CDS Eligibility Criteria 2026 – Age Limit, Qualification, Nationality

CDS 1 Eligibility Criteria - Overview

Candidates can check the some basic details about the UPSC CDS exam from the below table.

CDS 1 Eligibility Criteria 2026- As Per UPSC Guidelines

Candidates applying for the Combined Defence Services examination must go through the UPSC CDS exam eligibility guidelines before proceeding to fill the application form. Below mentioned are some of the CDS 1 eligibility 2026.

CDS 2026 - Nationality

Candidates applying for the CDS examination must fall in one of the below mentioned nationality to be eligible. Check the table below.

CDS nationality eligibility criteria

Note - For more detailed information on the CDS 2026 eligibility check the official notification.

CDS 1 Age Limit 2026

The CDS age limit of all the candidates of various courses are mentioned in the table below. There is no CDS age limit relaxation for reserved category candidates in the CDS exam 2026.

CDS age limit criteria for candidates

Other Related Articles

• CDS Exam Pattern 2026
• CDS Syllabus 2026

CDS Educational Qualification 2026

CDS recruitment is done for various courses in the three Indian Defence Services - Army, Air Force and Navy, which have different educational qualification requirements. Educational requirements for all the CDS courses are mentioned in the table.

CDS educational qualification

CDS 2026 - Physical Fitness

Candidates applying for CDS must be physically fit in all aspects as prescribed by the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force. Below given are a few points for the physical standards required for the CDS exam.

1. Applicants must be physically fit as per the prescribed physical standard of UPSC and the relevant defence department.

2. Candidates must be in good physical and sound mental health and free from any disease/ disability that can interfere in the performance of their duties.

3. There should be no evidence of bodily defects or overweight.

4. The minimum height requirement for male applicants is 157.5 cm. for Army, 157 cm for Navy and 162.5 cm for Air Force.

5. The minimum height of female candidates should be 152 cm for OTA (non-technical).

6. For candidates belonging to Gorkhas and hills of the North-Eastern region of India, Garhwali and Kumaon, 5 cm height relaxation is provided in the minimum acceptable height. In the case of applicants from Lakshadweep, 2 cm relaxation is provided.

7. They should have a sufficient number of natural teeth. A minimum of 14 dental points will be acceptable for CDS recruitment. If all 32 teeth are present, the total dental points are 22.

8. Check the vision standard for all the defence services in the tables below:

CDS visual standard for Air Force

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CDS visual standard for Navy

Note: For more detailed information on the CDS eligibility criteria 2026, check the CDS 2026 official notification.

Check the eligibility criteria for other exams conducted by UPSC

• UPSC ESE Eligibility Criteria 2026
• UPSC IAS Eligibility Criteria 2026
• NDA Eligibility Criteria 2026

CDS Application Form 2026

The Union Public Service Commission has released the CDS 1 application form 2026 on December 10, 2025 on the official website. The UPSC CDS 2025 application form last date is December 30, 2025. Aspirants who meet the CDS 2026 eligibility criteria are eligible to fill the application form. To apply for the CDS 1 2026 exam, candidates first need to complete the One Time Registration (OTR) themselves and then fill out the CDS exam form. To successfully complete the CDS application process, candidates must pay a fee of Rs 200 if they belong to the general category and NIL if they are from the reserved category/ female.