Karnataka NEET UG Round 3 Option Entry 2026 Opens Sept 25 at 11 AM

The Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) will open fresh option entry for the third round of UGNEET 2026 medical and dental counselling at 11:00 AM on September 25, 2026. Eligible candidates will be able to submit their MBBS and BDS college preferences until 11:00 AM on September 29, 2026. A key rule for this round is that candidates must enter their options afresh. KEA has clarified that options submitted in earlier rounds will not be considered for Round 3. Candidates who are required to pay the Round 3 caution deposit must complete the payment between September 24 and September 28, 2026 before participating under the applicable seat categories. Official KEA UGNEET 2026 Round 3 notice

Karnataka NEET UG Round 3 Counselling 2026: Key Details

The Round 3 notification is dated September 23, 2026. KEA states that seats remaining after the second round, along with subsequently cancelled, forfeited or newly added seats, can be considered for the third-round allotment.

Who Can Participate in Karnataka NEET UG Round 3?

KEA has identified specific groups that are eligible for the third round.

They include:

• candidates who were not allotted a medical seat in the first or second round;
• candidates who cancelled an allotted medical/dental seat after paying the prescribed penalty;
• candidates who have already reported to a medical or dental college and are participating for upgradation, subject to the applicable rules/court orders. 

Candidates should check their individual KEA status before paying the caution deposit or entering options.

Who Is Not Eligible for KEA Round 3?

KEA specifically states that the following candidates are not eligible:

• candidates who were allotted a medical or dental seat in Round 1 or Round 2 but failed to exercise the required choice;
• candidates who selected Choice-4 and exited the counselling process. 

The supplied source's reference to generic “fresh registrants” should therefore not be published unless KEA separately confirms eligibility for that candidate category.

Karnataka NEET UG Round 3 Caution Deposit

Eligible candidates who need to participate in fresh option entry must pay the applicable caution deposit between September 24 and September 28.

Candidates paying ₹1 lakh for the applicable category can also enter the dental options permitted by KEA's notice. Candidates should check the exact eligibility displayed in their login before choosing a deposit category. Candidates who have already reported to a medical or dental college do not need to pay the caution deposit for this Round 3 upgradation process. KEA also clarifies that fees paid for other courses will not automatically be treated as the UGNEET Round 3 caution deposit.

How to Complete Karnataka NEET UG Round 3 Option Entry

Option entry will remain available from 11 AM on September 25 to 11 AM on September 29, 2026.

Candidates should:

1. Visit the official KEA counselling portal.
2. Open the UGNEET 2026 section.
3. Sign in through the candidate login.
4. Complete the applicable caution-deposit payment, if required.
5. Open the Round 3 option-entry facility.
6. Enter medical and/or dental college-course choices afresh.
7. Arrange all options in genuine order of preference.
8. Review the applicable college/seat fee before finalising the choice.
9. Save the options before the September 29, 11 AM deadline.

Open the official KEA counselling portal

Previous Options Will Not Be Considered

Candidates should not assume that their Round 1 or Round 2 preference list automatically continues into the third round.

KEA explicitly says:

• All eligible candidates must enter new options for Round 3; previously entered options will not be considered.
• Candidates should therefore prepare their preference order before the portal opens on September 25.

Should Candidates Enter a College Even If No Seat Is Currently Showing?

KEA advises candidates to enter options for all colleges and courses they are genuinely willing to join, even if a particular seat does not currently appear in the matrix.

This is because seats can become available because of:

• cancellations;
• forfeitures;
• additions to the seat matrix;
• consequential vacancies created during the allotment process. 

Candidates should still check the fee structure before adding any college because KEA warns that an allotment is based on the preferences actually submitted.

Important Rule for Candidates Already Holding a Seat

Candidates already admitted to a medical or dental college can participate for upgradation where permitted. If such a candidate receives a new Round 3 seat, the earlier allotted seat will be automatically cancelled and cannot be taken back. The candidate must join the newly allotted college. If the candidate does not receive any new seat in Round 3, the earlier allotted seat continues to remain confirmed. This makes option ordering especially important for candidates seeking an upgrade.

When Will Karnataka NEET UG Round 3 Seat Allotment Be Released?

KEA has not announced an exact calendar date for its Round 3 provisional allotment result in the September 23 notification. The authority states that the KEA Round 3 provisional result will be published after the MCC Round 3 All India Quota seat-allotment result. Therefore, the supplied article's “mock allotment to be notified” row should be removed. The relevant official next result stage is the provisional seat allotment, followed later by the final result.

Candidates With Both MCC and KEA Round 3 Seats

KEA has also issued an important instruction for candidates participating simultaneously in MCC and Karnataka counselling. A candidate who receives a Round 3 All India Quota seat and later receives a KEA Round 3 seat can retain the KEA seat only by following KEA's specified procedure, including submitting a written request personally within the prescribed period after the provisional result. Otherwise, the candidate will not be considered for the KEA Round 3 final allotment and the caution deposit may not be refunded. Candidates in both counselling systems should therefore check the official KEA instructions again when the provisional allotment is released.

What Happens After KEA Round 3 Final Allotment?

KEA has made the third-round joining rules strict.

A candidate allotted a seat in the final Round 3 result must:

• pay the required fee, after applicable caution-deposit adjustment;
• report to the newly allotted college;
• submit original documents;
• complete admission within the deadline announced by KEA. 

KEA states that if an allotted candidate fails to take admission, cancels the Round 3 seat or does not report, the caution deposit can be forfeited and additional consequences can apply under the counselling rules. Candidates already studying in engineering, agriculture, veterinary or another CET course should participate only if they genuinely intend to shift to medical/dental admission and can retrieve their original documents from the existing institution in time.