MCC NEET UG 2026 Counselling Schedule: Round 2, 3 & Stray Vacancy Dates

The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has released the official schedule for NEET UG 2026 counselling Rounds 2, 3, and the Stray Vacancy Round. This schedule applies to the 15% All India Quota (AIQ) seats and 100% seats in Deemed Universities, Central Universities, AFMC, AIIMS institutions, and JIPMER (Puducherry & Karaikal) for MBBS, BDS, and B.Sc Nursing courses. The schedule specifies exact dates and times for registration, payment, choice filling, choice locking, seat allotment processing, result declaration, and reporting. Every date is in server time, and all participating colleges must treat weekends and gazetted holidays as working days. If you are eligible for AIQ or these central institutions, you must follow these dates precisely—missing even a single deadline can cost you your seat.

What is this schedule and who needs to follow it?

This is the official timetable for online counselling and seat allotment for NEET UG 2026 across three rounds plus a final stray vacancy round. It covers the 15% All India Quota (AIQ) seats—these are seats that the central government allocates to medical and dental colleges across India, and any eligible NEET candidate from any state can apply for them. It also covers 100% of the seats in Deemed Universities, Central Universities, AFMC (Armed Forces Medical College), AIIMS institutions, and JIPMER (Puducherry and Karaikal campus).

The schedule applies to MBBS, BDS, and B.Sc Nursing courses. If you qualified NEET UG 2026 and are eligible for AIQ or these central institutions, you must register and participate in these rounds in the exact order and within the exact dates and times given. Each round is independent—if you do not get a seat in Round 2, you can participate in Round 3, and if you still do not get a seat, you can try the Stray Vacancy Round.

All times mentioned in this schedule are in server time (the time on MCC's official server), not your local time. This is critical: if the deadline says 3:00 P.M on 8 September, that is 3:00 P.M server time, not your phone's time. Set your clock to the official server time before you attempt any action.

Round 2: Complete Schedule and Deadlines

Round 2 is the second allotment round. Participating colleges will verify their seat matrix (the number and type of seats they are offering) on 1st and 2nd September 2026. You do not need to do anything on these dates—this is a college-side activity.

Your action begins on 3 September 2026 with registration and payment. You have from 3 September to 8 September 2026 (up to 3:00 P.M server time) to register on the MCC portal and pay the counselling fee. Payment facility remains open until 6:00 P.M on 8 September 2026, so even if you register late, you have until 6:00 P.M to pay. Do not delay: if you miss 3:00 P.M on 8 September, you cannot register, and if you miss 6:00 P.M, you cannot pay.

After registration and payment, you move to choice filling. Choice filling is open from 3 September to 9 September 2026, but the final deadline to fill and lock your choices is 10:00 A.M on 9 September 2026 (server time). Choice locking begins at 4:00 P.M on 8 September 2026 and continues until 10:00 A.M on 9 September 2026. This means you can start locking your choices from 4:00 P.M on 8 September, but you must complete locking by 10:00 A.M on 9 September. Once you lock your choices, you cannot change them.

After choice locking closes, MCC processes the allotment from 9 to 10 September 2026 (2 days). The result is declared on 11 September 2026. You will see your allotted seat (if any) on the portal on this date. Reporting (joining the allotted college) runs from 12 to 18 September 2026 (7 days). You must report to your allotted college within this window by submitting documents and confirming your admission. If you do not report within this period, your seat is cancelled and goes to the next candidate. Finally, colleges verify the data of joined candidates and share it with MCC on 19 September 2026.

• Seat matrix verification by colleges: 1–2 September 2026
• Registration and payment: 3–8 September 2026 (payment until 6:00 P.M on 8 Sept)
• Choice filling: 3–9 September 2026 (until 10:00 A.M on 9 Sept)
• Choice locking: 4:00 P.M on 8 Sept to 10:00 A.M on 9 Sept 2026
• Seat allotment processing: 9–10 September 2026
• Result declaration: 11 September 2026
• Reporting (joining): 12–18 September 2026
• Data verification and sharing: 19 September 2026

Round 3: Complete Schedule and Deadlines

Round 3 is the third and final allotment round before the Stray Vacancy Round. It follows the same structure as Round 2 but with different dates. Colleges verify their seat matrix on 21 September 2026.

