The Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) has announced the schedule and guidelines for the third round of online seat allotment for UG medical and dental courses under UGNEET 2026.
According to the notification dated September 23, 2026, seats remaining after the second round, along with seats that may subsequently be cancelled, forfeited or added to the seat matrix, will be considered for the third-round allotment.
The third-round allotment will be conducted based on merit and the priority of options entered by candidates.
Candidates eligible for the third round include:
Candidates who were not allotted a medical seat in the first or second round
Candidates who have cancelled a medical/dental seat by paying the prescribed penalty
Candidates who have already reported to a medical or dental college and are participating for upgradation, as permitted under the applicable High Court orders
However, candidates who were allotted a medical/dental seat in the first or second round but failed to exercise the required choice, as well as candidates who selected Choice-4, are not eligible for the third round.
Candidates interested in participating must pay the applicable caution deposit between September 24 and September 28, 2026.
The notification states that candidates who have already reported to a medical or dental college do not have to pay the caution deposit.
The amount paid for other courses will not automatically be treated as the caution deposit for the third round.
KEA will open fresh option entry from 11 AM on September 25 to 11 AM on September 29, 2026.
Candidates must enter their options again, as options entered in previous rounds will not be considered for this round.
KEA has advised candidates to enter all courses and colleges they are genuinely interested in, in order of preference, even if a particular seat is not initially visible in the seat matrix. Seats may become available because of cancellations or additions during the allotment process.
The authority has also advised candidates to check the applicable fee structure and seat availability before entering their choices.
Candidates participating in Round 3 for upgradation should note that if they receive a new seat, the seat allotted to them in the previous round will be automatically cancelled.
They will have to take admission to the newly allotted college. The notification specifically states that candidates cannot continue in their earlier allotted colleges after receiving a new allotment in this round.
If a candidate does not receive a seat in Round 3, the seat allotted in the earlier round will continue to stand confirmed.
Candidates who receive a seat in the third-round final allotment must pay the prescribed fee, if it has not already been paid or adjusted against the caution deposit.
They must also report to the allotted college with all original documents and complete admission within the deadline notified by KEA.
The notification warns that failure to complete admission within the prescribed period can lead to action as per the applicable rules.
