Karnataka Counselling 2026: How to Apply for Vacant Seats

Latest Updates: 

• The Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) has published the Karnataka NEET 2026 seat matrix on the official website for MBBS and BDS.
• The Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) has announced the Karnataka NEET Counselling 2026 schedule on the official website for MBBS and BDS courses.
• The Karnataka NEET UG option entry 2026 is conducted between the dates of 7 August and 13 August 2026. Check here.

The Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) has announced the Karnataka NEET Counselling 2026 schedule on the official website for MBBS and BDS courses. KEA has released the Karnataka seat matrix 2026 for MBBS and BDS programs.

For applying in the vacant seats during Karnataka NEET Counselling, candidates have to take part in mop up round or stray vacancy rounds that is managed by Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA). Students have to log in to the official KEA portal, check the released seat matrix for vacant openings, submit, lock their fresh college choices, and then report to the allotted college with their original documents if a seat is assigned.

It is the Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) that organizes Karnataka NEET counselling for 85% State Quota seats in 2026. The process covers everything between registering, verifying documents, selecting choices, getting a seat and reporting the decision. Counselling will occur in different phases, with stray vacancy rounds providing an option to fill additional seats. Anyone interested in applying for a vacant seat should learn about the necessary qualifications, when the deadline is and how to fill out an application.

Check:

• Karnataka MBBS Vacant Seats 2026: Stray Vacancy Round Explained
• Karnataka Counselling Vacant Seats List 2026: Where to Check & When
• How to Grab Vacant Seats After Mop-Up Round Karnataka Counselling 2026

Eligibility for Karnataka Counselling 2026 Vacant Seats

Before applying, ensure that you fulfil the following basic eligibility conditions:

• Officially qualified for the NEET UG exam
• Completed prior online registration and document verification with KEA
• Must not hold any seat allotted in any of the past counselling rounds

Read More:

• Eligibility for Vacant Seats in Karnataka Medical Counselling 2026
• Karnataka NEET Counselling seat matrix 2026
• How to Upgrade Your Seat in Karnataka Medical Counselling 2026
• How to Cancel or Withdraw Seat in Karnataka Counselling Without Penalty

Stages of Karnataka NEET Counselling 2026 for vacant medical and dental seats

All candidates wishing to apply for Karnataka vacant medical and dental seats must undergo the following steps:

1. Registration

All eligible applicants must register on kea.kar.nic.in, the official KEA site, for every round, including the stray vacancy round. Should you have taken part but not been selected earlier, you need to register again for later rounds. When registering, applicants need to do the following:

1. Enter your personal information.
2. Share your roll number and score from NEET UG 2026
3. Post copies of your documents.
4. Make the necessary online payments to register for the account.

Karnataka NEET Counselling 2026: Category-Wise Counselling Fee 

Here are the category-wise Karnataka NEET counselling fees for all the rounds, including Round 1.

2. Verification of Documents

Candidates need to take their original documents and photocopies to the verification center they received after registration. KEA makes the list of verification centers and dates available to students.

Documents required for Karnataka NEET UG Counselling 2026:

• Copy of the Karnataka NEET counselling 2026 application form (final copy post submission)
• Proof of payment of the counselling fee
• NEET 2026 admit card
• NEET 2026 result/scorecard
• Class 10 mark sheet
• Class 12 mark sheet
• Candidate’s study certificate
• Valid photo ID proof
• Recent passport-sized photographs (two in number)
• Caste/caste income certificate (if applicable)
• Rural study certificate (if claiming rural quota)
• Kannada medium study certificate (if claiming Kannada medium quota)
• Hyderabad-Karnataka Region Reservation Certificate (if applicable)
• Parents’ study certificate/hometown certificate/domicile certificate/employment certificate/cumulative record/marks card (if applicable)

3. Choice Filling and Locking

When all documents are checked and you are eligible, KEA will enable you to use the choice filling portal. Students access the site with their account information and can arrange their options according to their preferences.

Guidelines for Why You Chose This College

• Choose all the ways you can to ensure you have more opportunities for a seat.
• Check the fees and how they change when you using each financial institution to make your final decision.
• Make certain to lock your choices before the timeframe ends; not doing so will make your last saved option an automatic entry.

4. Seat Allotment and Reporting

KEA will release the provisional and final seat allotment results on its official website. Seat allotment is done based on:

• NEET 2026 rank
• Category
• Preferences filled
• Seat availability

5. Mop-Up and Stray Vacancy Round

If seats remain vacant after the main rounds, KEA conducts a mop-up round followed by a stray vacancy round. These rounds aim to fill the leftover government and private seats.

Important Note: Candidates who were allotted seats but did not report are generally not eligible to participate in stray vacancy rounds.

Karnataka NEET Counselling 2026: Important Dates

Candidates can check the important counselling dates for Karnataka MBBS/BDS 2026 admissions:

Karnataka NEET Seat Matrix 2026: Total MBBS Seats in Government Colleges

Have a look at the table below to know the total MBBS seats in some of the Karnataka government medical colleges that are filled through 2026 UGNEET counselling.

Karnataka NEET Seat Matrix 2026: Total MBBS Seats in Private Colleges

Check the table below to know the Karnataka NEET Seat Matrix for MBBS in private colleges.

Karnataka MBBS Seats 2026 in St. John's Medical College

Have a look at the table below to know the category-wise MBBS seats in St. John’s Medical College, Karnataka.

KEA UGNEET Seat Matrix 2026: Karnataka MBBS Seats in Deemed/ Private Universities

Candidates can have a look at the table below to know the total MBBS seats in deemed or private universities in Karnataka.

KEA UGNEET Seat Matrix 2026: Karnataka MBBS Seats in Minority (L, R) Institutes

Look at the table below to know the total Karnataka MBBS seats in Minority (Linguistic or Religious) institutes.

Key Points to Remember

• You must verify documents based on your location.
• For government quota positions, only people with genuine domicile certificates are admitted.
• Even though private colleges are more expensive, they usually accept students from afar.
• Be sure to frequently check the official site of KEA for updates.

Karnataka Counselling 2026: How to Apply for Vacant Seats: FAQs

Ques. Who is eligible to apply for Karnataka NEET vacant seats?

Ans. For applying for Karnataka NEET vacant seats, candidates should have officially qualified for NEET UG exam, completed prior online registration as well as document verification with KEA, and must not hold any seat that is allotted in any of the previous counselling rounds.

Ques. How do I know if I got a seat?

Ans. To know if you get a seat, you have to check the KEA website under the ‘UG NEET Seat Allotment’ tab using your login credentials.

Ques. Can I apply for private seats if I’m from another state?

Ans. Yes, private quota and NRI quota seats in Karnataka medical colleges are often open to students from other states.

Ques. Is the security deposit refundable?

Ans. No separate security money is charged like in some other states. However, your seat confirmation fee becomes non-refundable if you do not report after allotment.

Ques. How can I find the cutoff trends for Karnataka medical colleges?

Ans. KEA publishes round-wise cutoff ranks after each counselling round. Previous year cutoffs are also available on the KEA portal.