Registration and payment for Round 3 opens on 22 September 2026 and closes on 27 September 2026 at 3:00 P.M (server time). Payment facility remains open until 6:00 P.M on 27 September 2026. This is your window to register and pay if you did not get a seat in Round 2 or if you want to try for a different college or course.

Choice filling runs from 23 September to 28 September 2026, with the final deadline at 12:00 Noon (midday) on 28 September 2026 (server time). Choice locking begins at 7:00 P.M on 27 September 2026 and continues until 12:00 Noon on 28 September 2026. Note the different times compared to Round 2: locking starts at 7:00 P.M (not 4:00 P.M) and the final deadline is noon (not 10:00 A.M).

Allotment processing occurs from 28 to 29 September 2026. Results are declared on 30 September 2026. Reporting (joining) runs from 1 to 9 October 2026 (9 days—longer than Round 2). Colleges verify and share data on 10 October 2026. If you do not get a seat in Round 3, you can still participate in the Stray Vacancy Round.

• Seat matrix verification by colleges: 21 September 2026
• Registration and payment: 22–27 September 2026 (payment until 6:00 P.M on 27 Sept)
• Choice filling: 23–28 September 2026 (until 12:00 Noon on 28 Sept)
• Choice locking: 7:00 P.M on 27 Sept to 12:00 Noon on 28 Sept 2026
• Seat allotment processing: 28–29 September 2026
• Result declaration: 30 September 2026
• Reporting (joining): 1–9 October 2026
• Data verification and sharing: 10 October 2026

Stray Vacancy Round: Last Chance for Remaining Seats

The Stray Vacancy Round is the final opportunity to secure a seat if you did not get one in Rounds 2 or 3. In this round, only seats that remain vacant after Rounds 2 and 3 are offered. Registration for the Stray Vacancy Round opens on 12 October 2026 and closes on 14 October 2026 at 3:00 P.M (server time). Payment facility is available until 6:00 P.M on 14 October 2026.

Choice filling runs from 12 to 15 October 2026, with the final deadline at 10:00 A.M on 15 October 2026 (server time). Choice locking begins at 4:00 P.M on 14 October 2026 and continues until 10:00 A.M on 15 October 2026. Allotment processing occurs from 15 to 16 October 2026, and results are declared on 17 October 2026.

Reporting (joining) for the Stray Vacancy Round runs from 19 to 26 October 2026 (8 days). This is the final reporting period for the 2026 admission cycle. After this round, no further counselling rounds are conducted. If you do not get a seat in the Stray Vacancy Round, you will not be able to participate in any more counselling for NEET UG 2026.

• Registration and payment: 12–14 October 2026 (payment until 6:00 P.M on 14 Oct)
• Choice filling: 12–15 October 2026 (until 10:00 A.M on 15 Oct)
• Choice locking: 4:00 P.M on 14 Oct to 10:00 A.M on 15 Oct 2026
• Seat allotment processing: 15–16 October 2026
• Result declaration: 17 October 2026
• Reporting (joining): 19–26 October 2026
• No further rounds after this

Understanding Registration and Payment

To participate in any round, you must first register on the MCC counselling portal and pay the counselling fee. Registration is free, but you must pay a fee to confirm your participation. The exact fee amount is not stated in this schedule—check the MCC portal or the detailed counselling information brochure for the fee amount.

Registration and payment must happen within the specified window for each round. For Round 2, this is 3–8 September (payment until 6:00 P.M). For Round 3, it is 22–27 September (payment until 6:00 P.M). For Stray Vacancy, it is 12–14 October (payment until 6:00 P.M). If you miss the registration deadline, you cannot participate in that round. If you register but do not pay by the payment deadline, your registration is not confirmed.

