IAS Eligibility 2026: Check Age Limit & Qualification

IAS Eligibility 2026 is set by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). It includes nationality, age limit (with age relaxation for reserved category candidates), educational requirements, and number of attempts. Eligibility criteria for IAS exam 2026 require candidates to be Indian citizens, have a bachelor’s degree from a recognised university, and be within the age limit of 21 to 32 years. Final‑year students awaiting their Graduation results are also eligible to apply for IAS exam 2026, but they must have passed it before the Mains.

IAS Nationality Criteria 2026

IAS 2026 nationality criteria require candidates to fulfil the following requirements:

Candidate must be either:-

• a citizen of India, or
• a subject of Nepal, or
• a subject of Bhutan, or
• a Tibetan refugee who came over to India before 1st January, 1962 with the intention of permanently settling in India, or
• a person of Indian origin who has migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka, or East African countries of Kenya, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Zaire, Ethiopia and Vietnam with the intention of permanently settling in India.

A candidate coming from the above mentioned country shall provide a certificate of eligibility that was issued by the Government of India.

IAS Age Limit 2026

IAS 2026 age limit criteria require candidates to have attained 21 years of age. For General category students, the upper age limit is 32 years of age. This means that candidates must have been born not earlier than August 2, 1994 and not later than August 1, 2005. However, UPSC has provided age relaxation for candidates from the reserved category as mentioned below:

IAS Educational Qualification 2026

IAS 2026 educational qualification requires candidates to hold a bachelor’s degree in any discipline from a recognised university or institution. Degrees from deemed universities and equivalent qualifications recognised by the Government of India are also accepted. Final-year students awaiting results are eligible to apply provisionally. However, candidates must produce proof of passing the degree examination before appearing in IAS Mains exam 2026.

IAS Number of Attempts 2026

IAS 2026 Number of Attempts defines how many times a candidate can appear for the IAS exam based on their category. For general candidates, there is a fixed number of attempts. But reserved categories receive relaxation as per UPSC rules, as given below:

One-Time Improvement Chance for UPSC CSE 2026 (In Points)

• Candidates allotted IPS or Central Services Group ‘A’ through UPSC CSE 2026 get a one-time chance to reappear in CSE 2027.

• They must take an official exemption from joining the training of the 2026-allotted service to use this option.

• This training exemption is allowed only once and only for appearing in CSE 2027.

• If a candidate is selected again in CSE 2027, they can choose either the 2026 or 2027 service allocation.

• The unselected allocation will be cancelled automatically.

• If the candidate does not get any service in CSE 2027, they can join the service allotted in CSE 2026.

• Failure to join training or take exemption will lead to cancellation of the 2026 allocation.

• Such candidates cannot appear in CSE 2028 or later exams unless they resign from the allotted service.

Candidates applying for IAS exam 2026 must ensure that they meet all eligibility conditions prescribed by UPSC. They will be required to produce valid proof of age, education, and category during the document verification (DV) stage. If a candidate fails to establish eligibility at DV, their candidature is liable to be cancelled. Qualifying IAS exam does not guarantee final selection.