Registration for the CA Foundation is open all year round. In order to take the CA Foundation Exams in September 2026, students must register by May 1st, 2026. May 1, 2026 is the deadline for registering for the CA Foundation Registration September 2026 Exam.

Examine the official announcement on the CA Foundation Registration extension. For students who wish to become CAs, the CA Foundation is the initial stage. Students must first complete the registration form in order to enroll in the CA Foundation course. To have a deeper comprehension of the course, you can also review the CA Course Complete information. The CA Foundation September 2026 exam registration process, costs, deadline, necessary paperwork, and validity are all covered in this article.

CA Foundation Registration Important Dates

Eligibility for CA Foundation Registration 2026

The eligibility criteria for the CA 2026 Registration are as follows:

• Students must have taken and passed the 12th grade exams, which are either mandated by law or administered by a central government-recognized examination agency.
• Before September 1, 2024, students must register and finish their four-month study session.
• Additionally, they must register with the Board of Studies (BoS).

Steps for CA Foundation Registration 2026

1. Go to the ICAI website – icaiexam.icai.org or click here.
2. Enter the required details and click on Generate OTP. The OTP will be sent to your registered mobile number or email ID.
3. Enter the OTP you received to complete the validation. Afterwards, you’ll receive the login credentials via Email or SMS.
4. Next, log in to the ICAI website with the credentials received.
5. Now, you’ll see 2 options, from which select the Student Cycle on the left side.
6. Then, select ‘Apply for Foundation‘.
7. You’ll see the form in the next window, where some details will be auto-filled. You have to fill in the rest of the details and click on ‘Save and Next‘.
8. Submit the required documents in the scanned format.
9. Then, upload your photograph and signature.
10. After submitting all the details and documents, you have to pay the CA Foundation registration fees.
11. Print out the registration form, attach the required documents, and post them to the ICAI postal address.

ICAI CA Foundation Registration Fees for 2026 Exams

For the 2026 tests, the ICAI CA Foundation registration fee is Rs. 780 for US students and Rs. 9800 for Indian students. At the time of enrollment, students must pay the fees online using credit/debit cards or net banking. Additionally, there is no refund for the ICAI registration fee for the Foundation course.

Important Update Regarding Registration Fee:

The CA foundation fees have been exempted by ICAI. The eight Northeastern states and the recently established Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir have been granted a 75% fee reduction by the ICAI. Therefore, the CA Foundation registration cost, which is merely Rs 2250, must be paid by students who live in these areas.

Documents Required for Registration

1. Admit Card/Marksheet of class 12th exams issued by the respective board.
2. A colored photograph of the candidate.
3. Proof of nationality if the student is a foreigner.
4. Proof of special category certificate, i.e., ST/SC/OBC or differently-abled.
5. Class 10th marksheet or the admit card of the 10th class indicating the name and date of birth.

Validity of Registration

The CA Foundation exams are conducted two times a year. Once registered, the CA Foundation registration is valid for three years, which means six attempts. And after three years, you can revalidate your registration by depositing Rs 300/- as revalidation fees.

What after CA Foundation registration?

1. ICAI distributes study materials via CDS to students who timely register for the CA foundation course.
2. As required by ICAI, students take a four-month study leave to prepare for the CA Foundation.
3. To take the tests, students must complete the CA Foundation exam form after registering.
4. Additionally, CA Foundation admit cards are issued online; they must be printed and brought to the testing location. Within two months after the exam day, you will receive your CA Foundation results.

Conclusion:

The first and most crucial stage in becoming a chartered accountant is completing your CA Foundation Registration. The CA Foundation exams are now administered by ICAI in January, May, and September, giving you additional opportunities to take them each year. However, you must finish your ICAI CA Foundation Registration at least four months before to the exam month in order to be eligible for any try. Therefore, you must register by January 1st, 2025, if you intend to take the May 2025 exam. Similarly, the deadline for the September 2025 exam is May 1st, 2025. Along with the registration cost, you will need your Class 10 and 12 documents, an Aadhaar card, and a passport-sized photo. On the ICAI portal, everything is done online and is quite simple.