• Foreign exchange can be purchased from any authorised person, such as Authorised Dealer (AD) Category-I bank and AD Category II. Full-Fledged Money Changers (FFMCs) are also permitted to release exchange for business and private visits.

• An Authorised Dealer is any person specifically authorized by the Reserve Bank under Section 10(1) of FEMA, 1999, to deal in foreign exchange or foreign securities (the list of ADs is available on www.rbi.org.in) and normally includes banks.

• For private visits abroad, other than to Nepal and Bhutan, viz., for tourism purposes, etc., any resident can obtain foreign exchange up to an aggregate amount of USD 10,000, from an Authorised Dealer, in any one financial year, on self-declaration basis, irrespective of the number of visits undertaken during the year. This limit of USD 10,000 or its equivalent per financial year for private visits can also be availed of by a person who is availing of foreign exchange for travel abroad for any purposes, such as, for employment or immigration or studies.No foreign exchange is available for visit to Nepal and/or Bhutan for any purpose.A resident Indian is allowed to take INR of denomination of Rs.100 or lesser denomination to Nepal and Bhutan without limit.

• For business trips abroad to countries, other than to Nepal and Bhutan, a person can avail of foreign exchange up to USD 25,000 per visit. Visits in connection with attending of an international conference, seminar, specialised training, study tour, apprentice training, etc., are treated as business visits. Release of foreign exchange exceeding USD 25,000 for business travel abroad (other than to Nepal and Bhutan), irrespective of the period of stay, requires prior permission from the Reserve Bank.No release of foreign exchange is admissible for any kind of travel to Nepal and Bhutan or for any transaction with persons resident in Nepal.Investments in Bhutan are permitted in Indian Rupees as well as in freely convertible currencies. If investment is made in freely convertible currency/ies, sale/winding up proceeds are required to be repatriated to India in freely convertible currencies.

• Travellers going to all countries other than (a) and (b) below are allowed to purchase foreign currency notes / coins only up to USD 3000. Balance amount can be carried in the form of travellers cheque or banker’s draft. Exceptions to this are (a) travellers proceeding to Iraq and Libya who can draw foreign exchange in the form of foreign currency notes and coins not exceeding USD 5000 or its equivalent; (b) travellers proceeding to the Islamic Republic of Iran, Russian Federation and other Republics of Commonwealth of Independent States who can draw entire foreign exchange in the form of foreign currency notes or coins. For travellers proceeding to the Haj/Umrah pilgrimage, full amount of BTQ entitlement in cash or up to the cash limit specified by the Haj Committee of India, may be released by the ADs and FFMCs.

• AD Category I banks and AD Category II, may release foreign exchange up to USD 100,000 or its equivalent to resident Indians for medical treatment abroad on self declaration basis, without insisting on any estimate from a hospital/doctor in India/abroad. A person visiting abroad for medical treatment can obtain foreign exchange exceeding the above limit, provided the request is supported by an estimate from a hospital/doctor in India/abroad.An amount up to USD 25,000 is allowed for maintenance expenses of a patient going abroad for medical treatment or check-up abroad, or to a person for accompanying as attendant to a patient going abroad for medical treatment/check-up.The amount of USD 25,000 allowed to the patient going abroad is in addition to the limit of USD 100,000 mentioned above.

• For studies abroad the estimate received from the institution abroad or USD 100,000, per academic year, whichever is higher, may be availed of from an AD Category I bank and AD Category II. Students going abroad for studies are treated as Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) and are eligible for all the facilities available to NRIs under FEMA, 1999. Educational and other loans availed of by students as residents in India can be allowed to continue. A student holding NRO account may withdraw and repatriate up to USD 1 million per financial year from his NRO account. The student may avail of an amount of USD 10,000 or its equivalent for incidental expenses out of which USD 3000 or its equivalent may be carried in the form of foreign currency while going for study abroad.

• Documentation may be done as advised by the Authorised Dealer

• A person going abroad for employment can draw foreign exchange up to USD 100,000 from any Authorised Dealer in India on the basis of self-declaration

• A person going abroad on emigration can draw foreign exchange from AD Category I bank and AD Category II up to the amount prescribed by the country of emigration or USD 100,000. He can draw foreign exchange up to USD 100,000 on self- declaration basis from an Authorised Dealer in India This amount is only to meet the incidental expenses in the country of emigration. No amount of foreign exchange can be remitted outside India to become eligible or for earning points or credits for immigration. All such remittances require prior permission of the Reserve Bank. If requirement exceeds USD 100,000, the person requires to obtain the prior approval from the Reserve Bank.

