UPSC IAS Eligibility Criteria 2026 - Age, Qualification, Nationality, Medical Standards

Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) will mention the IAS 2026 eligibility criteria in the official notification at upsc.gov.in. The UPSC CSE eligibility criteria 2026 is based on nationality, age limit, educational qualification, number of attempts, and medical standards. As per the exam eligibility criteria, candidates between the age group of 21 to 32 years with a graduation degree are eligible to apply for the UPSC IAS exam. Interested applicants needed to check the UPSC IAS eligibility criteria thoroughly. Applicants belonging to the reserved category will be eligible for relaxation in the UPSC age limit criteria.

This Story also Contains

1. UPSC IAS Eligibility Criteria 2026 - Overview
2. IAS Eligibility Criteria 2026
3. IAS Application Form 2026

UPSC IAS Eligibility Criteria 2026 - Overview

Aspirants can check the UPSC IAS eligibility and other details related to the exam in the below table.

UPSC IAS Exam Highlights

IAS Eligibility Criteria 2026

The IAS eligibility criteria has multiple components which together determine the eligibility of candidates for the examination. The different components of IAS eligibility are mentioned below:

• Nationality

• IAS age limit

• Educational Qualification

• Attempt limit

• Medical standards

UPSC IAS Eligibility Criteria - Nationality

According to the UPSC IAS eligibility, any candidate who is a citizen of India can apply for the exam. More details on the IAS 2026 eligibility on nationality are mentioned below.

1. Citizen of India or

2. A subject of Nepal/ Bhutan or

3. Tibetan refugee who came to India, to permanently settle here before January 1, 1962, or

4. People of Indian origin who migrated from Uganda, Burma, Pakistan, Zambia, the United Republic of Tanzania, Malawi, Sri Lanka, East African Countries of Kenya, Zaire, Ethiopia and Vietnam to permanently settle in India.

Note: Applicants belonging to categories 2, 3 and 4 in whose favour a certificate of eligibility has been issued by the Government of India are eligible to apply in the examination.

Other Quick Links: IAS exam dates 2026

IAS Eligibility Criteria 2026 - Age Limit

Union Public Service Commission prescribes the age limit in the official UPSC IAS notification 2026. As per the age limit eligibility criteria, those between 21 to 32 years as of August 1, 2025, can fill out the IAS application form 2026. Applicants belonging to the reserved category are eligible for age relaxation as per the rules set by UPSC. For more details on IAS exam age limit and age relaxation, check the tables below:

UPSC IAS age limit 2026 eligibility criteria

IAS eligibility criteria 2026 - Age Relaxation

Quick Links: UPSC IAS 2026 syllabus

UPSC IAS Eligibility Criteria 2026 - Educational Qualification

The educational qualifications that one must have to be eligible to apply for the Civil Services 2026 exam for all the posts will be mentioned in the notification. They must hold a graduation degree in any discipline from a recognised university as laid down under the law. For more details on the IAS educational qualifications, check the table below:

IAS education qualification

Note: Applicants awaiting their final graduation result can also apply for IAS exam. And there is no minimum UPSC qualification percentage required.

Other Links: How to prepare for IAS exam 2026

UPSC IAS Eligibility Criteria 2026 - UPSC attempts limit

The Commission also mentions the number of UPSC attempt limits for every category of candidates. The minimum number of attempts will be given to General/ EWS category applicants. For more information on the UPSC attempt limit, check the table below:

UPSC attempt and age limit

Note: As per the UPSC rules, not withstanding the disqualification/ cancellation of candidature, the appearance of the applicant in the IAS exam will count as an attempt.

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IAS Eligibility Criteria 2026 - Medical Standard

Candidates appearing in the IAS exam must be physically fit and have a sound mind. After the CSE personality test, the selected candidates undergo several medical tests at the medical centre notified by the commission. Candidates must pass all the medical tests to get admitted to any of the services.

Note: For more details on the medical requirements for the CSE exam read the eligibility criteria in the official IAS notification 2026.

Who are not eligible to apply for Civil Services Exam

According to the IAS eligibility criteria 2026, applicants who are serving in the Indian Administrative Services (IAS)/ Indian Foreign Services (IFS)/ Indian Police Services (IPS) can not appear for the IAS exam 2026 unless and until they resign from their current deputation.

IAS Application Form 2026

UPSC will release the UPSC IAS 2026 application form on January 14, 2026 on the official website. The UPSC IAS application form 2026 will be closed on February 3, 2026. The IAS application form has two parts - One Time Registration (OTR) and filling application form. On successful completion of both parts of the IAS application process, applicants will receive a confirmation regarding the same.