Karnataka opens NEET UG 2026 registration for MBBS, BDS and AYUSH seats; closes 24 July
The Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) has opened a fresh registration window for the 2026-27 medical, dental and AYUSH counselling in the state. A notification dated 16 July 2026 invites online applications from NEET UG 2026 candidates who had not registered for the Karnataka CET (UGCET) 2026. The “UGNEET-2026 new registration” link on the KEA portal opens at 2:00 PM on 17 July 2026 and closes at 11:00 AM on 24 July 2026.
Who needs to register
The window is meant only for candidates who did not register for UGCET-2026. If you already registered for the Karnataka CET-2026, you do not apply again. KEA will shortly publish a separate link on its website for you to add your NEET roll number to the existing CET-2026 application; no fresh registration is needed.
Why the 24 July cut-off matters
The seven-day window is a hard deadline. Per the notification, no new registrations will be allowed after 24 July for the first, second or third round of seat allotment. The only opening after that is the Stray Vacancy Round, for which KEA will publish a schedule later. A candidate who misses this window loses the three main allotment rounds and can enter only at the stray stage, when very few seats are left. Registering now is what keeps all the rounds open to you.
Courses and eligibility
The registration covers MBBS and BDS along with the AYUSH streams: Ayurveda, Homoeopathy and Unani. The minimum qualifying marks fixed by the competent authority after the UGNEET-2026 re-examination results will apply. SC, ST and OBC eligibility applies to Karnataka SC/ST/OBC candidates only. KEA advises every applicant to read the UGNEET-2026 Information Bulletin for the full eligibility rules and seat categories before applying.
Non-Karnataka candidates
Candidates from outside Karnataka can register online, pay the registration fee, and enter their Class 12 marks with a PDF upload in the marks-entry portal. They generally do not need to appear for document verification. The exception is OCI, PIO, NRI and foreign nationals, and any non-Karnataka candidate claiming an NRI ward, religious minority, or a Category RC-2 to RC-8 seat at St John’s Medical College, Bengaluru; they must book a slot and appear for verification at KEA, Bengaluru.
How to register
Register through the KEA portal at cetonline.karnataka.gov.in/kea and select the “UGNEET-2026 new registration” link once the window opens. KEA has reiterated that, following the NMC letter of 24 July 2023, all counselling rounds including the Stray Vacancy Round will be conducted only by KEA in online mode.
Key dates and details
- Registration opens: 2:00 PM, 17 July 2026
- Registration closes: 11:00 AM, 24 July 2026
- Who should apply: NEET UG 2026 candidates who did not register for the Karnataka CET (UGCET) 2026
- Already registered for KCET-2026? No fresh registration; add your NEET roll number through the link KEA will publish
- Courses: MBBS, BDS, Ayurveda, Homoeopathy, Unani
- Portal: cetonline.karnataka.gov.in/kea
Source: KEA notification No. ED/KEA/ADMN/CR-11/2026 dated 16 July 2026, “New Registration for admission to MBBS, BDS and Ayurveda / Homoeopathy / Unani Courses in the State of Karnataka – 2026”.