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

The West Bengal Medical Counselling Committee (WBMCC) has released the revised schedule for Round 3 and Stray Vacancy counselling for NEET UG 2026 MBBS and BDS admissions. This schedule covers all key dates from online registration through final admission reporting for both rounds. The notice applies to candidates who qualified in NEET UG 2026 and are eligible for state quota, private management quota, and NRI quota seats in West Bengal medical and dental colleges. If you are waiting for a seat in Round 3 or hoping to fill a vacancy, this schedule tells you exactly when to register, pay fees, fill choices, and report to your allotted college.

What is this schedule and why does it matter?

This is the official timetable for the final two rounds of NEET UG 2026 counselling in West Bengal. Round 3 is the last regular counselling round for candidates who did not get a seat in Rounds 1 and 2. Stray Vacancy is a separate round that fills any seats left empty after Round 3 — these are typically a small number of seats that became available due to candidates not reporting or withdrawing.

Every date in this schedule is a hard deadline. If you miss registration, you cannot participate. If you miss fee payment, your registration is cancelled. If you miss choice filling, you cannot be allotted a seat. If you miss reporting, your allotment is cancelled and the seat goes to the next candidate. This schedule is your roadmap — follow it exactly.

Round 3: Complete timeline and what happens at each step

Round 3 is for all NEET UG 2026 qualified candidates who wish to participate. The entire round runs from 28 September to 14 October 2026. Below is the exact sequence of events, with dates and times as per server time (the official time used by the counselling portal).

Stray Vacancy Round: Complete timeline and what happens at each step

Stray Vacancy is a second chance round that opens after Round 3 is complete. It is for any NEET UG 2026 qualified candidate who did not get a seat in Round 3, or who wishes to try for a different college. The Stray Vacancy round runs from 15 October to 26 October 2026. Below is the exact sequence.

Who is eligible to participate in Round 3 and Stray Vacancy?

Any candidate who qualified in NEET UG 2026 is eligible to register for Round 3. This includes candidates who did not participate in Rounds 1 and 2, as well as those who participated but did not get a seat or chose to withdraw from their allotted seat.

For Stray Vacancy, the same eligibility applies — any NEET UG 2026 qualified candidate can register. However, Stray Vacancy is typically for candidates who did not get a seat in Round 3, or who wish to try for a different college or course (MBBS or BDS) than what they were allotted in Round 3.

The notice does not specify any category-wise restrictions. Candidates from all categories — General, OBC, SC, ST, and NRI — are eligible, subject to the seat matrix published for each round.

Important: Verification and the software-assigned time slot

After you register and pay the fee, you must attend verification at the college and time slot assigned to you by the software. This is NOT a choice — the software automatically assigns you a college and time slot based on your registration. You cannot change it.

For Round 3, verification happens on 29 September, 30 September, or 1 October 2026, between 11 am and 4 pm. For Stray Vacancy, verification happens on 16 or 17 October 2026, between 11 am and 4 pm. You must bring all original documents to verification. If you do not attend verification at your assigned time and college, your registration will be rejected and you will not be able to participate further.

The notice states: 'Not applicable for NRI Candidates, please see Notice Point No. 3, for further details.' This means NRI candidates have a different verification process — check the separate notice for NRI-specific instructions.

Documents required for verification and admission reporting

When you attend verification at your assigned college, you must bring all original documents. The notice does not provide a detailed list of which documents are required, but based on standard NEET counselling practice, you should bring: NEET admit card, NEET result/scorecard, 10th and 12th mark sheets and certificates, Aadhaar card, caste certificate (if applicable), income certificate (if applicable), and any other document mentioned in the counselling prospectus.

At the time of final admission reporting (after you receive your allotment), you must again bring original documents, college requisite fee, and a bond (if required by the college). The notice states that for private medical colleges, the admission process will be in different government medical colleges in Kolkata, and for private dental colleges, the process will be at Dr. R Ahmed Dental College. Related notices have been published on the website — check the official WBMCC website for the exact list of documents and fees for your college.

