West Bengal NEET UG 2026 Round 3 & Stray Vacancy Counselling: Dates & Process

West Bengal's Directorate of Medical Education has released a revised schedule for Round 3 and the Online Stray Vacancy Round of NEET UG 2026 counselling for MBBS and BDS seats. This schedule covers State Quota, Private Management Quota, and NRI Quota seats across government medical colleges, private medical colleges, and dental colleges in West Bengal. The stray vacancy round is an additional opportunity for candidates who were not allotted seats in earlier rounds or who wish to upgrade to a better college or course. All key dates—from registration through reporting and admission—are now confirmed, and candidates must act quickly as several deadlines fall within the next two weeks.

What is this counselling round and who should apply?

This notice covers two counselling events: Round 3 (for candidates already allotted in earlier rounds who wish to upgrade or change their college/course) and the Online Stray Vacancy Round (for candidates who have not yet been allotted a seat or who wish to participate in an additional round).

The stray vacancy round is your last chance to secure a seat in NEET UG 2026 counselling in West Bengal. It includes seats from government medical colleges, private medical colleges, and dental colleges (including Dr. R Ahmed Dental College). If you did not get a seat in Round 1 or Round 2, or if you want to try for a better college or course, this is the round to participate in.

Candidates who have already been allotted a seat in an earlier round can use Round 3 to report and get admitted to their allotted college, or they can participate in the stray vacancy round to upgrade. The choice is yours, but you must act within the strict timelines given.

Important dates: Registration, fee payment, and allotment

The schedule is tight and every deadline is firm. Below are all the key dates you must know and mark on your calendar. All times are in server time as per the West Bengal Medical Counselling Committee system.

How to register for the Online Stray Vacancy Round

Registration is entirely online and must be completed on 16 October between 11 am and 8 pm. You will need your NEET UG 2026 qualification details and a valid email address and mobile number to register.

Visit the official West Bengal Medical Counselling Committee portal and select the Online Stray Vacancy Round option. Fill in all required information accurately—any errors in your name, date of birth, or NEET roll number can lead to rejection. Once you submit your registration, you will receive a confirmation on your registered email and mobile number.

After successful registration, you must immediately proceed to pay the counselling fee. Registration alone does not confirm your participation; fee payment is mandatory and must be completed by 12 midnight on 16 October. If you register but do not pay the fee by the deadline, your registration will be cancelled and you will not be eligible for the stray vacancy round.

• Register only between 11 am and 8 pm on 16 October 2026
• Use your NEET UG 2026 qualification details
• Ensure all personal information is correct before submitting
• Receive confirmation email and SMS after registration
• Proceed immediately to fee payment after registration

Fee payment: Amount, deadline, and payment methods

The notice does not specify the exact counselling fee amount. You must check the official West Bengal Medical Counselling Committee website or the portal itself for the fee structure, as it may vary depending on your category (General, OBC, SC, ST) or quota (State Quota, Private Management Quota, NRI Quota).

The fee payment window is 16 October 2026 from 11 am to 12 midnight (server time). This is a hard deadline—no fee payments will be accepted after midnight. Pay online through the portal using your registered email and mobile number. Keep your payment receipt and transaction ID safe; you will need them for verification.

If your fee payment fails or is not processed by midnight, your registration will be cancelled. Do not wait until the last moment; pay as soon as you register to avoid technical delays or payment gateway issues.

• Fee payment window: 16 October, 11 am to 12 midnight
• Payment is mandatory; registration without payment is invalid
• Pay online through the official portal only
• Keep your payment receipt and transaction ID
• No late payments accepted after midnight on 16 October

Verification of candidates and publication of verified list

After you register and pay the fee, the system will automatically assign you a college and a time slot for document verification. You do not get to choose your verification centre or time—the software assigns it based on your registration and the available slots.

