A subject of Nepal can apply for the NDA, with one condition. UPSC’s notice for the National Defence Academy and Naval Academy Examination (II), 2026 lists a subject of Nepal among the eligible nationalities and asks for a certificate of eligibility from the Government of India, except for Gorkha subjects of Nepal, who do not need one. All of the examination’s 86 centres are in India, so a candidate from Nepal crosses the border to write the paper. This page quotes the nationality clause, lists the other eligibility conditions of the same notice, shows where the paper is held and sets out the land routes to Dehradun, where GS India Defence Academy provides residential classroom coaching.
Can a Nepali citizen join the NDA?
The notice says a candidate must be unmarried, male or female, and must belong to one of three nationality categories. The table reproduces them in plain words. Read the notice itself rather than a summary, because the list of countries has changed over the years and some older websites still repeat it differently.
| Category in the notice | Who it covers | Certificate of eligibility |
|---|---|---|
| (i) Citizen of India | Indian citizens | Not mentioned as required |
| (ii) Subject of Nepal | Subjects of Nepal | Required, issued by the Government of India; not necessary for Gorkha subjects of Nepal |
| (iii) Person of Indian origin | People of Indian origin who migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Zaire, Ethiopia or Vietnam to settle permanently in India | Required, issued by the Government of India |
The CDS (II) 2026 notice carries the same clause and adds that a candidate who needs the certificate may be admitted to that examination provisionally, if the Government gives the certificate before the result is declared. The NDA notice does not repeat that sentence, so a Nepali candidate for the NDA should not assume it applies and should have the certificate in hand by the time the Commission asks for documents.
Does a Gorkha subject of Nepal need a certificate?
According to the notice, no. It states that a certificate of eligibility is not necessary for candidates who are Gorkha subjects of Nepal. The notice does not define who counts as a Gorkha subject or say what proof the Commission will want, and it does not describe how to obtain the certificate that other subjects of Nepal need. Questions on those points should go to the Commission through upsc.gov.in before the application window closes, not after.
What other conditions does the same notice set?
The table shows the NDA (II) 2026 conditions that apply equally to Indian and Nepali candidates. The date window moves with each notice, so a student must check the notice for the exam he or she is aiming at.
| Condition | NDA and NA (II) 2026 notice |
|---|---|
| Marital status | Unmarried; a candidate must undertake not to marry until training is complete |
| Date of birth | Born not earlier than 1 January 2008 and not later than 1 January 2011 |
| Army wing of the NDA | Class 12 pass of the 10+2 pattern, or an equivalent examination, from a State Education Board or a University |
| Air Force and Naval wings, and the 10+2 Cadet Entry Scheme | Class 12 pass with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics |
| Candidates still in Class 12 | May apply |
| Proof of date of birth | Matriculation or Secondary School Leaving Certificate, or a certificate an Indian University recognises as equivalent, or a university’s register extract; horoscopes, affidavits and similar documents are not accepted |
The notice speaks of a 10+2 pattern from a State Education Board or a University and does not say how a Nepali board certificate is treated. A Nepali student should ask the Commission whether his or her certificate counts, and what the equivalent is for the date-of-birth proof, before relying on it. Our NDA eligibility guide and the eligibility checker cover the conditions for Indian candidates.
Where does a candidate from Nepal write the paper?
The 86 centres in the NDA (II) 2026 notice are all Indian cities, and there is none in Nepal. Centres are allotted first-apply-first-allot up to a ceiling, and UPSC says it will not change a centre on request. On our city data the nearest centre to Kathmandu, by straight line, is Gorakhpur, about 217 km away. Patna, Gaya, Lucknow, Varanasi, Delhi, Dehradun and Almora are also in the list. Students from far-west Nepal who cross at Banbasa should compare Bareilly and the Uttarakhand centres with Gorakhpur on a map before choosing.
How do you travel from Nepal to Dehradun by land?
