diff --git a/cmake/OpenCVDetectInferenceEngine.cmake b/cmake/OpenCVDetectInferenceEngine.cmake
index 61bd2fa3b5..1e3d51dc57 100644
--- a/cmake/OpenCVDetectInferenceEngine.cmake
+++ b/cmake/OpenCVDetectInferenceEngine.cmake
@@ -80,9 +80,9 @@ endif()
 
 if(INF_ENGINE_TARGET)
   if(NOT INF_ENGINE_RELEASE)
-    message(WARNING "InferenceEngine version have not been set, 2019R2 will be used by default. Set INF_ENGINE_RELEASE variable if you experience build errors.")
+    message(WARNING "InferenceEngine version have not been set, 2019R3 will be used by default. Set INF_ENGINE_RELEASE variable if you experience build errors.")
   endif()
-  set(INF_ENGINE_RELEASE "2019020000" CACHE STRING "Force IE version, should be in form YYYYAABBCC (e.g. 2018R2.0.2 -> 2018020002)")
+  set(INF_ENGINE_RELEASE "2019030000" CACHE STRING "Force IE version, should be in form YYYYAABBCC (e.g. 2018R2.0.2 -> 2018020002)")
   set_target_properties(${INF_ENGINE_TARGET} PROPERTIES
     INTERFACE_COMPILE_DEFINITIONS "HAVE_INF_ENGINE=1;INF_ENGINE_RELEASE=${INF_ENGINE_RELEASE}"
   )
diff --git a/modules/dnn/src/op_inf_engine.hpp b/modules/dnn/src/op_inf_engine.hpp
index 4f195fdd37..c1340491aa 100644
--- a/modules/dnn/src/op_inf_engine.hpp
+++ b/modules/dnn/src/op_inf_engine.hpp
@@ -22,10 +22,11 @@
 #define INF_ENGINE_RELEASE_2018R5 2018050000
 #define INF_ENGINE_RELEASE_2019R1 2019010000
 #define INF_ENGINE_RELEASE_2019R2 2019020000
+#define INF_ENGINE_RELEASE_2019R3 2019030000
 
 #ifndef INF_ENGINE_RELEASE
-#warning("IE version have not been provided via command-line. Using 2019R2 by default")
-#define INF_ENGINE_RELEASE INF_ENGINE_RELEASE_2019R2
+#warning("IE version have not been provided via command-line. Using 2019R3 by default")
+#define INF_ENGINE_RELEASE INF_ENGINE_RELEASE_2019R3
 #endif
 
 #define INF_ENGINE_VER_MAJOR_GT(ver) (((INF_ENGINE_RELEASE) / 10000) > ((ver) / 10000))