RRB Staff Nurse Eligibility 2026: Qualification and Age Limit

RRB Staff Nurse eligibility depends on three things: your nursing qualification, your age on the reference date and your registration as a nurse. In the current notice, CEN 05/2026, the post is advertised as Nursing Superintendent, and the conditions below apply to it. The online application closed on 14 October 2026, which was also the date by which the qualification had to be held.

This page covers the qualification routes, age limit, date-of-birth windows, relaxations, other conditions, the medical standard and the common reasons candidates are found ineligible. Details follow the notice. Read the original wording on the official RRB website before relying on any equivalent qualification.

Table of Contents

RRB Staff Nurse Eligibility at a Glance

Key Dates That Decide Eligibility

• 14 October 2026, qualification: Your qualification must be passed with the result declared by this date. Candidates awaiting results are not eligible.

• 1 January 2027, age: Age limits are counted as on this date.

• 14 October 2026, certificates: Community and EWS claims must be valid as on the closing date. The OBC-NCL certificate must be issued between 1 April 2026 and 14 October 2026.

If your certificate dates do not match these windows, you may be treated as unreserved at document verification.

Educational Qualification

There are two main routes, and the institution must be recognised by the Indian Nursing Council.

GNM Route

A certificate as a Registered Nurse and Midwife after passing a 3-year course in General Nursing and Midwifery (GNM) from a recognised school or institution.

B.Sc Nursing Route

A B.Sc Nursing degree from a recognised institution. The notice does not list separate marks requirements for either route, but you need a valid nursing registration for document verification.

Concession Cases

Candidates who qualified under Indian Nursing Council concessions for ANMs, midwives or B-grade nurses, with reduced course periods, are also covered. Read the notice wording before applying under this clause.

Age Limit and Date-of-Birth Windows

The age limit for the post is 20 to 40 years as on 1 January 2027. Instead of calculating age yourself, compare your date of birth with the window below. You must not be born after the first date, and, depending on your category, not before the second.

Example: an OBC-NCL candidate born on 15 March 1985 falls inside the window, because the date is after 2 January 1984 and before 1 January 2007.

Age Relaxation

• Not cumulative: Only the single highest relaxation that applies to you is given.

• Against UR vacancies: SC, ST and OBC-NCL candidates applying against unreserved vacancies do not get age relaxation.

Nationality and Other Conditions

• Nationality: Candidates must be Indian citizens or meet the other nationality conditions in the notice.

• One RRB, one application: Applications to more than one RRB are all rejected and may lead to debarment.

• Nursing registration: Keep a valid nursing council registration certificate ready for document verification.

• Application fee: Rs. 500 for general candidates (Rs. 400 refundable after the CBT) and Rs. 250 for the listed categories (fully refundable after the CBT). See the RRB Staff Nurse overview for the fee table.

Medical Standard

The post requires medical category C1 at the medical examination after document verification. A candidate who fails the standard for the post is not offered an alternative post. If you have a condition that may affect your fitness category, read the medical standards section of the notice early.

Who Is Not Eligible

• Result pending: Final-year students whose results were not declared by 14 October 2026.

• Unrecognised course: A diploma or degree that does not match the listed qualification, or is from an institution not recognised by the Indian Nursing Council.

• Missing registration: Candidates without the required nursing registration.

• Outside the age window: Candidates outside the date-of-birth window after the applicable relaxation.

• Multiple applications: Candidates who applied to more than one RRB under the same notice.

Eligibility is checked again at document verification, and candidature can be cancelled at any stage. Being called for the CBT does not confirm eligibility.