NIFT Eligibility Criteria 2026: Check Educational Qualification, Age Limit & Other Documents

Summary: NIFT Eligibility Criteria 2026 defines prerequisites for prospective fashion students at the National Institute of Fashion Technology. It's a crucial read to meet NIFT entrance eligibility and embark on a rewarding fashion career through NIFT! 

Whether you dream of designing cutting-edge couture or envisioning yourself shaping the future of fashion management, NIFT or National Institute of Fashion Technology can help you transform these dreams into reality.

The prestigious institute has 19 campuses in India and a total of 4837 seats across all UG and PG programs. In order to secure one of these for yourself, you'll need to apply for and crack the NIFT entrance exam. And to be able to appear for this exam, the first step is to comprehend the NIFT Eligibility 2026 and the prerequisites set forth by the authorities.  

Please note NIFT has yet to release the brochure for the academic year 2026 with the latest NIFT updates. Watch this space or visit NIFT official website for any latest news, notifications or happenings related to the institute.

This post will help you understand the NIFT exam eligibility matrix for every fashion course offered at the institute.

NIFT Eligibility Criteria and Courses Details 2026

NIFT Entrance Exam Overview

NIFT offers various UG and PG design courses in fashion and related domains like Fashion Design, Accessory Design, Apparel Production, Fashion Communication etc

The list of Programs at the UG level are - 

• B.Des
• BF.Tech

And the list of programs at the PG level are:

• M.Des
• M.FTech
• M.F.M

If you wish to secure admissions in NIFT, you must meet the eligibility conditions which are specific to each program. Please note that the application form is designed in such a way that the non-eligible candidates will be eliminated at the time of online submission of application.

Keep reading as we discuss the NIFT eligibility criteria including both age limit and educational qualifications for all the undergraduate and postgraduate NIFT programs. 

Know more:How to fill NIFT Application Form

NIFT Eligibility 2026 for UG Programs

B.Des and B.FTech are the undergraduate degrees available after passing the NIFT entrance exams. The NIFT exam eligibility age restrictions may remain pretty consistent for all programs, however, the educational requirements for taking the entrance may vary.

Know more: NIFT Exam Day Instructions

1. Age Limit for NIFT UG Programs:

The maximum age should be less than 24 years as of August 1 of the admission year as per the NIFT entrance exam eligibility criteria 2026. The upper age limit may be relaxed by five years for candidates of Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe/Person with Disability (PWD) categories.

Know more:How to download NIFT Admit card 

2. NIFT Eligibility Criteria 2026: Education Qualification for UG (B.Des & B.FTech)

The eligibility criteria for the NIFT entrance exam for B.Des are as follows: 

• Passed the Plus 2 level examination in the 10+2 pattern of examination from any recognized Central/State Board of Secondary Examination, such as Central Board of Secondary Education / State Board New Delhi / Council for Indian School of Certificate Examination, New Delhi. 
• A pass grade in the Senior Secondary School Examination conducted by the National Open School with a minimum of five subjects. 
• Any Public School/Board/University Examination in India or foreign countries recognized by the Association of Indian Universities as equivalent to the 10+2 system. 
• General Certificate Education (GCE) Examination (London/Cambridge/Sri-Lanka) at the Advanced (A) level/International Baccalaureate (IB).

Know more:NIFT Question Paper

The eligibility criteria for the NIFT entrance exam for BF.Tech is as follows:

• Passed the Plus 2 level examination in the 10+2 pattern of examination from any recognized Central/State Board of Secondary Examination, such as Central Board of Secondary Education, New Delhi / Council for Indian School of Certificate Examination, New Delhi with Mathematics. 
• Or a passing grade in the Senior Secondary School Examination conducted by the National Open School, with a minimum of five subjects, including Mathematics.
• Or Any Public School/Board/University Examination in India or foreign countries recognized by the Association of Indian Universities as equivalent to a 10+2 system with Mathematics. 
• Or General Certificate Education (GCE) Examination (London/Cambridge/Sri-Lanka) at the advanced (A) level with Physics and Mathematics / International Baccalaureate (IB). 

