Karnataka NEET UG stray round: 664 MBBS seats, option entry now open till October 19

By TUF News Desk · Published 16 October 2026 · 3 min read

Fact-checked against 2+ independent sources · Editorial policy

The Karnataka Examinations Authority has given medical aspirants three more days. In a fresh notice issued on October 16, KEA extended option entry for the NEET UG 2026 online stray vacancy round to 9:00 AM on October 19, 2026. The window opened at 11:00 AM today.

This is the final counselling round for medical seats in Karnataka this year. KEA’s seat matrix, published on October 8, lists 664 MBBS seats still vacant across government and private medical colleges. There are no BDS seats in this round; every dental seat was allotted in the third round.

Who gets to enter

The round is open to NEET UG 2026 qualified candidates who have not been allotted a KEA medical seat in any earlier round. Candidates who never registered with KEA could apply afresh between October 13 and 16. Candidates holding a KEA dental seat may still take part, but only for medical seats. Anyone already allotted a medical seat through the All India quota, deemed universities or any other state counselling cannot participate.

One rule decides how this round plays out: preferences from earlier rounds do not carry over, and fresh option entry is mandatory. KEA has advised candidates to list all preferred colleges, even ones not in the current seat matrix, since cancelled and forfeited seats can come back into the pool.

The deposit you pay first

No one enters options without paying the medical course fee deposit, and the amount depends on the seat category. Government (G) seats need Rs 1,00,000, private (P) seats need Rs 12,00,117, and NRI (N) or other (Q) seats need Rs 25,00,000. The deposit is adjusted against the fee if a seat is allotted. Fees paid for other courses do not count.

The penalty for walking away

The notice states plainly what happens after allotment. A candidate who gets a seat and does not join forfeits the deposit, pays a penalty under the rules, and is barred from medical counselling for the next three years. This round is a binding decision.

What happens after October 19

KEA has not announced the allotment result date yet. Under the national NEET UG schedule, the last date to join an allotted stray-round seat is October 26, 2026, so the reporting window will be short. Keep original documents ready now; the admission documents checklist covers what colleges ask for at reporting.

Option entry stays open until 9:00 AM on October 19. The portal is cetonline.karnataka.gov.in, and every notice, including the eligible and ineligible candidate lists, appears there first.

Frequently asked questions

When does Karnataka NEET UG 2026 stray round option entry close?

At 9:00 AM on October 19, 2026, on the KEA portal. The window opened at 11:00 AM on October 16, and preferences from earlier rounds are not carried over.

How many seats are on offer in the Karnataka stray vacancy round?

664 MBBS seats across government and private medical colleges. No BDS seats are available in this round.

Who is eligible for the Karnataka NEET UG stray vacancy round?

NEET UG 2026 qualified candidates who have not been allotted a KEA medical seat in earlier rounds. Dental seat holders may compete for medical seats; candidates allotted through the All India quota, deemed universities or other states cannot participate.

What deposit must I pay before entering options?

Rs 1,00,000 for government quota seats, Rs 12,00,117 for private quota seats, and Rs 25,00,000 for NRI and other-quota seats. The deposit is adjusted against the fee on allotment and forfeited if the candidate does not join.

Frequently asked questions

Sources: Medical Dialogues, CollegeDunia, The Hindu, Shiksha