Payment facility closes at 6:00 P.M on the last day of registration for each round, but registration itself closes at 3:00 P.M. This means you have a 3-hour window (3:00 P.M to 6:00 P.M) to pay even if you register at the last moment. However, do not rely on this—register and pay early to avoid technical issues or server delays.

• Registration is mandatory to participate in any round
• Payment must be made within the specified window for each round
• Registration closes at 3:00 P.M on the last day; payment closes at 6:00 P.M
• Do not wait until the last moment—register and pay early
• Keep your registration confirmation and payment receipt for reference

Understanding Choice Filling and Choice Locking

After you register and pay, you enter the choice-filling phase. During this phase, you log into the MCC portal and select the colleges and courses you wish to be considered for, in order of your preference. You can add, remove, or reorder your choices as many times as you want during the choice-filling window—the portal allows you to make changes until the choice-filling deadline.

Choice locking is different from choice filling. Once you lock your choices, you cannot change them. The portal will ask you to confirm your final list of choices, and once you click 'lock', your choices are frozen. For Round 2, choice locking is available from 4:00 P.M on 8 September to 10:00 A.M on 9 September. For Round 3, it is from 7:00 P.M on 27 September to 12:00 Noon on 28 September. For Stray Vacancy, it is from 4:00 P.M on 14 October to 10:00 A.M on 15 October.

You do not have to lock your choices immediately—you can wait until closer to the deadline. However, it is wise to lock early to avoid last-minute technical issues. Once the locking deadline passes, your choices are automatically locked if you have not already done so. If you have not filled any choices by the deadline, you will not be considered for any seat in that round.

The order of your choices matters. The allotment algorithm considers your choices in the order you have listed them. If you are eligible for multiple colleges, the algorithm will try to allot you the college that appears first in your locked list. Therefore, arrange your choices carefully: put your most preferred college first, your second choice second, and so on.

• Choice filling: you can add, remove, or reorder your preferences
• Choice locking: you freeze your final list and cannot change it after locking
• Locking windows are different for each round—check the exact times
• Lock your choices early to avoid technical issues
• Order matters: list your most preferred college first
• If you do not lock choices by the deadline, they are automatically locked
• If you fill no choices, you will not be allotted any seat

Understanding Seat Allotment and Result Declaration

After the choice-locking deadline passes, MCC processes the allotment. This is a computer-based process that runs the allotment algorithm on all registered candidates' choices and merit ranks. The algorithm considers your NEET rank, your category (General, OBC, SC, ST), your state of domicile (if applicable), and your locked choices to determine which seat, if any, you are allotted.

The allotment process takes 2 days for each round. For Round 2, it runs from 9 to 10 September. For Round 3, it runs from 28 to 29 September. For Stray Vacancy, it runs from 15 to 16 October. During this time, the portal is not available for candidates—you cannot check anything or make changes. Wait for the result declaration date.

Results are declared on a single day for each round: 11 September for Round 2, 30 September for Round 3, and 17 October for Stray Vacancy. On this date, log into the MCC portal and check your allotment status. You will see one of the following: (1) You are allotted a specific college and course—note the details. (2) You are not allotted any seat—you can participate in the next round if available. (3) Your application is under consideration or there is an error—contact MCC support.

If you are allotted a seat, you must report to the college within the specified reporting window. If you do not report, your seat is cancelled and given to the next candidate. Reporting involves submitting original documents, paying the college fee, and confirming your admission. The reporting window for Round 2 is 12–18 September, for Round 3 is 1–9 October, and for Stray Vacancy is 19–26 October.