• Dance troupes, artistes, etc., who wish to undertake cultural tours abroad, should obtain prior approval from the Ministry of Human Resources Development (Department of Education and Culture), Government of India, New Delhi.

• The Foreign Contribution Regulation Act, 1976 is administered and monitored by the Ministry of Home Affairs whose address is given below: Foreigners Division, Jaisalmer House, 26, Mansingh Road, New Delhi-110011. No specific approval from the Reserve Bank is required in this regard.

• Permissible foreign exchange can be drawn 60 days in advance. In case it is not possible to use the foreign exchange within the period of 60 days, it should be immediately surrendered to an authorised person. However, residents are free to retain foreign exchange up to USD 2,000, in the form of foreign currency notes or TCs for future use or credit to their Resident Foreign Currency (Domestic) [RFC (Domestic)] Accounts.

• Foreign exchange for travel abroad can be purchased from an authorized person against rupee payment in cash only up to Rs.50,000/-. However, if the Rupee equivalent exceeds Rs.50,000/-, the entire payment should be made by way of a crossed cheque/ banker’s cheque/ pay order/ demand draft/ debit card / credit card / prepaid card only.

• On return from a foreign trip, travellers are required to surrender unspent foreign exchange held in the form of currency notes and travellers cheques within 180 days of return. However, they are free to retain foreign exchange up to USD 2,000, in the form of foreign currency notes or TCs for future use or credit to their Resident Foreign Currency (Domestic) [RFC (Domestic)] Accounts.

• The residents can hold foreign coins without any limit.

• Any resident individual, if he so desires, may remit the entire limit of USD 125,000 in one financial year under LRS as gift to a person residing outside India or as donation to a charitable/educational/ religious/cultural organization outside India. Remittances exceeding the limit of USD 125,000 will require prior permission from the Reserve Bank.

• Use of International Credit Cards (ICCs) / ATMs/ Debit Cards can be made for travel abroad in connection with various purposes and for making personal payments like subscription to foreign journals, internet subscription, etc. The entitlement of foreign exchange on International Credit Cards (ICCs) is limited by the credit limit fixed by the card issuing authority only. With ICCs one can (i) meet expenses/make purchases while abroad (ii) make payments in foreign exchange for purchase of books and other items through internet in India. If the person has a foreign currency account in India or with a bank overseas, he/she can even obtain ICCs of overseas banks and reputed agencies. However, use of International Credit Cards/ATMs/Debit Cards is NOT permitted for prohibited transactions indicated in Schedule -1 of FEM (CAT) Rules 2000 such as purchase of lottery tickets, banned magazines etc.Use of these instruments for payment in foreign exchange in Nepal and Bhutan is not permitted

• Residents are free to take outside India (other than to Nepal and Bhutan) currency notes of Government of India and Reserve Bank of India notes up to an amount not exceeding Rs. 10,000 - per person. They may take or send outside India (other than to Nepal and Bhutan) commemorative coins not exceeding two coins each. Explanation : 'Commemorative Coin' includes coin issued by Government of India Mint to commemorate any specific occasion or event and expressed in Indian currency.

• A resident of India, who has gone out of India on a temporary visit may bring into India at the time of his return from any place outside India (other than Nepal and Bhutan), currency notes of Government of India and Reserve Bank of India notes up to an amount not exceeding Rs.10,000 A person can take or send out of India to Nepal or Bhutan, currency notes of Government of India and Reserve Bank notes, in denominations not exceeding Rs.100.

• A person coming into India from abroad can bring with him foreign exchange without any limit. However, if the aggregate value of the foreign exchange in the form of currency notes, bank notes or travellers cheques brought in exceeds USD 10,000 or its equivalent and/or the value of foreign currency alone exceeds USD 5,000 or its equivalent, it should be declared to the Customs Authorities at the Airport in the Currency Declaration Form (CDF), on arrival in India.

• A person resident in India is free to send (export) any gift article of value not exceeding Rs.5,00,000 provided export of that item is not prohibited under the extant Foreign Trade Policy and the exporter submits a declaration that goods of gift are not more than Rs.5,00,000 in value.Export of goods or services up to Rs.5,00,000 may be made without furnishing the declaration in Form GR/ SDF/ PP/ SOFTEX, as the case may be.

• Taking personal jewellery out of India is as per the Baggage Rules, governed and administered by Customs Department, Government of India. While no approval of the Reserve Bank is required in this case, approvals, if any, required from Customs Authorities may be obtained

• A person resident in India is free to make any payment in Indian Rupees towards meeting expenses, on account of boarding, lodging and services related thereto or travel to and from and within India, of a person resident outside India, who is on a visit to India.

