In short
Registration for MCC’s NEET-UG 2026 stray vacancy round has closed: it ended at 4 PM on 16 October under MCC’s extended schedule. Seat processing runs on 17–18 October, the stray round result is due on 19 October, and reporting at the allotted college is 19–26 October. A stray seat must be joined or the deposit is lost. Candidates left without a seat should now look at state stray rounds such as Maharashtra (choices to 18 October), Karnataka (options to 19 October) and Rajasthan (choices to 21 October).
Updated 17 October 2026. MCC’s notice of 14 October 2026 (Ref. U-11011/07/2026-MEC), as reported by Edufever and Shiksha on 14 October, extends the stray round; the earlier schedule (registration 12–14 October, result 17 October) no longer applies. MedAdmit (15 October) and FreeJobAlert (17 October) carry the same result and reporting dates. FreeJobAlert also reports that MCC’s website showed choice filling and locking open until 12:30 PM on 17 October; that window has now passed too. MCC’s own site was not reachable for us, so check mcc.nic.in before you pay. Times are MCC server time.
Stray round dates at a glance
| Step | Revised date (2026) |
|---|---|
| Registration (fresh or existing) | Until 4 PM, 16 October |
| Reset registration option | Until 3 PM, 16 October |
| Fee payment | Until 6 PM, 16 October |
| Choice filling | Until 11:55 PM, 16 October (FreeJobAlert reports MCC’s site extended this to 12:30 PM, 17 October) |
| Choice locking | 7 PM to 11:55 PM, 16 October (unlocked choices are auto-locked at 11:55 PM) |
| Seat processing | 17–18 October |
| Stray round result | 19 October (earlier 17 October) |
| Reporting to the allotted institute | 19–26 October |
For context, Round 3 reporting closed on 9 October and MCC verified joined candidates’ data on 10 October. The stray round works from what is left after that check.
Who can register
The simple version: if the MCC portal shows you with no seat after Round 3, you are the person this round is for. CareerIndia reports that Round 3 allottees are not eligible, whether they joined or not. That is one report, and MCC’s eligibility notice decides. The full rule set, including what happens to state-quota joiners, is in our stray round eligibility guide.
Fee and deposit
The reports we read do not list a separate stray-round fee. MCC’s 2026 information bulletin, as reported by Edunews and Careers360, gives these amounts for the central pool; the registration fee is not refunded, the deposit is refundable if you follow the rules.
| Seat category | Registration fee | Security deposit |
|---|---|---|
| Deemed universities (all categories) | ₹5,000 | ₹2,00,000 |
| AIQ government seats, central universities, AIIMS, JIPMER, ESIC, AFMC — General/EWS | ₹1,000 | ₹10,000 |
| The same seats — SC/ST/OBC/PwD | ₹500 | ₹5,000 |
The rules that cost money
- A stray seat is join-or-forfeit. Not reporting means the deposit is lost. There is no free exit once you are allotted.
- Registration for earlier rounds does not carry over. The stray round has its own registration and fee payment.
- Deemed choices carry the ₹2,00,000 deposit. Lock a deemed university only if the yearly fee is one your family will pay. Santosh, for example, publishes ₹24,00,000 a year in tuition: its fee sheet is here.
What to do from 19 October
- Check the stray result on 19 October. Download the allotment letter and note the reporting deadline of 26 October.
- If allotted, report in person with original documents. Not joining forfeits the deposit. Use the college verification checklist and read the refund and exit rules before you pay the fee.
- If you are in a state stray round too, decide before joining. Maharashtra’s Round 1 list is also on 19 October, Karnataka’s option entry closes at 9 AM on 19 October and Rajasthan’s choices close on 21 October. Joining one seat can make you ineligible for another.
- If you got nothing, move to state rounds still open. See the state links below and the list of official state portals.
What earlier rounds showed
Round 2 allotted 8,828 seats in all (7,485 MBBS, 1,057 BDS, 286 BSc Nursing) after 659 seats were added. For scale, Careers360’s Round 2 table lists Chettinad Hospital & Research Institute (Kanchipuram) with a closing rank of 8,23,772 in the Open category, All India Quota. That is one college and one category. Read MCC’s round-result PDFs for the college you are considering, and do not treat one closing rank as a promise for another.
State counselling is on a different calendar
State rounds in UP, Bihar, Karnataka and other states run on their own schedules and deposit rules, and several are closing around the same days. Start from our list of official state portals. An MCC stray seat and a state seat are separate choices with separate rules. Rajasthan’s own stray round runs 16–26 October: see our Rajasthan stray round guide. Maharashtra’s CET Cell is running three online stray rounds to 26 October (Maharashtra stray round dates), and Karnataka has 664 MBBS seats left, all private (Karnataka stray list and fees).
Send this to a friend who has no seat yetFrequently asked questions
Is MCC stray vacancy round registration still open in 2026?
It has closed. After MCC’s extension of 14 October, registration closed at 4 PM and fee payment at 6 PM on 16 October 2026. FreeJobAlert reports that choice locking stayed open until 12:30 PM on 17 October. The result is due on 19 October.
When is the MCC stray round result?
19 October 2026 under the extended schedule (it was 17 October), after seat processing on 17 and 18 October. Reporting to the allotted institute is 19 to 26 October.
Can a Round 3 allottee apply for the stray round?
CareerIndia’s 10 October report says candidates allotted a seat in Round 3 cannot take part, whether they joined or not, and that only candidates the portal shows without a seat after Round 3 can register. MCC’s notice is the final word, so read it before paying.
Is the security deposit different in the stray round?
The reports we read do not give a separate stray-round amount. MCC’s 2026 bulletin, as reported, lists ₹2,00,000 for deemed universities and ₹10,000 or ₹5,000 for other central-pool seats; confirm the figure on the payment screen.
Can I leave a seat I get in the stray round?
Treat it as no. Stray seats must be joined, and not joining forfeits the deposit. Lock only colleges you would actually attend and can fund.
Sources
- FreeJobAlert — NEET UG 2026 stray round seat allotment result on 19 October (17 October 2026)
- MedAdmit — NEET UG stray vacancy round 2026: MCC extends deadlines (15 October 2026)
- Edufever — MCC NEET UG stray round 2026 schedule extended (14 October)
- Shiksha — MCC stray round revised dates, registration till 16 October
- MCC — Medical Counselling Committee (check the live notice)
- EduAdvice — MCC Round 3 reporting ends, stray round registration from 12 October
- CareerIndia — NEET UG 2026 stray vacancy round dates and eligibility
- Careers360 — NEET UG counselling 2026 live
- Edunews — MCC 2026 security deposit and forfeiture rules
- Careers360 — MCC Round 2 deemed universities cutoff
NEET 2026 counselling support
No seat yet? Get a shortlist for state rounds still open
Get a personalised list of NMC-approved private and deemed medical colleges matching your NEET score and budget.
Sources and how to verify this page
Cutoffs and fees on this page are compiled estimates for the 2026 cycle, not official figures. Every claim about eligibility, counselling process and legality can be checked against the primary sources below, and you should check them before acting.
- National Medical Commission — recognised colleges and seat matrix
- Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) — deemed and all-India quota
- National Testing Agency — NEET-UG results and percentiles
- UP DGME — Uttar Pradesh private MBBS counselling
- BCECEB — Bihar private MBBS counselling
Found something wrong? Report a correction — we publish what changed and when.