By the Online Coaching 4u team
Last updated: 19 September 2026.
The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) published the official schedule for Round 3 of NEET UG 2026 All India Quota counselling on 15 September 2026, opening fresh registration and payment from 22 to 27 September, choice filling and locking from 23 to 28 September, and setting the seat allotment result date as 30 September 2026.
Quick facts
Schedule released: 15 September 2026, on mcc.nic.in
Round 3 registration/payment: 22-27 September 2026 (choice-filling deadline 3 PM; payment window till 6 PM on the 27th)
Round 3 choice filling/locking: 23-28 September 2026 (till 12 noon on the 28th; locking runs from 7 PM on the 27th)
Round 3 seat allotment result: 30 September 2026
Round 3 reporting to allotted institute: 1-9 October 2026
Stray Vacancy Round: registration 12-14 October; result 17 October; reporting 19-26 October 2026
Checked today against: mcc.nic.in official AIQ counselling schedule, PDF dated 15.09.2026
What's confirmed
MCC's newly released schedule, titled "Schedule for Online Counseling (Allotment Process) for NEET 15% AIQ and 100% Deemed/Central Universities/AFMC/AIIMS Institutions/JIPMER," lays out Round 3 of the 2026 admission cycle for MBBS, BDS and B.Sc Nursing seats. Participating institutes verify their tentative seat matrix on 21 September, after which candidate registration and payment open on 22 September and run to 27 September. Choice filling opens the next day, 23 September, and stays open โ including a locking window from 7 PM on 27 September โ until 12 noon on 28 September. MCC will process the seat allotment over 28-29 September and declare the Round 3 result on 30 September, with reporting to allotted institutes running from 1 to 9 October. Separately, as of 18 September MCC's own portal shows Round 2 reporting already under way, with a fresh notice for verification of Round 2 documents dated 18 September and an earlier notice on resignation of freeze/float candidates from Rounds 1 and 2.
What this means for students
Round 3 is a fresh registration round: candidates who weren't allotted a seat in Round 1 or Round 2, or who resigned from an earlier allotment, need to register again during the 22-27 September window even if they registered previously โ MCC does not automatically carry forward earlier registrations into Round 3. Candidates already allotted and reporting in Round 2 should keep the freeze/float/resign choice in mind, since that decision determines whether they remain locked into their current seat or stay in contention for a Round 3 upgrade. The schedule also confirms a further Online Stray Vacancy Round in mid-October for any seats still vacant after Round 3, so students who miss out this round have one more official opportunity before the cycle closes.
Important pointers
Dated, sourced, standalone facts - 19 September 2026
- MCC released the official Round 3 AIQ counselling schedule for NEET UG 2026 on 15 September 2026, on mcc.nic.in.
- Round 3 registration and payment run from 22 to 27 September 2026, with choice filling and locking open till 28 September 2026.
- The Round 3 seat allotment result is due 30 September 2026, with reporting to allotted institutes from 1 to 9 October 2026.
- A further Online Stray Vacancy Round follows, with registration from 12 to 14 October, result on 17 October, and reporting from 19 to 26 October 2026.
- As of 18 September 2026, MCC's portal shows Round 2 reporting and document verification still in progress, running in parallel with the Round 3 schedule.
Last updated: 19 September 2026. Source: mcc.nic.in (Medical Counselling Committee, official UG AIQ counselling schedule dated 15.09.2026).
Frequently asked questions
When does NEET UG 2026 Round 3 counselling registration open?
Round 3 registration and fee payment run from 22 to 27 September 2026 (till 3 PM on the 27th, with the payment window open till 6 PM that day), per the Medical Counselling Committee's official schedule released 15 September 2026 on mcc.nic.in.
When will the NEET UG 2026 Round 3 seat allotment result be declared?
The Round 3 seat allotment result is scheduled for 30 September 2026. Candidates allotted a seat must report to their allotted institute between 1 and 9 October 2026.
Who should register for NEET UG 2026 Round 3?
Round 3 is a fresh registration round open to all eligible NEET UG candidates who haven't already been allotted and joined a seat in Round 1 or Round 2 (or who resigned from an earlier allotment) โ candidates who wish to be considered must register again for Round 3 even if they registered in an earlier round, per MCC's standard AIQ counselling process.
Is there another counselling round after Round 3?
Yes. MCC's 15 September schedule also lists an Online Stray Vacancy Round after Round 3, with registration from 12 to 14 October, the result on 17 October, and reporting from 19 to 26 October 2026.