• Residents may book their tickets in India for their visit to any third country. For instance, residents can book their tickets for travel from London to New York, through domestic/foreign airlines in India itself.

• Persons resident in India are permitted to maintain foreign currency accounts in India under the following three Schemes:

  a. Exchange Earners Foreign Currency Accounts:-
  All categories of resident foreign exchange earners can credit up to 100 per cent of their foreign exchange earnings, as specified in the paragraph 1 (A) of the Schedule to Notification No. FEMA 10/2000-RB dated 3rd May, 2000 and as amended from time to time, to their EEFC Account with an Authorised Dealer in India. Funds held in EEFC account can be utilised for all permissible current account transactions and also for approved capital account transactions as specified by the extant Rules/Regulations/ Notifications/ Directives issued by the Government/RBI from time to time. The account is maintained in the form of a non-interest bearing current account.

  b.Resident Foreign Currency Accounts : -
  A person resident in India may open, hold and maintain with an Authorised Dealer in India a Resident Foreign Currency (RFC) Account to keep their foreign currency assets which were held outside India at the time of return can be credited to such accounts. The foreign exchange received as (i) pension of any other superannuation or other monetary benefits from the employer outside India; (ii) received or acquired as gift or inheritance from a person referred to sub-section (4) of section 6 of FEMA, 1999 or (iii) referred to in clause (c) of section 9 of the Act or acquired as gift or inheritance there from or (iv) received as the proceeds of life insurance policy claims/maturity/ surrender values settled in foreign currency from an insurance company in India permitted to undertake life insurance business by the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority; may also be credited to this account.RFC account can be maintained in the form of current or savings or term deposit accounts.The funds in RFC account are free from all restrictions regarding utilisation of foreign currency balances including any restriction on investment outside India.

  c. Resident Foreign Currency (Domestic) Account:-
  A resident Individual may open, hold and maintain with an Authorized Dealer in India, a Resident Foreign Currency (Domestic) Account, out of foreign exchange acquired in the form of currency notes, Bank notes and travellers cheques, from any of the sources like, payment for services rendered abroad, as honorarium, gift, services rendered or in settlement of any lawful obligation from any person not resident in India. The account may also be credited with/opened out of foreign exchange earned abroad like proceeds of export of goods and/or services, royalty, honorarium, etc., and/or gifts received from close relatives (as defined in the Companies Act) and repatriated to India through normal banking channels. The account shall be maintained in the form of Current Account and shall not bear any interest. There is no ceiling on the balances in the account. The account may be debited for payments made towards permissible current and capital account transactions.

• In terms of sub-section 4, of Section (6) of the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999, a person resident in India is free to hold, own, transfer or invest in foreign currency, foreign security or any immovable property situated outside India if such currency, security or property was acquired, held or owned by such person when he was resident outside India or inherited from a person who was resident outside India. (Please also refer to the Liberalised Remittance Scheme of USD 125,000 discussed below).II. Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS) of USD 125,000

• Under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme, all resident individuals, including minors, are allowed to freely remit up to USD 125,000 per financial year (April – March) for any permissible current or capital account transaction or a combination of both. The limit was reduced from USD.200,000 to USD.75,000 with effect from August 14, 2013 but was subsequently increased to USD 125,000 w.e.f June 3, 2014.

• Under the Scheme, resident individuals can acquire and hold shares or debt instruments or any other assets including immovable property outside India, without prior approval of the Reserve Bank. Individuals can also open, maintain and hold foreign currency accounts with banks outside India for carrying out transactions permitted under the Scheme.

• The remittance facility under the Scheme is not available for the following:
  
  i) Remittance for any purpose specifically prohibited under Schedule-I (like purchase of lottery tickets/sweep stakes, proscribed magazines, etc.) or any item restricted under Schedule II of Foreign Exchange Management (Current Account Transactions) Rules, 2000;
  
  ii) Remittance from India for margins or margin calls to overseas exchanges / overseas counterparty;
  
  iii) Remittances for purchase of FCCBs issued by Indian companies in the overseas secondary market;
  
  iv) Remittance for trading in foreign exchange abroad;
  
  v) Remittances directly or indirectly to Bhutan, Nepal, Mauritius and Pakistan;
  
  vi) Remittances directly or indirectly to countries identified by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) as “non co-operative countries and territories”, from time to time; and
  
  viii) Remittances directly or indirectly to those individuals and entities identified as posing significant risk of committing acts of terrorism as advised separately by the Reserve Bank to the banks.