On 17 October between 9 am and 4 pm, you must report to your assigned college with all original documents for physical verification. The notice specifically mentions that this verification is for candidates in the stray vacancy round. Once your documents are verified and found correct, you will be re-verified and can proceed to the next step.

After all verifications are complete, the list of successfully verified candidates and the seat matrix (showing how many MBBS and BDS seats are available in each college and course) will be published on 17 October after 5 pm. Check the portal immediately after 5 pm to confirm you are on the verified list and to see the available seats.

• Verification date: 17 October 2026, 9 am to 4 pm
• Report to your assigned college with original documents
• Verification time slot is assigned by the system; you cannot change it
• Verified candidates list published 17 October after 5 pm
• Check the seat matrix to see available MBBS and BDS seats

Choice filling and choice locking: How to select your colleges and courses

Once the verified candidates list is published on 17 October after 5 pm, you can begin filling your choices. The choice-filling window opens at 6 pm on 17 October and closes at 10 am on 18 October. During this time, you can select and rank as many colleges and courses as you wish from the available seat matrix.

You must rank your choices in order of preference—your first choice is your highest preference, your second choice is your second preference, and so on. The allotment algorithm will try to give you your highest-ranked choice first; if that is not available, it will move to your second choice, and so on. Therefore, rank your choices carefully and honestly according to your true preferences.

After you have filled all your choices, you must 'lock' them before 10 am on 18 October. Locking confirms your choices and prevents any accidental changes. Once locked, you cannot modify your choices. If you do not lock your choices by 10 am on 18 October, your choices will be automatically locked by the system, and you will be allotted based on whatever choices you had filled at that time.

• Choice filling window: 17 October 6 pm to 18 October 10 am
• Rank colleges and courses in order of your preference
• You can fill as many choices as you wish
• Lock your choices before 10 am on 18 October
• Locked choices cannot be modified
• Automatic locking occurs at 10 am if you do not lock manually

Allotment result: When and how to check

The allotment result for the stray vacancy round will be published on 23 October 2026 by 12 noon. This is when the system will process all verified candidates' choices and assign seats based on merit, category, quota, and your choice ranking.

Log in to the official portal using your registration credentials and check your allotment result. The result will show which college and course you have been allotted, if any. If you are allotted a seat, note down your allotted college name, course (MBBS or BDS), and the reporting date and time. If you are not allotted a seat, it means no seat matching your choices and eligibility was available in this round.

Do not rely on email or SMS alone; always log in to the portal to verify your allotment. Take a screenshot or print your allotment letter for your records.

• Allotment result published: 23 October 2026, by 12 noon
• Check result on the official portal using your login credentials
• Note your allotted college, course, and reporting details
• Print or screenshot your allotment letter
• If not allotted, no seat was available matching your choices

Reporting and admission: Dates, documents, and the process

If you are allotted a seat, you must report to your allotted college on one of the three reporting dates: 23 October (2 pm to 6 pm), 24 October (10 am to 4 pm), or 26 October (10 am to 4 pm). Your allotment letter will specify which date and time slot you must report. Do not miss your slot; if you do not report within the given time, your seat will be cancelled and offered to the next candidate.

For government medical colleges in Kolkata, the admission process will be conducted at the respective colleges. For all private medical colleges, the admission process will be conducted at different government medical colleges in Kolkata (details will be published on the website). For all private dental colleges, the admission process will be conducted at Dr. R Ahmed Dental College. Bring all original documents as listed below, along with the college requisite fee and bond (if required by the college).

After physical document verification at your assigned centre, you will be admitted to your allotted seat. If you are an upgraded candidate (moving from a previous allotment to a new one), you must obtain a server-generated relieving letter from your previous college before reporting to your new college. This relieving letter confirms that you have been released from your previous seat and are free to join the new college.