• Allotment is computer-based and considers your rank, category, and choices
• Allotment processing takes 2 days per round
• Results are declared on a single day per round
• Check the portal on the result declaration date to see your allotment
• If allotted, you must report within the specified window
• If you do not report, your seat is cancelled
• If not allotted, you can participate in the next round

Understanding Reporting and Joining

Reporting (also called joining) is the final step to confirm your admission. After you are allotted a seat and see it on the portal, you must physically or digitally report to the allotted college within the reporting window. Reporting involves submitting your original documents (mark sheets, category certificate, domicile certificate, etc.), paying the college fee, and signing the admission form.

Each round has a specific reporting window. For Round 2, reporting is from 12 to 18 September 2026 (7 days). For Round 3, it is from 1 to 9 October 2026 (9 days). For Stray Vacancy, it is from 19 to 26 October 2026 (8 days). You must complete reporting within this window. If you do not report by the last day, your seat is cancelled, and the college will allot it to the next candidate on the waiting list.

The schedule states that colleges will verify the data of joined candidates and share it with MCC on the day after the reporting window closes. This means the college will confirm to MCC which candidates have successfully joined. Once this data is shared, your admission is officially confirmed, and you are enrolled in the course.

Important: if you are allotted a seat in an earlier round (e.g., Round 2) and you report and join, you cannot participate in later rounds (e.g., Round 3). Your seat is locked. However, if you are allotted a seat but do not report within the reporting window, you can participate in the next round. Plan carefully: if you are allotted a seat you are happy with, report immediately. If you are allotted a seat but want to try for a better option in the next round, do not report—but be aware that you risk not getting any seat if you are not allotted in the next round.

• Reporting must be done within the specified window for each round
• Reporting involves submitting documents and paying the college fee
• If you do not report by the deadline, your seat is cancelled
• Once you report and join, you cannot participate in later rounds
• If you do not report, you can participate in the next round
• Colleges verify joined candidates' data and share with MCC after reporting closes
• After data sharing, your admission is officially confirmed

Critical Trap: Server Time vs. Your Local Time

The most common mistake candidates make is confusing server time with their local time. Every deadline in this schedule is in server time (the time on MCC's official server), not your phone's time or your local time zone. If you are in a different time zone, you must convert the deadline to your local time, or better yet, set your device to server time before attempting any action.

For example, if the deadline is 3:00 P.M server time on 8 September, and you are in a time zone that is 2 hours behind server time, the deadline in your local time is 1:00 P.M on 8 September. If you submit your registration at 2:00 P.M your local time, thinking you have time, you will actually be 1 hour late and your registration will be rejected.

To avoid this trap: (1) Find out what server time is (MCC will specify this on the portal). (2) Convert all deadlines to your local time and write them down. (3) Set a reminder 1 hour before each deadline. (4) Do not wait until the last moment—complete all actions at least 2–3 hours before the deadline to account for server delays or technical issues.

• All deadlines are in server time, not your local time
• Convert server time to your local time before the deadline
• Set reminders 1 hour before each deadline
• Do not wait until the last moment—submit early
• Account for server delays and technical issues

Critical Trap: Missing the Payment Deadline

Registration and payment are two separate actions. You can register without paying, but if you do not pay by the payment deadline, your registration is not confirmed, and you cannot participate in that round. Many candidates register but forget to pay, thinking they have more time.

For each round, registration closes at 3:00 P.M, but payment closes at 6:00 P.M. This gives you a 3-hour window to pay after registration closes. However, if you register after 3:00 P.M, you cannot register at all—the registration portal closes at 3:00 P.M. So you must register before 3:00 P.M and pay before 6:00 P.M on the same day.

To avoid this trap: register and pay on the first day of the registration window, not the last day. If you register on 3 September and pay on 3 September, you are safe. If you wait until 8 September to register, you have only until 3:00 P.M to register and 6:00 P.M to pay—a very tight window. If the server is slow or you face any issue, you will miss the deadline.

