Gurkha Recruit Intake 2027: Phase 2 Selection Now Underway in Pokhara

The British Army and the Gurkha Contingent of the Singapore Police Force have moved into the next stage of recruiting for the 2027 intake, with official call-forward lists published this month directing candidates to Phase 2 (Initial Selection) testing at British Gurkhas Pokhara. The British Army's list went out on 7 September 2026, with the Singapore Police Force's Gurkha Contingent list following close behind. For the thousands of young Nepalis competing for one of the world's most sought-after and competitive military postings, this is the stage that decides who advances toward a life-changing career.

What Phase 2 Involves

Candidates who passed Phase 1 registration at recruiting centres in Dharan, Pokhara and Surkhet are now being called forward to Pokhara for Phase 2, which runs from 26 August to 6 October 2026. The stage centres on three physical tests that candidates must complete at maximum effort: over-arm grip heaves, with a minimum of 14 repetitions required; an 800-metre run, to be completed in under two minutes 30 seconds; and a repeated lift-and-carry test, to be finished in under one minute 40 seconds. The British Army stresses that scoring above the minimum improves a candidate's chances of advancing, since places are awarded competitively rather than on a simple pass or fail basis.

Medical Checks and Required Documents

Alongside the physical tests, candidates undergo medical screening covering blood pressure, ears, teeth and general physical condition, with body mass index required to fall between 18 and 28. Every candidate must arrive with a completed "Medically Fit to Attend" certificate, signed and stamped by a doctor registered with the Nepal Medical Council, along with their citizenship certificate, their parents' citizenship certificates and a machine-readable or electronic passport. Candidates who arrive without the correct paperwork cannot proceed to testing.

One of the World's Toughest Recruitment Processes

Gurkha selection is widely regarded as one of the most competitive military recruitment processes in the world. In recent intake cycles, close to 14,000 young Nepalis have applied nationwide for only a few hundred places across the Brigade of Gurkhas, with selection beginning in Pokhara more than a year before recruits are formally attested into service. Those who succeed through Phase 2 move on to Phase 3, the final selection stage, before departing for training in the United Kingdom.

What Success Looks Like

At the most recent attestation parade, held in February 2026 at Gamecock Barracks in Nuneaton, England, 40 new recruits and four newly commissioned officers formally joined the Brigade of Gurkhas under training officer Captain Nirmal Rai, himself a third-generation Gurkha soldier. "It was freezing but I was so proud to be there," said Signaller Sujan Magar, 21, one of the recruits. Brigadier Mike Fayer, Colonel of the Regiment for the Queen's Gurkha Signals, called the day "a proud day but also an important one as we recognise new talent." For this year's Phase 2 candidates in Pokhara, that same milestone lies at the end of the road ahead.