NIFT Admission Process for Foreign National/NRI /OCI/PIO/SAARC is different from that of Indian Students. The procedure, eligibility criteria, and admission process are different. Read the article to find how.
NIFT Admission Process for Foreign National/NRI /OCI/PIO/SAARC
Candidates under the Foreign Nationals/NRIs/OCIs/PIOs/SAARC categories are not required to appear for the NIFT Entrance Examination. They get admission to the NIFT Institutes based on the scores of SAT/GMAT/GRE examinations. The application process for NIFT Foreign Nationals/NRIs/OCIs/PIOs/SAARC candidates is open. All the candidates who fulfill the eligibility criteria under this category could apply before April 30, 2026.
- Who can Apply for NIFT Admission (residing in India or abroad)?
- What are the eligibility criteria to apply under Foreign Nationals/NRIs/OCIs/PIOs/SAARC categories?
- Procedure under Foreign Nationals/NRIs/OCIs/PIOs/SAARC categories
- Dates for NRI/Foreign National /OCI/PIO/SAARC
- Seat Intake at NIFT for Foreign Nationals/NRIs/OCIs/PIOs/SAARC categories
- How to apply for NIFT B.Des and B.F.Tech Programme under Foreign Nationals/NRIs/OCIs/PIOs/SAARC categories?
- How to apply for NIFT M.F.M, M.Des & M.F.Tech Programmes under Foreign Nationals/NRIs/OCIs/PIOs/SAARC categories?
Who can Apply for NIFT Admission (residing in India or abroad)?
Foreign Nationals/NRIs/OCIs/PIOs/SAARC candidates (residing in India or abroad) with the following status and who meet the eligibility criteria may apply for NIFT 2026 admission.
- Foreign National: A foreign national is a citizen of a country other than India, and who is not of Indian origin.
- NRI (Non-Resident Indian): An Indian citizen who is ordinarily residing outside India or in India and holds an Indian Passport with NRI Status.
- PIO (Person of Indian Origin): A person who or whose any of the ancestors was an Indian national and who is presently holding another country’s citizenship/nationality, i.e. he/she is holding a foreign passport.
- OCI (Overseas Citizen of India): A person registered as an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) Cardholder under section 7A of the Citizenship Act., 1955.
- SAARC: (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation): The citizen from the countries Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka
Commonly asked questions
Candidates will be able to check the cutoff for NIFT Delhi on the website of NIFT: nift.admissions.nic.in. The opening and closing rank of all the programmes is given on this page.
The category-wise cut-off for the Accessory Design programme for NIFT Bangalore campus is given below:
Category | Opening Rank | Closing Rank |
EWS | 1099 | 2179 |
OBC (NC) | 438 | 1333 |
Open | 35 | 482 |
SC | 2034 | 4214 |
ST | 2839 | 7286 |
Note that reserved category candidates will be considered for admission to both their reserved and open categories.
The cut-off of NIFT for the various academic courses is not fixed. This is because the cut-off depends on variables like seat intake, the performance of applicants in the NIFT exam, total number of applications received for admission, etc. Now these variables may change from year to year. For instance, the number of candidates appearing in NIFT and qualifying the exam may be different across the years. And when that happens, the cut-off also changes. Typically, if the seat intake increases, the cut-off goes down and vice versa. Likewise, if the number of applicants increases, expect a higher cut-off.
What are the eligibility criteria to apply under Foreign Nationals/NRIs/OCIs/PIOs/SAARC categories?
The eligibility criteria for NIFT Foreign Nationals/NRIs/OCIs/PIOs/SAARC categories is given below.
- Candidate must have appeared in SAT/ GMAT/GRE score.
- The minimum requirement of SAT/ GMAT/GRE score is 50%.
-
Age Limit: For UG programmes, the maximum age should be less than 24 year as on 1st August of the year of admission. For PG programmes, there is no age limit.
Procedure under Foreign Nationals/NRIs/OCIs/PIOs/SAARC categories
Those who want admission under this category have to apply online at NIFT website: nift.ac.in/admission. The last date for applying under this category was April 30, 2026. The candidates who fulfill the admission criteria specified for this category may apply online with the requisite application fee of Rs. 11,100/- through the online NIFT payment gateway.
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Commonly asked questions
The expected cutoff for NIFT 2027 for B.Des is:
| Category | Expected Cutoff for B.Des |
|---|---|
| Open | 30-80 |
| EWS | 26-29 |
| OBC | 26-29 |
| SC | 22 |
| ST | 19 |
The Cutoff for NIFT Mumbai for B.Des in Fashion Design 2026 are out .
We can get a fair idea by looking at the following tabl below that represents cutoff for All India Quota:
Category | Closing Rank |
|---|---|
| General | 183 (R2) |
| OBC | 836 (R2) |
| EWC | 726 (R1) |
| SC | 1256 (R1) |
| ST | 2587 (R2) |
Candidates applying for B. Des course need to have passed 10+2 exam from a recognised institute and should be less than 24 years as of August 1, 2027. Relaxation of 5 years in the upper age limit applies for candidates belonging to SC, ST and PwD categories.
