The Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) has allowed eligible candidates who have not secured a medical or dental seat to participate in the stray vacancy round of Karnataka NEET UG 2026 counselling, giving them another opportunity to seek admission to undergraduate medical and dental courses.
The authority has extended the deadlines for payment of the prescribed caution deposit and submission of fresh choices. Candidates must pay the deposit by 11 am on October 19, while the deadline for choice entry is 1 pm on the same day.
The extension follows requests from candidates who had not been allotted seats in the earlier counselling rounds. KEA has directed eligible applicants to follow the revised schedule and submit fresh preferences through its official counselling portal.
Who can participate in the stray vacancy round?
The stray vacancy round is intended to fill medical and dental seats that remain vacant after the earlier rounds of counselling.
Candidates who have not secured a seat can participate, subject to KEA's eligibility conditions and payment of the prescribed caution deposit. Newly registered candidates must complete the required registration and document-verification formalities before entering their choices.
Candidates must select colleges and courses according to the category of seat for which their deposit makes them eligible. The authority has prescribed different caution deposits for medical and dental options.
Candidates who already hold a seat should carefully check the rules applicable to them before entering fresh choices. KEA has warned that candidates who are allotted a seat in this round must report to the allotted college within the specified deadline. Failure to report can result in cancellation of the allotment and forfeiture of the deposit.
What is the caution deposit?
Candidates must pay the prescribed caution deposit to become eligible for the relevant seat options in the stray vacancy round.
According to the revised counselling instructions, the deposit varies by the type of seat being sought. Candidates interested in dental seats must pay Rs 1 lakh, while those seeking N and Q category medical seats must deposit Rs 25 lakh. Candidates should consult the official KEA notification for the complete deposit structure and the seat categories covered by each amount.
The deposit is separate from the balance course fee payable after allotment. Candidates must ensure that the amount paid corresponds to the seat options they intend to enter.
What are the revised deadlines?
KEA has announced the following deadlines for the stray vacancy round.
Caution deposit: October 19, 2026, by 11 am.
Fresh choice entry: October 19, 2026, by 1 pm.
Candidates must complete both steps within the prescribed timelines. Payment of the deposit alone does not complete the process; applicants must also enter and submit their college and course preferences.
Do candidates need to enter fresh choices?
Yes. KEA has instructed candidates to submit fresh preferences for the stray vacancy round. Choices entered during earlier rounds will not be considered for this allotment.
Candidates should log in to the official KEA website, open the UGNEET-2026 stray vacancy round option-entry section and arrange their preferred colleges and courses in order of priority. They should review the choices before submission and retain a copy of the confirmation.
The seat matrix released after the third round lists vacancies that may be considered for allotment. Additional seats could become available if earlier allotments are cancelled or forfeited, so the final vacancies may change.
What happens after allotment?
Candidates allotted seats in the stray vacancy round must report to the assigned colleges within the deadline specified by KEA and complete the admission formalities. They will also need to submit the required original documents, including documents held by a college where they may have previously taken admission.
Candidates should note that failing to report after allotment can result in losing the seat and forfeiting the caution deposit. Those participating in the round should therefore enter choices only after considering their willingness and ability to join the allotted institution.