Know more: Check Salary After NIFT

Note: Candidates appearing for their Board examinations in the year of Admission can also apply, subject to fulfilling necessary eligibility conditions at the time of seat allotment /admission, as mentioned in the Admission Prospectus.

Resource: NIFT 2026 is just 7 months away. After confirming your eligibility, start preparing smart with the Complete NIFT Syllabus and 7 months Preparation Plan FREE PDF curated by NIFT Alumni and utilized by thousands of past NIFT toppers at CreativEdge.

Download PYPs with Solutions to Boost Your NIFT 2026 Preparations

NIFT Eligibility Criteria 2026 for PG Programs

If you want to apply for PG design courses through NIFT for advanced knowledge and skills in fashion related design, management and technology, you can choose from the following courses.

• Master of Design (M.Des)
• Master of Fashion Management (MFM)
• Master in Fashion Technology (MF.Tech)

Check: NIFT Syllabus

Go through the detailed eligibility for the NIFT entrance exam for NIFT Masters program below:

1. Age Limit for NIFT PG Programs

Per the NIFT eligibility criteria, there is no upper age limit for applying to the Master of Design Program.

2. Educational Qualification for Master's Programmes (M.Des., M.F.M and M.F.Tech)

- NIFT Admission Eligibility Criteria 2026 for Master of Design (M.Des): Undergraduate Degree in any discipline from any Institute / University recognized by law in India or Undergraduate Diploma of a minimum of three years duration from NIFT / NID.

- NIFT Exam Eligibility Criteria 2026 for Master of Fashion Management (M.F.M): Undergraduate Degree in any discipline from any Institute / University recognized by law in India or Undergraduate Diploma of a minimum of three years from NIFT / NID.

- NIFT Entrance Exam Eligibility Criteria 2026 for Master of Fashion Technology (M.F.Tech.): B.F.Tech. from the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) or B.E / B.Tech. from any Institute / University recognized by law in India or B.FTech from any institute/university recognized by law in India.

Know more: Life at NIFT 

NIFT Eligibility Criteria 2026 for Foreign Nationals/ NRI/ OCI/ SAARC

Foreign Nationals and Non-Resident Indians who are citizens of India holding an Indian passport and have temporarily immigrated to another country for six months or more for work, residence, or any other purpose can also apply for NIFT 2026

1. Age Limit

• NIFT Exam Eligibility Criteria 2026 for UG Program: Your age should be less than 24 years of 01 August 2026. However, per the NIFT age eligibility, you will be given five years of age relaxation if you belong to the Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe/ Person with Disability (PWD) categories.
• NIFT Eligibility 2026 for PG Program: The minimum age should be 20 years, and there are no upper age limit criteria to apply for PG programs.

Check: NIFT MFM Eligibility Criteria 2026

2. Educational Qualification

• Suppose you have a degree certificate from a university or board of any country other than India, you must obtain an equivalence certificate from the Association of Indian Universities (AIU), New Delhi, before Admission. 

• The candidates should have appeared for for GRE/GMAT/SAT tests before applying for admission under this category.

Candidates who fulfil the NIFT admission criteria for this category may apply online for the exam with required application fee of around US $125 through the online NIFT payment gateway.

Learn more: How To Prepare For NIFT Entrance Exam 2024

Free Demo Classes to Ace the NIFT 2026 Exam

Prepare with: NIFT Mock Test 2026

NIFT Eligibility Criteria 2026 for State Domicile

Check the Eligibility Criteria for NIFT 2026 below.

• You should have a certificate from the school/ college in the concerned state.
• If you have obtained the degree certificate through distance learning, the school address you attended regularly will determine your domicile status.
• State Domicile Preferential Seats will be offered to candidates from the following nine states.

Know more:How to prepare for NIFT exam at home

NIFT Campus	State
Patna	Bihar
Kangra	Himachal Pradesh
Kannur	Kerala
Bhopal	Madhya Pradesh
Shillong	Meghalaya, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram, Sikkim, Nagaland and Tripura
Bhubaneswar	Odisha
Jodhpur	Rajasthan
Srinagar	Jammu and Kashmir
Panchkula	Haryana
Daman	Daman, Diu, Dadra, Nagar Haveli and Lakshadweep

Attempt Free Mock Tests for 100% in NIFT Exam 2026

Refer: NIFT Preparation Books 2026

NIFT 2026 Eligibility Criteria: Reservation of Seats

In each program, a certain percentage of seats are reserved for candidates in the categories given below.