• The facility under the Scheme is in addition to those already available for private travel, business travel, studies, medical treatment, etc., as described in Schedule III of Foreign Exchange Management (Current Account Transactions) Rules, 2000. The Scheme can also be used for these purposes.However, gift and donation remittances cannot be made separately and have to be made under the Scheme only. Accordingly, resident individuals can remit gifts and donations up to USD 125,000 per financial year under the Scheme.Further, a resident individual can give rupee gifts to his visiting NRI/PIO close relatives [means relative as defined in Section 6 of the Companies Act, 1956] by way of crossed cheque/electronic transfer within the overall limit of USD 125,000 per financial year for the resident individual and the gifted amount should be credited to the beneficiary’s NRO account. An individual resident can lend money by way of crossed cheque /electronic transfer to a Non resident Indian (NRI)/ Person of Indian Origin (PIO) close relative [means relative as defined in Section 6 of the Companies Act, 1956] within the overall limit of USD 125,000 per financial year under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme, to meet the borrower’s personal or business requirements in India, subject to conditions. The loan should be interest free and have a maturity of minimum one year and cannot be remitted outside India.

• The investor can retain and reinvest the income earned on investments made under the Scheme. At present, the residents are not required to repatriate the funds or income generated out of investments made under the Scheme.

• Remittance under this scheme is on a gross basis.

• Remittances under the Scheme can be used for purchasing objects of art subject to the provisions of other applicable laws such as the extant Foreign Trade Policy of the Government of India.

• AD will be guided by the nature of transaction as declared by the remitter and will certify that the remittance is in conformity with the instructions issued by the Reserve Bank, in this regard from time to time.

• The Scheme can also be used for remittance of funds for acquisition of ESOPs.

• The remittance under the Scheme is in addition to acquisition of ESOPs linked to ADR/GDR.

• The remittance under the Scheme is in addition to acquisition of qualification shares.

• A resident individual can invest in units of Mutual Funds, Venture Funds, unrated debt securities, promissory notes, etc. under this Scheme. Further, the resident can invest in such securities out of the bank account opened abroad under the Scheme.

• This is permissible.

• It is mandatory to have PAN number to make remittances under the Scheme.

• Such outward remittance in the form of a DD can be effected against the declaration by the resident individual in the format prescribed under the Scheme.

Ans. There is no restriction on the frequency. However, the total amount of foreign exchange purchased from or remitted through, all sources in India during a financial year should be within the cumulative limit of USD 125,000

• The individual will have to designate a branch of an AD through which all the remittances under the Scheme will be made. The applicants should have maintained the bank account with the bank for a minimum period of one year prior to the remittance. If the applicant seeking to make the remittance is a new customer of the bank, Authorised Dealers should carry out due diligence on the opening, operation and maintenance of the account. Further, the AD should obtain bank statement for the previous year from the applicant to satisfy themselves regarding the source of funds. If such a bank statement is not available, copies of the latest Income Tax Assessment Order or Return filed by the applicant may be obtained. He has to furnish an application-cum-declaration in the specified format regarding the purpose of the remittance and declare that the funds belong to him and will not be used for purposes prohibited or regulated under the Scheme.

• Once a remittance is made for an amount up to USD 125,000 during the financial year, he would not be eligible to make any further remittances under this scheme, even if the proceeds of the investments have been brought back into the country.

• The remittances can be made in any freely convertible foreign currency equivalent to USD 125,000 in a financial year.

• Investment by resident individual in overseas companies is subsumed under the Scheme of USD 125,000. The requirement of 10 per cent reciprocal shareholding in the listed Indian companies by such overseas companies has since been dispensed with.III. Guidelines for Financial Intermediaries offering special schemes, protection under the Scheme.

• Banks including those not having operational presence in India are required to obtain prior approval from Reserve Bank for soliciting deposits for their foreign/overseas branches or for acting as agents for overseas mutual funds or any other foreign financial services company

• No ratings or guidelines have been prescribed under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme of USD 125,000 on the quality of the investment an individual can make. However, the individual investor is expected to exercise due diligence while taking a decision regarding the investments which he or she proposes to make.

• No. The Scheme does not envisage extension of credit facility against the security of the deposits. Further, the banks should not extend any kind of credit facilities to resident individuals to facilitate remittances under the Scheme.

• No. For the purpose of the Scheme, an OBU in India is not treated as an overseas branch of a bank in India.

