Indian Foreign Service Eligibility Criteria

The Indian Foreign Service (IFS) is one of the most sought-after services in the UPSC Exam. An IFS officer represents his/her India at the international level by being its representative at many events and deals with India’s external affairs in terms of cultural, diplomatic, trade aspects.

The eligibility criteria for the Indian Foreign Service is the same for other Civil Services. What those eligibility criteria are will be discussed at length in this article.

Eligibility Conditions for IFS

The Eligibility Conditions for the IFS is based on the following criteria:

1. Nationality
2. Age Limit
3. Educational Qualification

1. Nationality: Candidate must be either:-

1. A citizen of India, or
2. A subject of Nepal, or
3. A subject of Bhutan, or
4. A Tibetan refugee who came to India before 1st January 1962 intending to settle in India permanently, or
5. A person of Indian origin (PIO) who has migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka, East African countries of Kenya, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Ethiopia, Zaire and Vietnam intending to settle in India permanently.

• The candidates belonging to categories (2), (3), (4) and (5) should furnish a certificate of eligibility issued by the Government of India. Such candidates may take the exam before getting the said certificate of eligibility, but he/she would get the offer of appointment only after the Government of India has issued the certificate.
• Point to Note: A person belonging to categories (2), (3) and (4) are not eligible for appointment to the Indian Foreign Service (IFS)

2. Age Limit: The candidates must have attained 21 years of age and be less than 32 years of age as of 1st August 2022 i.e The candidate must have been born not earlier than 2nd August, 1990 and not later than 1st August, 2001.

*Note: The age limit is as per the 2022 UPSC notification. In case of any changes in the 2023 UPSC notification, this article will update accordingly.

The UPSC also allows Age Relaxation for candidates belonging to certain categories. The age relaxation is as follows:

3. Educational Qualification

The various academic requirements as per the IFS Eligibility Criteria are given below:

• Minimum qualification for UPSC exam: The candidate must hold a degree from Government recognised Universities or possess an equivalent qualification.
• Candidates who are in their final year or awaiting results are also eligible to appear for UPSC preliminary Examination. All such candidates who are likely to appear for the exams must produce proof of having passed the said examination along with the application for the main examination.
• Candidates having professional and technical qualifications recognised by the Government as equivalent to professional and technical degrees.

To know in detail about the eligibility criteria of other UPSC exams, visit the linked article

Frequently asked questions about IFS Eligibility

Who is eligible for Indian Foreign Services?

Candidate’s age will be a minimum of 21 years and a maximum of 30 years(as in the year of the examination) of the year of examination. The candidate should be 21 years old. The candidate will not be allowed to appear in the exam if above 29 years.

How are IFS officers selected?

IFS and IAS officers get selected through the same examination, which is the Civil Services Examination. Services and cadres are allocated as per the Cadre Allocation Policy of the UPSC after the declaration of the UPSC merit list.

How many IFS are selected every year?

There are very few vacancies for the IFS each year. On average, only about 35 successful candidates are chosen for the Indian Foreign Service.

Candidates can refer to the following links for more information on other articles related to the Indian Foreign Service.