NIFT Exam Eligibility 2026 - Categories	NIFT Eligibility Criteria 2026 - Reservation of seats
ST	7.5%
SC	15%
OBC- NCL	27%
General-EWS	10%
People with Disability (PwD)	5%

Read more: Which NIFT campus is better?

The category you select when submitting the application form will be final, and the requirements will differ for each type. Check the requirements for each category from the post below.

SC/ST Category

You must produce a Caste/Tribe certificate from the Competent Authority of the respective States/Union Territories/ National Commission of Tribes if you belong to the SC/ ST category.

OBC (Non-Creamy) Category

You must substantiate the caste and non-creamy layer requirement under the NIFT eligibility if you belong to the OBC (non-creamy) category. Also, you must produce a caste certificate from the Competent Authority certifying that they belong to the non-creamy layer. 

• The OBC (Non-Creamy) certificate should mention that you belong to the non-creamy layer.
• The caste mentioned in the OBC (Non-Creamy) certificate should also be included in the central list of OBCs available.
• If you are a married woman applying under the reserved category, you must produce the caste certificate in your name.
• Note that the certificate in the husband/mother/father's name is unacceptable.
• If you belong to the Creamy Layer of OBC, you cannot apply under the OBC (NC) reserved category.

Check: NIFT Counselling process

General (Economically Weaker Section)

The benefit of reservation will be given only to those General category candidates who satisfy the conditions issued by the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Department of Higher Education, Government of India. 

• The benefit of reservation will be given to candidates who produce an Income & Asset Certificate issued by a Competent Authority (or) 
• Chief Presidency Magistrate/Additional Chief Presidency Magistrate/Presidency Magistrate (or) 
• District Magistrate/Additional District Magistrate/Collector/Deputy Commissioner/Additional Deputy Commissioner/1st Class Stipendiary Magistrate/Sub-Divisional Magistrate/Taluka Magistrate/Executive Magistrate/Extra Assistant Commissioner (or) 
• Sub-Divisional Officer of the area where the candidate and his family typically reside. 

Refer: GK Questions for the NIFT 2026 Exam

Persons with Disability (PWD)

You should have a certificate of Disability if you belong to the PwD category, and the certificate should be issued by a medical authority designated under sub-section (1) of section 57 of the act and rules 17 (a) and (b) of GSR 591(E) for you to clear the NIFT eligibility.

• You must produce the original Disability certificate when counselling and Admission to the Institute.
• It is mandatory to attend counselling for evaluation for the PwD candidates.
• The course will be allotted to you only after assessing your capabilities.

Sample Papers with Solutions for NIFT 2026 Preparation by CreativeEdge

Know more: NIFT Career

Conclusion

In conclusion, understanding the NIFT eligibility criteria for the NIFT exam is crucial for aspiring fashion designers and professionals seeking Admission to this prestigious institution. The NIFT eligibility for fashion design serve as the initial benchmark for candidates to meet, ensuring that only those with the necessary qualifications and potential are admitted.

By meeting these criteria and putting in the necessary effort, aspiring fashion enthusiasts can enhance their chances of securing Admission to NIFT and embarking on an exciting and rewarding path in fashion.

If you are looking to appear for the NIFT entrance exam for the coming academic year, you might also want to check out the NIFT Exam Pattern 2026

Key Takeaways:

• Understanding and meeting these eligibility criteria of NIFT 2026 are essential steps for candidates aspiring to pursue a career in fashion and design from this prestigious institution.
• If in any case discrepancies are found in your eligibility, like false information or hiding relevant facts, you will be disqualified at any stage of the examination, without any notice.
• Your eligibility to apply for NIFT depends on the program you are applying for and 

Targeting NIFT 2026? Learn from NIFT Alumni. Join India's best coaching for NIFT with 100% success rate: NIFT Online Coaching Classes 2026 by Creative Edge.