If you were allotted a seat in Round 2 but did not report, and you are now participating in Round 3, you need to get a server-generated relieving letter from your previous college before you can be admitted to your new allotted college. This letter confirms that you have withdrawn from the previous seat.

• Original NEET admit card and result scorecard
• 10th and 12th mark sheets and certificates
• Aadhaar card or other government ID
• Caste certificate (if applicable — must show sub-group if required by state)
• Income certificate (if applicable)
• College requisite fee (amount varies by college)
• Bond (if required by the college)
• Relieving letter from previous college (if you were allotted in Round 2 but did not report)

How to register and pay the fee

Registration and fee payment happen online through the WBMCC counselling portal. You do not go to a college to register — you do it yourself on the portal.

For Round 3: Registration opens on 28 September 2026 at 11 am and closes on 30 September 2026 at 6 pm. Fee payment opens at the same time (11 am on 28 September) and closes at 12 midnight on 30 September. You must complete both registration and fee payment within these windows. If you register but do not pay the fee by the deadline, your registration is cancelled.

For Stray Vacancy: Registration opens on 15 October 2026 at 11 am and closes on 16 October 2026 at 6 pm. Fee payment opens at 11 am on 15 October and closes at 12 midnight on 16 October.

The notice does not state the fee amount. Check the WBMCC website or the counselling prospectus for the exact fee for your category and quota.

• Go to the WBMCC counselling portal at the opening time
• Fill in your NEET roll number, date of birth, and other required details
• Select your category and quota (state quota, private management quota, or NRI quota)
• Pay the fee online using the payment gateway (credit card, debit card, or net banking)
• Keep a screenshot or receipt of your registration and payment confirmation
• Do not close the browser until you see a confirmation message

Choice filling: how to select colleges and courses

After verification is complete and the verified candidates list is published, you will be able to fill your choices online. This is where you tell the system which colleges and courses (MBBS or BDS) you prefer, in order of preference.

For Round 3, choice filling opens on 1 October 2026 at 6 pm and closes on 4 October 2026 at 10 am. For Stray Vacancy, choice filling opens on 17 October 2026 at 6 pm and closes on 18 October 2026 at 10 am. You must lock your choices before the deadline — if you do not lock, your choices will not be saved.

The seat matrix (the list of available seats at each college, by course and category) is published on the same day verification is complete. Check the seat matrix carefully to see which colleges have seats in your category. You can fill as many choices as you wish, but you must rank them in order of preference — the system will allot you the highest-ranked college where you are eligible and where a seat is available.

Once you lock your choices, you cannot change them. So think carefully before locking.

• Log in to the portal after the verified candidates list is published
• View the seat matrix to see available seats
• Add colleges to your choice list in order of preference
• Rank your choices (1st preference, 2nd preference, etc.)
• Review your choices carefully
• Click 'Lock Choices' before the deadline
• Take a screenshot of your locked choices for your records

Allotment result and what to do after you get a seat

After choice filling closes, the system runs an allotment algorithm and publishes the result. For Round 3, the allotment result is published on 8 October 2026 after 4 pm. For Stray Vacancy, the result is published on 23 October 2026 by 12 noon.

Once the result is published, log in to the portal and check if you have been allotted a seat. If you have, note the college name, course (MBBS or BDS), and the reporting dates and times. If you have not been allotted, you can participate in the next round (if available) or wait for Stray Vacancy.

If you are allotted a seat but do not wish to take it, you can surrender it online at your allotted college during the surrender window. For Round 3, surrender is on 30 September and 1 October 2026, 10 am to 3 pm. For Stray Vacancy, there is no surrender window mentioned — if you are allotted, you must report or your seat will be cancelled.

