NEET UG 2026: 948 MBBS seats open in special stray round, register by Nov 4
By TUF News Desk · Published 3 November 2026 · 4 min read
Fact-checked against 2+ independent sources · Editorial policy
Medical aspirants who missed out in earlier rounds have one more opening, and the clock on it is short. The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) has listed 948 MBBS seats for the NEET UG 2026 special stray vacancy round, along with 207 BDS seats and 66 BSc Nursing seats, taking the total on offer to 1,221. Registration and fee payment close at 3 pm on November 4.
After the stray vacancy round, 837 MBBS seats were still unfilled. That number rose to 946 when 109 candidates allotted seats did not join their colleges. MCC then added two more MBBS seats through a separate notice, one under the NRI quota at Hamdard Institute of Medical Sciences and Research in New Delhi and one under the OBC-PwD quota at Stanley Medical College in Chennai, taking the MBBS total to 948.
Where the vacant seats are
The vacancies are heavily concentrated in the south. Tamil Nadu accounts for 688 of the MBBS seats and Puducherry for 187, together 875 of the 946 seats in the original list. Karnataka has 25 and Maharashtra 13, while the remaining 33 are spread across 15 states and union territories.
Most of the seats are in deemed universities. Of the 946 seats, 920 are in deemed universities, with 22 under the 15 percent All India Quota, two under the open-seat quota and one each under the Delhi University and NRI quotas.
Fees help explain why these seats stayed empty. Annual tuition at several deemed universities in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry ranges from Rs 23 lakh to Rs 35 lakh, and reports on the earlier rounds linked the high fees to seats going unfilled. Candidates should confirm any fee figure with the college itself before locking a choice.
Of the 207 BDS seats, 112 are in government dental colleges, with Kerala accounting for 17 government dental vacancies, Tamil Nadu 11 and Maharashtra nine. The 66 BSc Nursing seats are spread across Delhi, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh.
Dates candidates need to follow
The round runs from November 2 to November 7 for the All India Quota, deemed and central universities, and from November 3 to November 7 for state counselling.
Registration and fee payment close at 3 pm on November 4. Choice filling stays open until November 5, and choice locking runs from 4 pm on November 4 to 11 am on November 5. MCC will process allotments on November 5 and 6 and publish the result on November 7. Candidates who get a seat must report to their allotted college by 5 pm on November 16.
Candidates register on the official MCC portal, where the seat matrix and counselling notices are published. Allotment depends on rank, category, locked preferences and seats still open when a candidate’s turn comes, so the order of choices matters as much as the rank. Before locking preferences, candidates can run through the admission documents checklist so the reporting visit goes smoothly, and those still comparing colleges can work through how to choose a university in India before the locking window closes.
With registration closing on November 4, candidates who want in should finish the form and fee payment first, then sort out preferences inside the filling window.
Frequently asked questions
When does registration close for the NEET UG 2026 special stray vacancy round?
At 3 pm on November 4, 2026, on the official MCC portal mcc.nic.in. Candidates must complete registration and fee payment inside that window.
How many seats are on offer in the special stray vacancy round?
A total of 1,221 seats: 948 MBBS seats, 207 BDS seats and 66 BSc Nursing seats, as per the latest MCC seat matrix.
When will the special stray vacancy round allotment be announced?
On November 7, 2026. Candidates who get a seat must report to their allotted college by 5 pm on November 16, 2026.
Why are so many MBBS seats still vacant after the stray round?
The latest vacancy list grew by 109 seats after candidates allotted seats in the previous stray round did not join their colleges. Most of the vacant seats are in deemed universities in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, where annual fees run high.
Frequently asked questions
When does registration close for the NEET UG 2026 special stray vacancy round?
At 3 pm on November 4, 2026, on the official MCC portal mcc.nic.in. Candidates must complete registration and fee payment inside that window.
How many seats are on offer in the special stray vacancy round?
A total of 1,221 seats: 948 MBBS seats, 207 BDS seats and 66 BSc Nursing seats, as per the latest MCC seat matrix.
When will the special stray vacancy round allotment be announced?
On November 7, 2026. Candidates who get a seat must report to their allotted college by 5 pm on November 16, 2026.
Why are so many MBBS seats still vacant after the stray round?
The latest vacancy list grew by 109 seats after candidates allotted seats in the previous stray round did not join their colleges. Most of the vacant seats are in deemed universities in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, where annual fees run high.
Sources: Medical Dialogues, NDTV Profit