NEET MDS 2026: MCC Round 3 registration open, apply by 3 PM on October 27

By TUF News Desk · Published 24 October 2026 · 3 min read

Fact-checked against 2+ independent sources · Editorial policy

The registration window for the third round of NEET MDS 2026 counselling is already open, and it closes at 3 PM on October 27. The Medical Counselling Committee opened Round 3 registration on October 22 on the official MCC portal, giving candidates six days to register and pay the fee. This round matters for everyone still without a seat, and for candidates who want to upgrade what they got in the earlier rounds.

What Round 3 covers

MCC runs central counselling for 50 percent of All India Quota seats in Master of Dental Surgery programmes, along with 100 percent of the MDS seats in deemed and central universities and in Armed Forces Medical Services institutions. That covers the big central-pool dental seats at institutions such as Manipal College of Dental Sciences and Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, where AIQ and deemed-university seats are filled through this counselling. State quota MDS seats are not part of this schedule; state counselling authorities handle those separately.

The full Round 3 timeline

Two dates do all the damage if you miss them. Registration closes at 3 PM on October 27, and the payment facility stays open only till 6 PM the same day. Here is the rest of the calendar:

• Registration and fee payment: October 22 to 27, 2026
• Choice filling: October 23 to 28, 2026
• Choice locking: October 28, 2026, from 2 PM to 11:55 PM
• Seat allotment processing: October 29 and 30, 2026
• Declaration of Round 3 result: October 31, 2026
• Reporting and joining at allotted institutes: November 1 to 7, 2026

Choice locking gets its own short window on October 28. Candidates should lock their filled choices between 2 PM and 11:55 PM that day rather than leaving it for later.

How to register

On mcc.nic.in, open the MDS counselling section and click the Round 3 registration link. Log in with the NEET MDS roll number and password, enter the required details, pay the counselling fee before the deadline, then fill in college and specialisation choices and lock them in the notified window. Save the confirmation page and note the registration details, since you will need them for the result and reporting.

What comes after this round

A stray vacancy round follows for seats that stay vacant after Round 3. Candidates who miss the October 27 registration deadline lose this round entirely, so the practical advice is simple: register early in the day, pay the fee, and do not leave choice filling or locking for the last hours, when portals tend to slow down.

For reporting, keep the standard document set ready. Our admission documents checklist runs through the papers colleges ask for at verification, so nothing is missing when you reach the allotted institute between November 1 and 7.

Frequently asked questions

When does NEET MDS 2026 Round 3 registration close?

Registration closes at 3 PM on October 27, 2026, and the fee payment window shuts at 6 PM the same day on mcc.nic.in.

What is the NEET MDS 2026 Round 3 choice filling and result schedule?

Choice filling runs October 23 to 28, choice locking is on October 28 from 2 PM to 11:55 PM, and the seat allotment result is declared on October 31, 2026.

Which seats does MCC’s NEET MDS counselling cover?

MCC covers 50 percent All India Quota MDS seats, 100 percent of MDS seats in deemed and central universities, and AFMS seats. State quota seats are handled separately by state counselling bodies.

When is reporting after NEET MDS 2026 Round 3 allotment?

Allotted candidates must report to their institutes between November 1 and 7, 2026, to complete admission formalities.

Frequently asked questions

Sources: Collegedunia, Shiksha, Medical Dialogues