) seats or who are applying to 100% seats in Deemed Universities, Central Universities, or AFMS institutions. You must have qualified NEET-PG 2026 and be eligible for postgraduate medical admission under the rules set by the National Board of Examinations (NBE) and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW).

Eligibility for AIQ includes Indian nationals and certain categories of foreign nationals as per MoHFW rules. Eligibility for Deemed and Central Universities may vary; check the specific institution's prospectus. AFMS seats are for candidates who meet AFMS eligibility criteria.

If you are unsure whether you are eligible, check the MCC website or the prospectus of the institution you wish to apply to. Do not assume you are eligible; verify before registering.

• You must have qualified NEET-PG 2026
• You must be eligible under MoHFW rules for postgraduate medical admission
• AIQ seats are for Indian nationals and eligible foreign nationals
• Deemed and Central University seats have their own eligibility criteria
• AFMS seats require AFMS eligibility
• Verify your eligibility before registering

What Happens If You Miss a Deadline?

If you miss the registration deadline (31 January 2026 at 2:00 PM for Round 3), you cannot participate in Round 3. You will have to wait for the Stray Vacancy Round. If you miss the Stray Vacancy Round registration deadline (18 February 2026 at 12:00 PM), you will not be able to participate in any further counselling in this cycle.

If you register but do not fill in any choices by the choice-filling deadline, you will not be allotted a seat. If you are allotted a seat but do not join by the reporting deadline, your seat will be cancelled and offered to the next eligible candidate.

There are no extensions, no exceptions, and no appeals for missed deadlines. The system is automated and does not allow for manual overrides. Plan carefully and submit well before every deadline.

• Missing registration deadline = cannot participate in that round
• Missing choice-filling deadline = no seat allotment
• Missing reporting deadline = seat cancellation and forfeiture
• No extensions or exceptions are granted
• Plan to complete every step well before the deadline

Key Dates at a Glance

Below is a quick reference of the most important dates for both Round 3 and the Stray Vacancy Round. Save this for easy access.

• **Round 3 Registration:** 15 January to 31 January 2026 (up to 2:00 PM)
• **Round 3 Choice Filling:** 16 January to 2 February 2026 (up to 11:55 AM)
• **Round 3 Result:** 6 February 2026
• **Round 3 Reporting & Joining:** 6 February to 13 February 2026
• **Stray Vacancy Registration:** 16 February to 18 February 2026 (up to 12:00 PM)
• **Stray Vacancy Choice Filling:** 16 February to 19 February 2026 (up to 11:55 PM)
• **Stray Vacancy Result:** 21 February 2026
• **Stray Vacancy Reporting & Joining:** 22 February to 28 February 2026

Frequently asked questions

Mark all key dates on your calendar now: Round 3 registration closes 31 January 2026 (2:00 PM), choice filling closes 2 February 2026 (11:55 AM), and result is 6 February 2026. You must report and join by 13 February 2026 if allotted. If you do not get a seat in Round 3, register immediately for the Stray Vacancy Round (16–18 February 2026). Remember: all times are in server time, weekends and holidays are working days, and deadlines are strict. Do not wait until the last minute; complete every step well in advance. Visit the MCC portal (mcc.nic.in) to register and begin your counselling journey.