Are NRIs Eligible to Appear for UPSC Civil Services Exam?

So, are you an NRI who wants to appear in the civil services examination?

Like you, there are hundreds of non-residents who intend to join the Indian civil services. They often look for a golden opportunity to appear and become an IAS, IFS, or IPS officer. The reasons are many to appear in it. The power that these services bring along is unprecedented. You can be a bureaucrat one day, and also get honour and respect in society for being in a prestigious position.

Now that you’re willing, it’s compulsory to find out if NRIs can actually appear in the UPSC examinations.

Well, its answer lies in the fact that residents of India have this right.

If you look into the status of non-residents, they are citizens of India. But, they are off to the foreign temporarily. So, it’s often confusing if they are eligible for this prestigious examination.

This blog will clear it all.

Who Is Eligible for the UPSC Examination in India?

The fact is that every native who has his root in India is the right fit person to appear in this examination.

A survey clears the picture of how many Indians have been shifted to foreign countries temporarily. It highlights nearly 31.2 million Indians who intended to study and work in the US, UK, Australia, Europe, or any other country. Daily Social newspaper claims that nearly 4.1 million, 4 million, 3.5 million, and 2.4 million Indians have been temporarily moved to Nepal, Saudi Arabia, the USA, and Malaysia respectively.

Out of these, many non-residents intend to be designated for various prestigious positions in the Indian administration.  They can be leading IAS, IFS, or other ones if they achieve success in this exam.

Even if you’re an Indian by birth, you need to sustain the nativity or citizenship of India. To get a clear picture, go through the eligibility criteria for the UPSC IAS exams.

Here is the criterion to check.

Eligibility in View of Nationality

•  Those who have Indian nationality can easily give these civil services examinations. Those who have given up Indian nationality for obtaining foreign citizenship should have to surrender their foreign citizenship and then, apply for the examination. Even if the aspirants are foreigners, their ancestors originated from this country, and they have been shifted at the time of Partition in 1947, can apply for citizenship of India.

•  Moreover, they have to apply for the Indian Passport so that it can be proof of their Indian citizenship to apply for this exam.

•  Non-residents with the eligibility certificate can apply for posts such as IAS, IPS, & IFS. This is the final test at the time of selection when just the appointment letter is due to obtain. Without this eligibility certificate, they can never be eligible for the appointment. 

Eligibility by Age

Here, you can go through the classification of the candidates with their specific age limits. Commonly, it is necessary to be at least 21 years of age.  An eligible candidate can re-attempt many times. Here is an overview of everything-age, attempts, & categories.

Categories	Candidates age (excluding Jammu & Kashmir	Candidates belonging to Jammu & Kashmir	Criteria for attempts (excluding Jammu & Kashmir)	Criteria for attempts for candidates belonging to Jammu & Kashmir
General category	32 Years	37 Years	6 Times	Unlimited Times
No. of questions	35 Years	40 Years	9 Times	Unlimited Times
Overall duration	37 Years	42 Years	Unlimited Times	Unlimited Times
Questions type	42 Years	42 Years	9 Times	Unlimited Times

Eligibility by Qualification

It requires a Bachelor's degree in any subject from a recognised university. Even if you’re in the final year, you are eligible. Just ensure that the final result will be out before the time of the appointment.

Even if you are a graduate of a foreign university, you are eligible. Let’s say you did your MBBS from a foreign university. You may appear in the FMGE, which is the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination. It is for those candidates who did their MBBS in foreign, and now are practicing in India. It won’t impact your eligibility as you are still an Indian citizen. Furthermore, it means that you are eligible for UPSC.

These criteria make it clear if the non-residents or NRIs are eligible to appear in the UPSC examination. 

Summary

NRIs are eligible for the UPSC examination provided that they have given up or surrendered their foreign citizenship. They should have an Indian passport and be at least 21 years of age. It won’t matter if you have done graduation in any subject from abroad. It only requires a bachelor's degree or equivalent degree.