• Individuals resident in India are permitted to include non-resident close relative(s) (relatives as defined in Section 6 of the Companies Act, 1956) as joint holder(s) in their resident bank accounts on ‘former or survivor’ basis. However, such non-resident Indian close relatives shall not be eligible to operate the account during the life time of the resident account holder.

• Non-Resident Indian (NRI), as defined in FEMA Notification No. 5/ 2000-RB dated May 3, 2000 may be permitted to open NRE/FCNR(B) account with their resident close relative (relative as defined in Section 6 of the Companies Act, 1956) on ‘former or survivor’ basis. The resident close relative shall be eligible to operate the account as a Power of Attorney holder in accordance with the extant instructions during the life time of the NRI/PIO account holder.

• A resident individual is permitted to make a rupee gift to a NRI/PIO who is a close relative of the resident individual {close relative as defined in Section 6 of the Companies Act, 1956} by way of crossed cheque/ electronic transfer. The amount should be credited to the Non-Resident (Ordinary) Rupee Account (NRO) Account of the NRI/ PIO and credit of such gift amount may be treated as an eligible credit to NRO account. The gift amount would be within the overall limit of USD 125,000 per financial year as permitted under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS) for a resident individual. It would be the responsibility of the resident donor to ensure that the gift amount being remitted is under the LRS and all the remittances under the LRS during the financial year including the gift amount have not exceeded the limit prescribed under the LRS.

• A resident individual may now lend to a Non resident Indian (NRI)/ Person of Indian Origin (PIO) close relative [means relative as defined in Section 6 of the Companies Act, 1956] by way of crossed cheque /electronic transfer, subject to the following conditions:
  
  (i) the loan is free of interest and the minimum maturity of the loan is one year;
  
  (ii) the loan amount should be within the overall limit under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme of USD 125,000 per financial year available for a resident individual. It would be the responsibility of the lender to ensure that the amount of loan is within the Liberalised Remittance Scheme limit of USD 125,000 during the financial year;
  
  (iii) the loan shall be utilised for meeting the borrower's personal requirements or for his own business purposes in India;
  
  (iv) the loan shall not be utilised, either singly or in association with other person, for any of the activities in which investment by persons resident outside India is prohibited, namely;
  
  (a) the business of chit fund, or (b) Nidhi Company, or (c) agricultural or plantation activities or in real estate business, or construction of farmhouses, or (d) trading in Transferable Development Rights (TDRs).
  
  Explanation: For the purpose of item (c) above, real estate business shall not include development of townships, construction of residential / commercial premises, roads or bridges.
  
  (v) The loan amount should be credited to the NRO a/c of the NRI /PIO. Credit of such loan amount may be treated as an eligible credit to NRO a/c;
  
  (vi) the loan amount shall not be remitted outside India; and
  
  (vii) repayment of loan shall be made by way of inward remittances through normal banking channels or by debit to the Non-resident Ordinary (NRO)/ Non-resident External (NRE) / Foreign Currency Non-resident (FCNR) account of the borrower or out of the sale proceeds of the shares or securities or immovable property against which such loan was granted.

• Where an authorised dealer in India has granted loan to a non-resident Indian in accordance with Regulation 7 of the Notification No. FEMA 4/2000-RB dated May 3, 2000 such loans may also be repaid by resident close relative (relative as defined in Section 6 of the Companies Act, 1956) of the Non-Resident Indian by crediting the borrower’s loan account through the bank account of such relative.

• Where the medical expenses in respect of NRI close relative (relative as defined in Section 6 of the Companies Act, 1956) are paid by a resident individual, such a payment being in the nature of a resident to resident transaction may be covered under the term “services related thereto” under Regulation 2(i) of Notification No.FEMA16/2000-RB dated May 3, 2000.General Information : For further details/guidance, please approach any bank authorised to deal in foreign exchange or contact Regional Offices of the Foreign Exchange Department of the Reserve Bank.1 A 'person resident in India' is defined in Section 2(v) of FEMA, 1999 as :A person residing in India for more than one hundred and eighty-two days during the course of the preceding financial year but does not include
  
  (A) a person who has gone out of India or who stays outside India, in either case -for or on taking up employment outside India, or for carrying on outside India a business or vocation outside India, or for any other purpose, in such circumstances as would indicate his intention to stay outside India for an uncertain period;
  
  (A) a person who has gone out of India or who stays outside India, in either case - for or on taking up employment outside India, or for carrying on outside India a business or vocation outside India, or for any other purpose, in such circumstances as would indicate his intention to stay outside India for an uncertain period;