• Reporting dates: 23 October (2–6 pm), 24 October (10 am–4 pm), 26 October (10 am–4 pm)
• Report to your assigned centre as per your allotment letter
• Bring all original documents and college fee
• Upgraded candidates must bring a relieving letter from their previous college
• Admission is confirmed only after physical document verification
• Missing your reporting slot will result in seat cancellation

Documents required for reporting and admission

You must bring all original documents to your reporting centre. The notice does not provide a detailed list of required documents, but standard documents for NEET UG counselling in West Bengal typically include: NEET UG 2026 admit card, NEET UG 2026 result/scorecard, 10th and 12th mark sheets and certificates, Aadhaar card or passport, category certificate (if applicable), domicile certificate, and any other document specified by your college.

Verify the exact document list on the official West Bengal Medical Counselling Committee website or your college's website before reporting. Missing even one required document can delay or prevent your admission. If you are an upgraded candidate, also bring the server-generated relieving letter from your previous college.

All documents must be original; photocopies alone will not be accepted. Bring one set of photocopies as well for the college's records. Ensure all certificates are valid and issued by the competent authority.

• Bring all original documents to your reporting centre
• NEET UG admit card and result scorecard are mandatory
• 10th and 12th certificates and mark sheets required
• Category certificate (if applicable) must be original
• Domicile certificate required
• Upgraded candidates must bring relieving letter from previous college
• Check your college's website for any additional documents
• Photocopies alone are not accepted; originals are mandatory

Special note for NRI candidates

The notice mentions that verification of candidates in the already designated college and time slot by the software is 'not applicable for NRI Candidates' and directs them to see 'Notice Point No. 3' for further details. This suggests that NRI candidates may have a different verification process or timeline.

If you are an NRI candidate, you must check the official West Bengal Medical Counselling Committee website for Notice Point No. 3 or any separate notification for NRI candidates. Do not assume your verification date and time are the same as other candidates; follow the specific instructions for NRI candidates to avoid missing your verification slot.

• NRI candidates have a different verification process
• Check Notice Point No. 3 on the official website for NRI-specific details
• Do not assume standard verification dates apply to you
• Follow NRI-specific instructions to avoid missing deadlines

Common mistakes that get applications rejected or seats cancelled

**Missing the registration deadline (16 October, 8 pm):** Registration closes at 8 pm sharp. If you register even one minute after 8 pm, your registration will not be accepted. Plan to register well before 8 pm to avoid last-minute technical issues.

**Registering but not paying the fee by midnight:** Many candidates register but forget to pay the fee. If you do not pay by 12 midnight on 16 October, your registration is automatically cancelled. Fee payment is not optional; it is mandatory.

**Providing incorrect personal information during registration:** If your name, date of birth, or NEET roll number does not match your NEET scorecard exactly, your registration will be rejected during verification. Double-check all details before submitting.

**Missing your verification appointment on 17 October:** The system assigns you a specific time slot for verification. If you do not report at that time, you will not be verified and will not be eligible for allotment. Arrive at least 15 minutes early.

**Not locking your choices by 10 am on 18 October:** If you fill choices but forget to lock them, the system will auto-lock at 10 am. Any incomplete or unsaved choices may be lost. Lock your choices manually to be safe.

**Missing your reporting slot after allotment:** If you are allotted a seat but do not report on your assigned date and time, your seat will be cancelled immediately. There is no grace period or extension.

**Bringing photocopies instead of original documents:** Only original documents are accepted at reporting. Photocopies alone will not be sufficient for admission.

**Upgraded candidates not bringing a relieving letter:** If you are moving from a previous allotment to a new college, you must bring a server-generated relieving letter from your previous college. Without it, you cannot be admitted to your new college.

Frequently asked questions

Act immediately: register for the Online Stray Vacancy Round on 16 October between 11 am and 8 pm, pay your fee by midnight the same day, and report for verification on 17 October at your assigned time. After verification, fill and lock your choices by 10 am on 18 October. Check the allotment result on 23 October by noon, and if allotted, report to your college on your assigned date between 23–26 October with all original documents. Do not miss any deadline; each step is final and non-negotiable.