Three crossings are the usual choices, each with a different Indian railhead. Our research did not cover immigration or border procedure, so this section gives only the geography and the Indian-side trains. The Indian railway times were read from erail.in on 12 October 2026, so confirm them on IRCTC or NTES before booking.
| Crossing (India side / Nepal side) | Onward point in India | Dehradun trains in our data |
|---|---|---|
| Banbasa, Uttarakhand / Mahendranagar | Tanakpur, the railhead nearby; UTC lists a Tanakpur-Dehradun bus service via Mahendranagar | 15020 Tanakpur-Dehradun Express, 19:35 to 07:35 next day (12h 00m), Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday |
| Sunauli, Uttar Pradesh / Bhairahawa | Gorakhpur, roughly 80 to 90 km by road, which is also a UPSC centre | 15001 Muzaffarpur-Dehradun Express (Monday) and 15005 Rapti Ganga Express (Wednesday and Friday), both Gorakhpur 21:15 to Dehradun 14:15 (17h 00m) |
| Raxaul, Bihar / Birgunj | Patna, roughly 230 km by road, which is also a UPSC centre | 13037 Kumbha Express (five days, not Tuesday or Friday) and 13035 Upasana Express (Tuesday and Friday), Patna 21:15 to Dehradun 18:10 (20h 55m) |
For scale, our routing estimate puts the road from Kathmandu to the academy at about 1,057 km, roughly 14 hours without stops. Rules on identity documents at the border can change, and crossings can be restricted at short notice, so check with the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu or the border authorities before you travel; we do not give immigration advice. The pages for Patna, the Uttar Pradesh hub and the Uttarakhand hub give more on each Indian leg.
What does coaching in Dehradun involve for a student from Nepal?
The academy teaches in classrooms only, with no online classes, and offers SSB-focused preparation alongside NDA coaching. Students live in separate boys’ and girls’ hostels with a mess; see hostel and mess. Dehradun is home to the Indian Military Academy. The notice accepts unmarried women as well as men, and the NDA coaching for girls page and the guide to NDA eligibility for girls cover that route. A student who has just passed Class 10 can read about the NDA Foundation course. Enrolment for a student from another country is a conversation to have before you travel, so call or WhatsApp +91 70170 31757 and ask for free counselling; the team can explain the process, and the fee structure page shows how fees are confirmed.
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Ask on WhatsAppCan a Nepali citizen join the NDA?
The UPSC NDA (II) 2026 notice lists a subject of Nepal among the eligible categories. A certificate of eligibility from the Government of India is required, except for Gorkha subjects of Nepal. Read the current notice for each new examination.
Do Gorkha subjects of Nepal need a certificate of eligibility?
No. The notice states that the certificate is not necessary for candidates who are Gorkha subjects of Nepal. It does not say what proof of status the Commission will ask for, so ask UPSC.
Is there an NDA exam centre in Nepal?
No. All 86 centres in the NDA (II) 2026 notice are in India. Candidates from Nepal choose a listed Indian centre such as Gorakhpur, Patna, Lucknow, Delhi or Dehradun.
Can a girl from Nepal apply for the NDA?
The notice speaks of unmarried male and female candidates, and the nationality conditions are the same for both. Check the vacancies and the wings open to women in the current notice.
Which Indian town should a student from Nepal travel through?
That depends on the crossing. Sunauli leads to Gorakhpur, Raxaul to Patna, and Banbasa to Tanakpur, each with Dehradun trains in our timetable data. Confirm schedules on IRCTC.
Can a Nepali student stay in a hostel at the academy?
The academy has separate hostels for boys and girls, with a mess. Admission for a student from another country should be discussed before travel; call or WhatsApp +91 70170 31757.
Sources
UPSC notices: NDA and NA (II) 2026 (nationality clause, age, education, centres) and CDS (II) 2026, both dated 20 May 2026; the Commission’s site is upsc.gov.in. Buses: UTC route list. Trains: erail.in, to be re-checked on IRCTC or NTES. Road distances and drive times: OSRM routing over OpenStreetMap, approximate. Border-town pairings and the road distances from Sunauli and Raxaul are approximate and come from general map references, not from an official border list. Facts verified on 12 October 2026.
A student from Nepal who has finished Class 12 can start with our NDA coaching in Dehradun, taught in classrooms at the academy.
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