• Registration closes at 3:00 P.M; payment closes at 6:00 P.M
• If you do not pay by 6:00 P.M, your registration is not confirmed
• Register and pay on the first day, not the last day
• Do not rely on the 3-hour payment window—register early

Critical Trap: Not Locking Your Choices

If you fill your choices but do not lock them by the deadline, the system will automatically lock them at the deadline. However, if you have not filled any choices at all, you will not be considered for any seat in that round. Many candidates think they can fill choices after the choice-filling deadline, but this is not possible—once the deadline passes, the choice-filling portal closes.

Additionally, if you fill choices but do not arrange them in the correct order of preference, you may be allotted a college you did not want. The allotment algorithm considers your choices in the order you have listed them. If your most preferred college is listed third, the algorithm will try to allot you your first or second choice before considering your most preferred college.

To avoid this trap: (1) Fill your choices well before the deadline. (2) Arrange them in order of your true preference—most preferred first. (3) Lock your choices early, at least 1 day before the deadline. (4) After locking, take a screenshot of your locked choices for your records.

• If you do not fill choices, you will not be allotted any seat
• If you do not lock choices, they are automatically locked at the deadline
• Order of choices matters—list your most preferred college first
• Fill and lock choices well before the deadline
• Take a screenshot of your locked choices for reference

Critical Trap: Missing the Reporting Deadline

If you are allotted a seat but do not report to the college within the reporting window, your seat is cancelled. Many candidates think they can report after the deadline or that they can report to the college directly without following the MCC schedule, but this is not true. The reporting window is strict, and if you miss it, you lose your seat.

For Round 2, the reporting window is 12–18 September (7 days). For Round 3, it is 1–9 October (9 days). For Stray Vacancy, it is 19–26 October (8 days). You must report within this window. If you are allotted on 11 September (Round 2 result date) but you are out of station or busy, you still must report by 18 September. If you cannot report by 18 September, your seat will be cancelled.

To avoid this trap: (1) Check your allotment result on the result declaration date. (2) If allotted, immediately plan to report to the college. (3) Gather all required documents before the reporting window opens. (4) Report on the first day of the reporting window if possible, to avoid last-minute issues. (5) Keep your allotment letter and payment receipt as proof of reporting.

• If you do not report within the reporting window, your seat is cancelled
• Reporting windows are strict—no extensions are given
• Check your allotment result on the result declaration date
• Gather documents before the reporting window opens
• Report on the first day if possible
• Keep your allotment letter and payment receipt

Important Note: Weekends and Holidays Are Working Days

The schedule includes a critical note: all participating colleges are directed to treat Saturdays, Sundays, and gazetted holidays as working days. This means that if a deadline falls on a Saturday or Sunday, you must still meet it on that day—there is no extension. If a deadline falls on a national holiday, you must still meet it on that day.

For example, if choice-filling closes on a Sunday, the portal will remain open on that Sunday, and you must fill your choices by the deadline on that Sunday. If reporting opens on a Saturday, colleges will be open on that Saturday to receive your documents. Do not assume that weekends or holidays mean the portal is closed or colleges are closed—they are not.

This is important for planning: mark all deadlines on your calendar, including weekends and holidays. Do not assume you have extra time because a deadline falls on a weekend. Set reminders for all deadlines, and complete all actions well before the deadline.

• Saturdays, Sundays, and gazetted holidays are treated as working days
• Deadlines do not change if they fall on a weekend or holiday
• Portals remain open on weekends and holidays
• Colleges remain open on weekends and holidays for reporting
• Mark all deadlines on your calendar, including weekends

Frequently asked questions

This schedule is your roadmap for NEET UG 2026 counselling. Mark all dates and deadlines on your calendar now, convert them to your local time, and set reminders. Round 2 registration opens on 3 September 2026—do not miss it. Remember: every deadline is in server time, registration and payment are separate actions, choice locking is mandatory, and reporting must be done within the specified window. If you have any doubts, visit the official MCC website or contact MCC support before the deadline. Your seat depends on following this schedule precisely.