NEET UG Round 3 Virtual Vacancy 2026: MBBS, BDS & Nursing

The NEET UG 2026 Round 3 counselling process includes another important seat list that students need to understand before filling their choices: the Virtual Vacancy list.

The official document is titled “VIRTUAL VACANCY ROUND 3 (MBBS BDS B.SC NURSING) – UG COUNSELLING 2026.” It contains MBBS, BDS and B.Sc Nursing seats across participating institutions.

The document contains 10,353 seats in total.

However, candidates should be careful when reading this number. Virtual vacancy should not automatically be treated as the same thing as clear vacancy.

What is Virtual Vacancy in NEET UG Counselling?

Virtual vacancy is connected with the movement of candidates during counselling.

When candidates already holding seats participate in the next round and may upgrade to another choice, their existing seats can potentially become available.

Because of this movement, some seats can appear in the virtual vacancy list even though the final vacancy situation can change during the round.

In simple terms:

Virtual vacancy shows seats that may become available depending on the movement of candidates during counselling.

This is why students should understand the difference between a virtual vacancy and a clear vacancy before preparing their Round 3 choices.

How Many Seats Are Listed?

The Round 3 Virtual Vacancy document contains 10,353 seats.

The document covers:

• MBBS

• BDS

• B.Sc Nursing

It includes institutions from different states and different types of participating institutions.

The list is arranged according to state, institute type, college, quota, branch, category and total seats.

What Details Can Students Check?

The virtual vacancy document provides several details for each entry.

State

The state in which the institution is located.

Institute Type

The document identifies different types of institutions, including government institutions, deemed universities, AIIMS and other participating institutions.

Institute

The name and details of the college are provided.

Quota

The relevant counselling quota is mentioned against the seat.

Branch

The course is identified, such as MBBS, BDS or B.Sc Nursing.

Category

The list provides category-wise information.

Students can find entries under categories such as BC, EW, OP, SC and ST, as well as PH categories where applicable.

Examples from the Virtual Vacancy List

The Virtual Vacancy document covers institutions across a large number of states.

For example, Delhi entries include Central Armed Police Forces Institute of Medical Sciences, Asola, with MBBS seats listed under different categories.

The document also includes B.Sc Nursing seats at the College of Nursing, Safdarjung Hospital, VMMC and Safdarjung Hospital. The entries include BC, EW, OP, SC and ST categories.

In Odisha, the virtual vacancy list includes MBBS seats at institutions such as Saheed Laxman Nayak Medical College & Hospital and Saheed Rendo Majhi Medical College and Hospital.

The list also includes dental and medical seats at institutions in Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and other states.

Why Virtual Vacancy Can Be Larger Than Clear Vacancy

This is one of the most important points for students.

The separate Round 3 documents show:

Clear Vacancy: 6,703 seats

Virtual Vacancy: 10,353 seats

These numbers should not be added together.

They represent different vacancy situations within the counselling process.

A virtual vacancy can depend on what happens to candidates who are already holding seats and participate in further rounds.

Therefore, a candidate should not assume that all 10,353 virtual vacancies are guaranteed vacant seats at the same time.

Virtual Vacancy vs Clear Vacancy

The simplest way to understand the difference is:

Clear Vacancy

A seat is shown in the clear vacancy list.

Virtual Vacancy

A seat is shown in the virtual vacancy list because it can potentially become available depending on counselling movement.

This distinction matters when students are preparing their choices.

What About Newly Added Seats?

There is also a third Round 3 document called Newly Added Seats Round 3.

That document is different from both clear and virtual vacancies.

The Newly Added Seats document contains 183 seats, including newly listed MBBS and BDS seats in institutions such as Punyashlok Ahilyadevi Holkar Government Medical College, Datta Meghe Dental College and Vinayaka Missions Medical College.

Therefore, students should keep these three lists separate:

Clear Vacancy = clear vacancy list

Virtual Vacancy = virtual vacancy list

Newly Added Seats = newly added seats

How Should Students Use the Virtual Vacancy List?

The virtual vacancy list can be useful when preparing a broad Round 3 choice list.

However, students should avoid treating every entry as a confirmed seat.

Before adding a choice, check:

College

Is this a college you would actually join?

Course

Is the seat for MBBS, BDS or B.Sc Nursing?

Category

Does the listed category match your eligibility?

Quota

Is the seat under the quota for which you are eligible?

Rank and eligibility

Does your NEET rank and category make the choice relevant to your situation?

Do Not Fill Choices Based Only on the Seat Number

A common mistake is to see a large number of virtual vacancies and assume that admission is guaranteed.

That is not how the counselling process should be understood.

The actual availability can change as candidates upgrade, retain seats or leave seats during the counselling process.

Therefore, virtual vacancy should be used as a planning reference, while candidates should continue checking the latest official counselling information.

Final Takeaway

The NEET UG Round 3 Virtual Vacancy 2026 document contains 10,353 seats across MBBS, BDS and B.Sc Nursing.

But these seats should not automatically be interpreted as 10,353 confirmed vacancies available to every candidate.

The most important thing is to understand that virtual vacancy and clear vacancy are different lists.

Students should check college, course, quota and category carefully and should keep the Virtual Vacancy list separate from the Clear Vacancy and Newly Added Seats documents when preparing their Round 3 choices.