Know how to become an IFS officer in India, the eligibility criteria, age limit, job responsibility, and IFS salary in India

How to become an IFS officer:

Various students across the country aspire to serve the country by joining different government services, while the Indian Foreign Service (IFS) is one of the sought-after fields among others. So, in this article further, we will know more about “How to become an Indian Foreign Service Officer”, the eligibility criteria for IFS, and other related information.

Who are IFS Officers/IFS Officer Job responsibilities?

An IFS Officer has authority for the administration and activities of Indian missions abroad. An IFS officer is India’s diplomat abroad who is responsible for the forming and execution of the Government’s foreign policy, and activities of Indian missions abroad. 

Indian Foreign Services (IFS) offers great exposure to students ranging from different cultures, ethnic, social, and political settings across the globe. While an IFS officer can be allocated to institutions namely United Nations, UNESCO, World Bank, SAARC, among others, or can be posted in any of the 160 odd Indian Embassies and Missions abroad. 

IFS officers in Indian can also be allocated as Visa and Passport Officers at different locations across the country.

Eligibility Criteria for IFS (Indian Foreign Services):

To be eligible to become an Indian Foreign Service Officer, a candidate shall be:

• Citizen of India

• Subject of Nepal

• Subject of Bhutan

• A Tibetan refugee who came for permanent settlement before 1st January 1962.

• Migrants from Pakistan, Zambia, Burma, Sri Lanka, East African countries of Kenya,Malawi, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, Vietnam, Ethiopia, and Zaire for permanent settlement in India.

Age Limit for Indian Foreign Services:

• To become an IFS officer, a person must be at least 21 years of age.

• To become an IFS officer a person must not be older than 30 years of age, on 1st August of the year of exam.

How to become IFS Officer?

To become an IFS officer, a candidate has to clear the IFS exam, which is the same as the IAS UPSC Civil Services exam. To clear the UPSC Civil Servies Exam, a candidate have to clear three stages of the exam which are:

• UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Exam (MCQ test)

• UPSC Civil Services Mains Exam(Written and Descriptive test)

• Personality Test and Interview.

Indian Foreign Officer (IFS) Salary in India:

The salary of an Indian Foreign Officer in India is mentioned below:

Grade	Rank	Basic Pay (Rs.)	Grade Pay (Rs.)
Junior Time Scale	Under Secretary	8000	5400
Senior Time Scale	Under Secretary	10650	6600
Junior Administrative Scale	Deputy Secretary	12750	7600
Senior Administrative Scale	Joint Secretary	18400	10000
Selection Grade IV	Counselor Director	15100	8700
High Commissioner/Ambassador	Foreign Secretary	26000 (Fixed)