The Round 3 vacancy lists are particularly important for candidates preparing their college preferences because they provide details of seats that are currently vacant as well as seats that may become available during the counselling process. MCC has published separate Clear Vacancy and Virtual Vacancy lists on its official counselling portal.

Candidates can use these lists while preparing and reviewing their choices before the Round 3 choice-filling deadline. The Round 3 counselling process covers seats under the MCC counselling framework, including All India Quota and seats in participating deemed, central and other institutions.

MCC NEET UG Round 3 Vacancy 2026: Highlights

According to the released vacancy data, the Round 3 Clear Vacancy list contains 6,703 seats, while the Virtual Vacancy list contains 10,353 seats across MBBS, BDS and B.Sc. Nursing.

MCC NEET UG Round 3 Clear Vacancy 2026

The Clear Vacancy list represents seats that are vacant and available for allotment in Round 3. MCC has reported a total of 6,703 clear vacancy seats across the three courses.

The course-wise distribution is as follows:

MBBS accounts for the largest share of the clear vacancies, with 5,922 seats, followed by BDS with 651 seats and B.Sc. Nursing with 130 seats.

Category-wise Clear Vacancy Seats

The released clear-vacancy data also provides a category-wise distribution of seats:

Candidates should check the detailed college-wise vacancy document to determine the exact seat availability for their preferred institution, course and category.

MCC NEET UG Round 3 Virtual Vacancy 2026

Along with the clear vacancies, MCC has released the Virtual Vacancy list. Virtual vacancies are seats that may become available during the round as candidates holding seats move to upgraded options or otherwise vacate their currently held seats.

The Round 3 Virtual Vacancy list contains 10,353 seats across MBBS, BDS and B.Sc. Nursing.

MBBS accounts for 9,236 virtual vacancies, while BDS has 938 and B.Sc. Nursing has 179 virtual vacancy seats.

Category-wise Virtual Vacancy Seats

The category-wise figures provide candidates with a broader picture of potential seat movement during Round 3. However, candidates should distinguish between seats that are already vacant and those that may become vacant during the counselling process.

Clear Vacancy vs Virtual Vacancy: What Is the Difference?

Understanding the difference between the two vacancy lists is important before candidates fill or lock their choices.

Clear Vacancy

A Clear Vacancy is a seat that is already vacant and available for allotment in the current counselling round. These seats can be considered actual vacant seats at the time the vacancy list is published.

Virtual Vacancy

A Virtual Vacancy represents a seat that may become vacant because of movement of candidates during the counselling process. For example, when a candidate holding one seat is allotted an upgraded seat, the previously occupied seat may become available.

Therefore, virtual vacancies indicate potential seat movement, rather than seats that are necessarily vacant and immediately available at the time of publication.

MCC NEET UG Round 3 Vacancy List: Institutes and Quotas Covered

The Round 3 vacancy lists cover seats across various participating institutions and quota categories under MCC counselling. These include seats associated with All India Quota, deemed universities, ESI Scheme institutes and other participating institutions.

The vacancy data spans different states and Union Territories and covers MBBS, BDS and B.Sc. Nursing programmes.

Candidates should not rely only on the total vacancy count. They should open the detailed PDF and check the specific college, course, quota and category before adding a college to their choice list.

MCC NEET UG Round 3 Seat Matrix 2026

MCC has also released the Round 3 seat matrix, including the newly added, clear vacancy and virtual vacancy seat information. The official MCC Current Events page lists separate documents for newly added seats, virtual vacancies and clear vacancies for Round 3.

The seat matrix is an important document for candidates because it provides the information required to make choices during counselling.

Candidates should check:

• College name

• Course

• Seat type

• Quota

• Category

• Number of available seats

• Clear vacancy status

• Virtual vacancy status

• Newly added seats, wherever applicable

MCC NEET UG Round 3 Choice Filling 2026

The Round 3 counselling process is already underway. According to the announced schedule, registration and fee payment are scheduled from September 22 to September 27, 2026, with registration closing at 3 PM on September 27. Choice filling is scheduled from September 23 to September 28, while choice locking takes place from the evening of September 27 to noon on September 28.

The Round 3 seat allotment result is scheduled for September 30, 2026. Candidates allotted seats will subsequently have to report to their respective institutions between October 1 and October 9, 2026.

MCC NEET UG Round 3 Important Dates

The dates are important because candidates must complete choice filling and locking within the prescribed window for their preferences to be considered for Round 3 allotment.

