What is the last date for NEET UG 2026 stray vacancy round registration?

October 16, 2026. Fresh registration closes at 4:00 PM, the RESET registration facility closes at 3:00 PM, and the fee payment window closes at 6:00 PM (server time).

When will the NEET UG 2026 stray vacancy round result be declared?

The seat allotment result will be declared on October 19, 2026, after seat processing on October 17 and 18. Candidates who get a seat must report to their allotted college between October 19 and October 26.

Can I correct mistakes in my registration form?

Yes. MCC has opened a RESET registration facility, available till 3:00 PM on October 16, which lets candidates change details filled in their registration form.

I already got a seat in an earlier round. Can I join this round too?

No. Candidates holding an allotted seat after Round 3 are excluded from the stray vacancy round under MCC rules. This round is meant only for seats left vacant after the earlier rounds.

Last Day Today: MCC Extends NEET UG Stray Vacancy Round Till October 16, Result on October 19

The Medical Counselling Committee has given NEET UG candidates one more day. The stray vacancy round of NEET UG counselling 2026 now stays open till October 16, and the seat allotment result will be declared on October 19.

The extension notice came from the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC), which works under the Directorate General of Health Services, on October 15. Candidates can finish fresh registration, fee payment, and choice locking on October 16. Seat processing will run on October 17 and 18, and the result comes out on October 19. Reporting to allotted colleges is scheduled from October 19 to October 26.

This extension matters because the stray vacancy round is the final stage of NEET UG counselling 2026. No more rounds follow. If you missed the earlier window, today is your last chance to enter the process.

Revised schedule: every deadline now ends on October 16

Under the new timetable, each step of the round closes on October 16:

Fresh registration: up to 4:00 PM
RESET registration (to correct form details): up to 3:00 PM
Fee payment: up to 6:00 PM
Choice filling: up to 11:55 PM
Choice locking: 7:00 PM to 11:55 PM

Seat processing takes place on October 17 and 18. The allotment result will be announced on October 19, and students who get seats must report to their allotted colleges between October 19 and October 26 with their documents.

Students should finish everything early in the day. Portal traffic is usually heavy on the last day, and the payment window closes earlier than choice filling, so waiting till the evening is risky.

The stray vacancy round is the final stage of this year’s counselling, so today, October 16, is the last day to register. There will be no second chance after this.

Who can take part in this round

The stray vacancy round fills seats that stayed vacant after the first three rounds of counselling. Fresh registration is allowed, so candidates who never registered for this round can still enter today. However, candidates whose names appear in the allotted-candidates list of either the central or a state counselling body after Round 3 will be removed from the stray vacancy process.

Anyone who missed the earlier NEET UG 2026 stray vacancy round registration window should treat today as the final opportunity. Once the result is out, the counselling process for this year closes.

4,068 MBBS, BDS and nursing seats up for grabs

According to the seat matrix released for the round, over 4,000 seats are available, including 3,426 MBBS seats, 499 BDS seats and 143 B.Sc. Nursing seats. Of these, 39 MBBS seats are in AIIMS institutes and 1,245 are in government medical colleges, where the fees are far lower than in private or deemed universities. The rest are in deemed and self-financed institutions, including a few NRI-quota seats.

With government seats being the most sought after, candidates should fill as many realistic choices as they can. A longer preference list gives the system more room to allot you a seat.

How to finish your registration and lock choices today

Complete these steps on the official MCC portal:

Log in at mcc.nic.in with your NEET UG 2026 credentials and complete fresh registration before 4:00 PM.
If you already registered and need to fix your form, use the RESET registration option before 3:00 PM.
Pay the counselling fee by 6:00 PM and save the payment receipt.
Fill in your college and course choices before 11:55 PM, then lock them between 7:00 PM and 11:55 PM. Review every preference carefully, because allotment follows your locked choices.

One warning: fresh choices are needed for this round. Preferences entered in earlier rounds are not carried forward, so do not assume your old list is still active.

What happens after the October 19 result

Candidates who receive a seat must report physically to the allotted medical or dental college between October 19 and October 26. Carry your original documents: NEET UG admit card and scorecard, Class 10 and 12 marksheets, ID proof, category certificate if applicable, and the allotment letter. The college will verify everything and collect the admission fee on the spot.

Students from Maharashtra should note that the state CET Cell cancelled the stray vacancy schedule it had published on October 12 and will announce a revised one. The state round 3 reporting deadline for MBBS and BDS admissions was also extended, to 3 PM on October 16.

If you do not get a seat in this round, check whether your state runs its own stray vacancy round. Several states are running separate schedules alongside the central round, and those may still have seats open.

Keep an eye on the MCC website’s notices section for any last-minute changes. MCC has already changed this schedule once this week, and it may do so again.