CDS Eligibility Criteria 2026: Age Limit, Qualification & Nationality Requirements

The Combined Defence Services (CDS) Examination is a prestigious national-level entrance test conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to recruit Commissioned Officers. Held twice annually, the CDS 2026 exams are scheduled for April and September. Successful candidates are inducted into the Indian Military Academy, Indian Naval Academy, Indian Air Force Academy, and Officers Training Academy. Meeting the official UPSC CDS Eligibility Criteria 2026 is mandatory for all applicants. Review this guide to understand the essential age limits, educational prerequisites, nationality rules, and more.

UPSC CDS Eligibility 2026

The Union Public Service Commission specifies detailed eligibility requirements for the CDS 2 2026 examination within its official notification. Generally, unmarried male and female graduates aged between 19 and 25 are eligible to apply for the Combined Defence Services Examination 2026. Selection is determined by a rigorous written examination followed by a service selection board interview. Qualified candidates are placed in academies based on merit and individual preference. Below are the key factors determining your eligibility for the CDS 1 and 2 2026 exams.

• Citizenship/Nationality
• Educational Qualification
• Age Limit, Marital Status & Gender

CDS 2 Notification 2026 Released for 451 Vacancies – Click Here for Details

CDS Age Limit 2026

1. Only unmarried male candidates will be eligible for the Indian Military Academy, the candidates must be born between 2nd January 2001 to 1st January 2006 to get eligible.
2. Indian Naval Academy(INA): Only unmarried male candidates will be eligible, who are born between 2nd January 2001 to 1st January 2006.
3. Air Force Academy- The candidates whose age lies between 20 to 24 years, who are born between 2nd January 2001 to 1st January 2005 will be eligible and those who have a valid and current Commercial Pilot Licence issued by the DGCA(India) will get an age relaxation of up to 26 years.
4. Officers Training Academy (SSC Course for Men): Only unmarried males are eligible who were born between 2nd January 2000  and 1st January 2006.
5. For Officers' Training Academy—(SSC Women Non-Technical Course) Unmarried women, issueless widows who have not remarried and issueless divorcees (in possession of divorce documents) who have not remarried are eligible. They should have been born not earlier than 2nd January 2000 and not later than 1st January 2006.

Refer to the following table for a comprehensive breakdown of age limits and marital status requirements:

Academy	Age Limit	Marital Status
Indian Military Academy (IMA)	19 – 24 Years	Unmarried
Indian Naval Academy (INA)	19 - 22 Years	Unmarried
Air Force Academy	19 - 23 Years	<25 years unmarried or >25 years both married and unmarried.
Officers’ Training Academy (SSC Women Non-Technical Course)	19 - 25 Years	Unmarried females, issueless widows who haven’t remarried, and issueless divorcees who have not remarried are eligible.
Officers’ Training Academy (SSC Course for Men)	19 - 25 Years	Unmarried

CDS Educational Qualifications 2026

UPSC mandates specific educational qualifications for the CDS exam. Candidates must hold a recognized Bachelor's degree to be eligible. Please review the following mandatory educational guidelines carefully:

1. Candidates who have filled the first choice as Army/Navy/Air Force must carry the graduation certificate in the SSB interview.
2. The candidates who are in the final year of graduation can also apply provided they do not have any backlog, such candidates have to submit the passing degree certificate at the time of commencement of the course.

The detailed academic requirements for CDS admission are outlined in the table below:

Academy	Education Qualification
Indian Military Academy (IMA) and Officers’ Training Academy (OTA)	Bachelor’s Degree from a recognised university
Indian Naval Academy (INA)	Bachelors in Engineering from a recognised University
Air Force Academy (AFA)	Graduation with Physics and Mathematics at the 10+2 level. or Bachelor of Engineering (B.E./B.Tech) degree.

CDS Nationality /Citizenship 2026

To qualify for the CDS examination, candidates must satisfy the nationality and citizenship criteria set by the UPSC, which include the following categories:

1. A citizen of India, or
2. A subject of Nepal, or
3. A subject of Bhutan, or
4. Refugees from Tibet who are permanently settled in India before January 1, 1962.
5. An Indian origin migrated from nations like Kenya, the United Republic of Tanzania, Malawi, Zaire, Zambia, Ethiopia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Burma, East African countries of Uganda, and Vietnam intending to permanently settle in India.

Applicants falling under categories 2, 3, 4, and 5 must provide a valid certificate of eligibility issued by the Government of India. Note that Gorkhas originating from Nepal are exempt from submitting this specific eligibility certificate.

Important Instructions

Please take note of these crucial application guidelines:

1. If candidates don’t fulfil the eligibility criteria prescribed by the commission, the candidature of such candidates will be declared null or void at any stage of recruitment.
2. If the candidate is found guilty after the appointment, in such cases the candidate will be terminated from the services.
3. UPSC will conduct document verification after the personality test of candidates, the candidates have to produce valid documents at the time of document verification.
4. Male divorcee applicants will not be considered unmarried. Thus, they will not be eligible for the CDS exam.
5. Change in date of birth will not be allowed at any stage of recruitment.
6. The candidates aged below 25 years must be unmarried. The marriage will not be permitted during the training period.
7. Candidates above 25 years of age will be eligible to apply for their respective academy but during the training period they will not be provided with married accommodation and they won’t be allowed to live with family outside the premises..