• Check the allotment result on the portal on the published date
• If allotted, note your college, course, and reporting dates
• If not allotted, wait for the next round or Stray Vacancy
• If allotted but do not want the seat, surrender it online during the surrender window (Round 3 only)
• If you surrender, you can participate in the next round

Reporting and admission: final step to secure your seat

After allotment, you must report to your allotted college on the dates and times specified. This is the final step — if you do not report, your seat is cancelled and given to the next candidate.

For Round 3, reporting happens on 12, 13, or 14 October 2026, 10 am to 4 pm. For Stray Vacancy, reporting happens on 23 October (2 pm to 6 pm), 24 October, and 26 October 2026 (10 am to 4 pm). The exact date and time for you will be mentioned in your allotment letter.

When you report, bring all original documents, the college requisite fee, and a bond (if required). For private medical colleges, the admission process will happen at different government medical colleges in Kolkata — check the website for the exact location. For private dental colleges, the process will be at Dr. R Ahmed Dental College. The notice states that related notices have been published on the website — check the WBMCC website for the exact college and time for your admission.

If you were allotted in a previous round but did not report, and you are now reporting in Round 3 or Stray Vacancy, you must bring a server-generated relieving letter from your previous college. This letter confirms that you have withdrawn from the previous seat and are now free to join the new college.

• Check your allotment letter for your exact reporting date and time
• Bring all original documents (NEET scorecard, 10th/12th certificates, Aadhaar, caste certificate if applicable, etc.)
• Bring the college requisite fee in the amount specified by the college
• Bring a bond if required by the college
• If you were allotted in a previous round, bring the relieving letter from that college
• Report on time — late reporting may result in cancellation of your seat
• For private colleges, check the website for the exact reporting location (may not be at the college itself)

Special note for NRI candidates

The notice states that verification is 'Not applicable for NRI Candidates, please see Notice Point No. 3, for further details.' This means NRI candidates have a different verification process than other candidates. The notice does not provide the details here — you must check Notice Point No. 3 (a separate notice) for NRI-specific instructions on verification, fee payment, and other requirements.

If you are an NRI candidate, do not assume the verification dates and times in this schedule apply to you. Check the separate NRI notice immediately.

Common mistakes that get your application rejected

Missing the registration deadline: If you do not register by 6 pm on 30 September (Round 3) or 16 October (Stray Vacancy), you cannot participate. There is no extension.

Not paying the fee on time: If you register but do not pay the fee by 12 midnight on 30 September (Round 3) or 16 October (Stray Vacancy), your registration is automatically cancelled. You must pay the fee within the same window as registration.

Not attending verification at your assigned time and college: The software assigns you a specific college and time slot for verification. You cannot change it. If you do not attend, your registration is rejected. Check your portal immediately after registration to see your assigned verification slot.

Not locking your choices: After you fill your choices, you must click 'Lock Choices' before the deadline. If you do not lock, your choices are not saved and you will not be allotted a seat.

Missing the reporting deadline: If you are allotted a seat but do not report by the deadline, your seat is cancelled. There is no grace period.

Bringing incomplete documents: At verification and reporting, bring all original documents. If you are missing any required document, you may be rejected. Check the prospectus for the complete list.

Not bringing the relieving letter: If you were allotted in a previous round but did not report, you must bring a server-generated relieving letter from that college when you report in Round 3 or Stray Vacancy. Without it, you cannot be admitted to the new college.

Confusing server time with local time: All deadlines are in server time (the time on the counselling portal's server), not your local time. Check the portal to see the current server time and set your clock accordingly.

Frequently asked questions

Mark all dates in your calendar now — especially registration deadlines (30 September for Round 3, 16 October for Stray Vacancy), verification dates, choice filling deadlines, and reporting dates. Set reminders for each deadline. Check the WBMCC website (https://wbmcc.gov.in or the official counselling portal) for the complete prospectus, seat matrix, and any updates. If you are an NRI candidate, check Notice Point No. 3 for your specific instructions. Do not miss any deadline — each one is final.