ESIC Eligibility 2026: Age, Education, Fee and Relaxation

ESIC eligibility depends on the post you choose. For the Group C posts of Upper Division Clerk (UDC), Stenographer and Multi Tasking Staff (MTS), the main tests are educational qualification, age on a fixed reference date, nationality and, for two posts, a practical skill. This guide explains each rule in plain terms and shows how age relaxation works, so you can check your eligibility before paying the application fee.

The rules below come from the notification of 28 December 2021, which is the latest full UDC, Stenographer and MTS cycle we could verify. Applications ran from 15 January to 15 February 2022. We found no newer notification for these posts as of 29 October 2026, so treat these rules as the working reference and confirm them in the next advertisement. Other ESIC posts, such as Social Security Officer or Junior Engineer, have their own eligibility rules and are not covered here.

Table of Contents

ESIC Eligibility at a Glance

The Rs. 500 fee applies to general category candidates, and Rs. 250 to the concession categories listed in the fee section below.

Nationality

A candidate must meet one of these conditions on the date of application.

• Indian citizen: The main category for almost every applicant.

• Subject of Nepal or Bhutan: Allowed under the notice.

• Tibetan refugee: A Tibetan refugee who came to India before 1 January 1962 intending to settle permanently.

• Person of Indian origin: Someone who migrated from specified countries, such as Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Uganda or Vietnam, with the intention of settling permanently in India.

Candidates in the second to fourth groups should read the notice for the certificate of eligibility or other document it asks for. If you are in any of these groups, read the nationality clause line by line before applying.

Educational Qualification

UDC

You need a bachelor's degree from a recognised university, or an equivalent qualification. The notice also asks for working knowledge of computers, including office software and databases, which the Computer Skill Test later checks.

Stenographer

You need to have passed Class 12 (higher secondary) or an equivalent exam. A degree is not required. The stenography skill requirements are described in the next section.

MTS

You need to have passed Class 10 (matriculation or the state secondary school certificate) or an equivalent exam from a recognised board.

Result date and percentage

Central recruitment notices normally expect you to hold the required qualification on or before the closing date of the application. Final-year students whose result is awaited should check whether the notice allows provisional applications. If your university uses grades or CGPA, keep the official conversion certificate ready in case the notice sets a percentage rule.

Skill Requirements

Two posts carry skill conditions in addition to education.

• UDC, computer skill: A 30-minute Computer Skill Test covers PowerPoint, Word and Excel tasks worth 50 marks. You must be able to perform these tasks, so practise them before the stage arrives.

• Stenographer, dictation and transcription: A 10-minute dictation at 80 words per minute, then transcription on a computer in 50 minutes for English or 65 minutes for Hindi. Candidates with benchmark disabilities were allowed 70 and 90 minutes.

Choose the language of the stenography test carefully in your application form, since it is the language in which you will be dictated to.

Age Limit

In the 2022 cycle, age was counted as on 15 February 2022, the closing date for applications. To check your own date-of-birth window, count back from the reference date. With a 27-year limit and a 15 February 2022 reference, a general candidate had to be born on or after 16 February 1994, and had to be at least 18 on the reference date. Always recalculate using the reference date in the new notice, because it changes every cycle.

Date of birth is normally taken from the matriculation or secondary school certificate. Make sure the date you enter matches the certificate exactly.

Age Calculation Examples

These examples use the 15 February 2022 reference date of the last cycle to show the method. Replace the date with the one in the new notice.

Count in completed years. A candidate who turns 28 even one day before the reference date is over a 27-year limit, while a candidate who turns 28 the day after is still eligible.

Age Relaxation

The upper age limit is relaxed for the following categories. These figures are as reported in summaries of the 2022 notice for MTS, and the other posts follow the same government norms. Confirm the exact figures for your post in the notification.

Other categories may be relaxed as per Government of India orders issued from time to time. The benefit is available only on submission of the right certificate, such as a caste certificate or a disability certificate in the prescribed format.

Application Fee

For the 2022 cycle, the Rs. 250 fee was reported as refundable, minus bank charges, after the candidate appeared in Phase I. Payment was accepted through debit and credit cards, net banking and other online modes. Fee rules can change in a new notice, so check the amount and the refund terms before paying.

Other Conditions

• Region choice: You apply for a specific ESIC region, and the vacancy, cut-off and merit list are regional. Choose a region where you are willing to join.

• Number of attempts: No cap on attempts was reported. You may apply again in later cycles until you cross the upper age limit.

• Medium and language: The papers are bilingual except English. For the stenography test you choose Hindi or English in the application.

• Verification and other checks: Selected candidates are called for document verification. Read the notice for any medical or character verification clause that applies to the post.

• More than one post: If you wish to apply for more than one post, read the instructions to see whether one form covers all posts or each needs a separate application and fee.

Who Is Not Eligible

• Candidates below the minimum or above the maximum age on the reference date, after counting any valid relaxation.

• Candidates without the required qualification on the closing date, or whose degree is from a body that is not recognised.

• Applicants who claim a category benefit without a valid certificate, such as OBC without a non-creamy layer certificate in the required format.

• Candidates who do not meet the nationality condition or who cannot produce the document the notice asks for.

• Candidates who give false information. A wrong claim can lead to cancellation of candidature at any stage, so declare facts exactly as your certificates show them.

Certificates You May Need

• Date of birth proof: The matriculation or secondary school certificate, since the date on it is normally treated as final.

• Qualification certificate: The degree or pass certificate for your post, with marksheets if the notice asks for them.

• Category certificate: A caste certificate for SC, ST or OBC in the prescribed format, and for OBC a non-creamy layer certificate that meets the date rule in the notice. EWS candidates need the income and asset certificate in the prescribed format.

• Disability certificate: A certificate of benchmark disability from a competent medical authority, for relaxation and for extra time in the skill test.

• Ex-servicemen documents: A discharge certificate showing the dates of service, so that the relaxation can be calculated correctly.

• Photograph and signature: Recent and clear, as specified in the application form.

Application Steps and Documents

1. Register: Use the official application link and register with your name, mobile number and email to get a provisional registration number and password.

2. Fill the form: Add personal and educational details, your region and your category, then upload a recent photograph and your signature.

3. Preview and complete: Check every entry. After you complete registration, edits are locked.

4. Pay the fee: Pay online and keep the transaction record.

5. Save the form: Download and keep the final application form for later stages.

Official ESIC website: https://esic.gov.in/. Official recruitments page: https://esic.gov.in/recruitments.

Common Application Mistakes

• Wrong date of birth: Entering a date that differs from the school certificate can lead to rejection at verification.

• Wrong category: Picking OBC or EWS without a valid certificate, or without meeting the date rule, risks cancellation.

• Unclear uploads: A blurred photograph or signature can be rejected, so use a clear image within the stated size limits.

• Paying before checking eligibility: Confirm age and qualification first, and then pay the fee.

• Skipping the preview: Details cannot be edited after completion, so review every field.

A Quick Self-Check Before You Apply

1. Read the exact post names and the educational clause in the new notice.

2. Work out your age on the reference date, including any relaxation you can prove with a certificate.

3. Confirm that your category certificate is in the format and date range the notice requires.

4. Pick your region and, for Stenographer, your test language.

5. Start preparing without waiting for the notice.