How to Check MCC NEET UG Round 3 Vacancy Seats?

Candidates can check the Round 3 clear and virtual vacancy lists online by following these steps:

Step 1: Visit the MCC Website

Go to the official MCC website at mcc.nic.in.

Step 2: Open the UG Counselling Section

Select the UG Medical Counselling section from the website.

Step 3: Open Current Events

Navigate to the Current Events section for UG counselling.

Step 4: Find Round 3 Vacancy Documents

Look for the documents titled “CLEAR VACANCY ROUND 3 (MBBS BDS B.SC NURSING) – UG COUNSELLING 2026” and “VIRTUAL VACANCY ROUND 3 (MBBS BDS B.SC NURSING) – UG COUNSELLING 2026.” Both documents are listed on the MCC website.

Step 5: Download the PDFs

Open the relevant document and download the PDF for detailed college-wise and category-wise vacancy information.

Step 6: Check Your Preferred Colleges

Use the PDF to identify colleges and courses where seats are available or may become available during Round 3.

How Should Candidates Use the Clear Vacancy List?

Candidates should give particular attention to the Clear Vacancy list when preparing their choices because these seats are vacant at the time of publication.

The following approach can help:

1.    Identify the desired course.

2.    Check the college name.

3.    Verify the quota.

4.    Check the applicable category.

5.    Note the number of clear vacancies.

6.    Compare the available options with the candidate's NEET UG rank and eligibility.

7.    Add eligible preferences in the desired order.

8.    Review the complete choice list before locking it.

The clear vacancy list should be treated as a snapshot of available seats and not as a guarantee of final allotment.

How Should Candidates Use the Virtual Vacancy List?

Virtual vacancies can provide additional information about possible seat movement. However, candidates should remember that these seats are not guaranteed vacancies.

Candidates can use the virtual vacancy data to identify colleges where seat movement may occur. They should nevertheless avoid assuming that every virtual vacancy will ultimately become available for allotment.

Actual seat availability depends on what happens during the counselling process, including candidate upgrades, resignations and movement of allotted seats.

Newly Added Seats in MCC NEET UG Round 3

MCC has also separately published a Newly Added Seats Round 3 document covering MBBS and BDS seats. This document is listed alongside the clear and virtual vacancy documents on the MCC Current Events page.

Candidates should therefore check all three categories of information before finalising their Round 3 choices:

• Newly Added Seats

• Clear Vacancy Seats

• Virtual Vacancy Seats

Reviewing all relevant documents can provide a more complete picture of the available options during the round.

What Candidates Should Do Before Locking Choices?

Before locking their Round 3 choices, candidates should carefully review the vacancy documents and counselling rules.

Important points include:

• Check the latest Round 3 seat matrix.

• Distinguish clear vacancies from virtual vacancies.

• Check college-wise seat availability.

• Verify the course and quota.

• Check category-specific vacancies.

• Include eligible choices in the preferred order.

• Do not assume that a virtual vacancy is guaranteed.

• Review the complete choice list before locking.

• Complete choice locking before the deadline.

• Keep a copy of the submitted choices for future reference.

MCC NEET UG Round 3 Counselling 2026: What Happens Next?

After the completion of choice filling and locking, MCC will process the choices against available seats and candidates' NEET UG merit and eligibility.

The Round 3 seat allotment result is scheduled to be released on September 30, 2026. Candidates who receive seats will then have to complete the required reporting and admission formalities at the allotted institution during the prescribed reporting period.

Candidates should continue checking the MCC counselling portal for updates because vacancy positions can change as the counselling process progresses.

MCC NEET UG Round 3 Vacancy 2026: Key Takeaway

The release of the MCC NEET UG 2026 Round 3 Clear and Virtual Vacancy lists gives candidates important information before the finalisation of their Round 3 choices. The current data shows 6,703 clear vacancy seats and 10,353 virtual vacancy seats across MBBS, BDS and B.Sc. Nursing programmes.

The clear vacancy list represents seats that are currently vacant, while the virtual vacancy list reflects seats that may become available as candidates move through the counselling process. Candidates should therefore examine the detailed college-wise and category-wise PDFs carefully and use the information while preparing their choice lists.

With choice filling continuing through September 28 and the Round 3 seat allotment result scheduled for September 30, 2026, candidates should complete all counselling activities within the prescribed deadlines.