NIFT 2026 counseling process will be conducted online and will have multiple rounds. In the previous edition of the exam, three regular rounds, followed by a SPOT round, of seat allotment were conducted.
If you meet the cut-off in any of these rounds, you will be considered for admission in that round. However, if you fail to meet the cut-off criteria, you may be considered for admission in the subsequent rounds provided you meet the cut-off for that round. Or, else you will have to wait for the SPOT round, where seats will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis. Vacant seats after completion of the regular rounds will be offered in the SPOT round.
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Dates for NRI/Foreign National /OCI/PIO/SAARC
Check out the important dates for NRI/Foreign National /OCI/PIO/SAARC.
| UG / PG Programmes - NRI/Foreign National /OCI/PIO/SAARC |
|
|---|---|
| Activities |
Timeline |
| Online Registration |
08th December, 2025 |
| Last date for online registration |
30th April, 2026 |
| Last date to receive SAT / GMAT / GRE Scores |
30th April, 2026 |
| Seat allotment and payment of Fee |
*June/July, 2026 |
Seat Intake at NIFT for Foreign Nationals/NRIs/OCIs/PIOs/SAARC categories
Check out the seat intake for NIFT Admission through NRI Category.
| NIFT Institutes | Seats | Programmes |
|---|---|---|
| NIFT Campuses Bengaluru, Chennai, Gandhinagar, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi | 5 (supernumerary) seats for each programme | All Programmes |
| Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Daman, Jodhpur, Kangra, Kannur, Nava Raipur, Panchkula, Patna, Shillong and Varanasi | 3 (supernumerary) seats for each programme | All Programmes |
Commonly asked questions
As per Section 2(t) of the RPwD Act, “Persons with Disability (PwD)” means a person with long-term physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory impairment which, in interaction with barriers, hinders his full and effective participation in society equally with others.
NIFT cutoff for a participating NIFT is the last rank for which admission is offered in for a particular programme and category. This means, if a candidate fails to score a rank equal to or higher than the cutoff rank, they don't get admission. Typically, a higher ranked institute will invite: More applications Higher-ranked candidates This in turn pushes up the cutoff in higher ranked (or popular) institutes. Likewise, a lower-ranked institute will receive comparatively fewer number of applications, and mostly from lower-ranked candidates. This means, cut-off in these institutes are lower making it much easier to get admission.
There are 20 participating institutes of NIFT that offer the B. Des and B.F.Tech programmes. B. Des programme offers specializations in the following programs: Fashion Design (FD), Leather Design (LD), Accessory Design (AD), Textile Design (TD), Knitwear Design (KD), Fashion Communication (FC).
For B.F.Tech, cutoff is released for Apparel Production.
The expected cutoff for NIFT M.Des is given below:
| Category | Expected Cutoff M.Des |
|---|---|
| Open | 26-70 |
| EWS | 22 |
| OBC | 22 |
| SC | 16 |
| ST | 16-18 |
How to apply for NIFT B.Des and B.F.Tech Programme under Foreign Nationals/NRIs/OCIs/PIOs/SAARC categories?
Candidates should have the following to apply for Foreign Nationals/NRIs/OCIs/PIOs/SAARC categories.
- Candidates applying for Bachelor Programmes of NIFT need to arrange to send SAT scores directly from the College Board USA to NIFT through College Board Portal.
- SAT scores had to be submitted through the College Board, USA, to NIFT before April 30, 2026. The Designated Institution (DI) Code is 7258.
- Candidates at the time of NIFT registration for SAT should indicate DI code: 7258.
- Candidates whose SAT scores have not been received from the College Board, USA, may not be considered for admission under this category.
- The Campus and Programme will be allotted to the successful candidates based on a merit list drawn as per SAT score of the candidates and the preference of the candidate.
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How to apply for NIFT M.F.M, M.Des & M.F.Tech Programmes under Foreign Nationals/NRIs/OCIs/PIOs/SAARC categories?
Candidates should have the following to apply for Foreign Nationals/NRIs/OCIs/PIOs/SAARC categories.
- Candidates applying for Master of Fashion Management (M.F.M) need to arrange to send GMAT test scores.
- Candidates applying for Master of Design (M.Des.) and Master of Fashion Technology (M.F.Tech.) should arrange to send GRE test scores directly to Admissions Department, NIFT Head Office, New Delhi.
- The candidates must designate NIFT Programmes as a choice in the GRE/GMAT.
- Candidates whose GRE/GMAT scores have not been received from the Educational Testing Services/Graduate Management Admission Council may not be considered for admission under this category.
- The campus and programme will be allotted to the successful candidates based on merit list drawn as per GRE/GMAT score of the candidates as well as the preference of the candidate.
- Candidates who want admission under this category should apply online in the prescribed application form.
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