NRI Topics · Moving money out
Repatriation: moving your money out of India
Getting money into India is easy; the rules live on the way out. Which route applies — and how much paperwork it takes — depends entirely on which account the money sits in and what kind of money it is. NRE balances leave freely; NRO money passes through a gate built from one annual limit and three forms.
Routes and limits
| What you're moving | Route & limit | Paperwork |
|---|---|---|
| NRE / FCNR balances | Fully repatriable — principal and interest, no annual ceiling. | Minimal: the bank's outward-remittance request. Form 15CA/15CB is generally not required for these accounts. |
| NRO current income | Rent, dividends, interest, pension — remittable without limit, net of Indian tax. Does not consume the USD 1M facility. | Form 15CA (part by amount/taxability); Form 15CB where the bank or Rule 37BB requires it; proof of the income and tax paid. |
| NRO balances & sale proceeds | Deposits, investment redemptions, property sale proceeds — up to USD 1 million per financial year, all NRO sources combined. | Form 15CB (CA certificate) + Form 15CA Part C for taxable remittances above ₹5 lakh; Form A2 and source-of-funds proof at the bank. |
| Beyond USD 1 million | Prior RBI approval in specified cases — or split the remittance across financial years. | Application through your bank with full documentation of the source and tax position. |
The NRO repatriation process, step by step
1
Settle the Indian tax first
TDS, advance tax or self-assessment tax on the amount being moved — banks will not remit without tax compliance, and the CA can't certify it.
2
Get Form 15CB from a CA
A chartered accountant's certificate (with a valid UDIN) confirming taxes are paid on the remittance — needed for taxable amounts above ₹5 lakh in the financial year.
3
File Form 15CA on the portal
On incometax.gov.in, using the right part: Part A for taxable remittances up to ₹5 lakh, Part C above ₹5 lakh (with the 15CB attached), Part D where the amount isn't taxable. Rule 37BB lists exempt transaction types.
4
Submit the bank pack
Form A2 (the FEMA outward-remittance declaration) plus source-of-funds proof — sale deed, rent agreement, redemption statement, inheritance documents — and the 15CA/15CB acknowledgments.
5
Bank verifies and remits
The bank checks the file, tracks the amount against your USD 1 million running total for the year, and sends the funds by SWIFT.
NRO → NRE counts as repatriation too. Moving money from NRO into your own NRE account needs the same forms and consumes the same USD 1 million facility — because once in NRE, it's freely remittable. This is also why which account funds an investment matters: redemptions of NRE-funded folios skip this entire process on the way out.
Three things that trip people up. The USD 1 million cap is per person, per financial year, across all NRO accounts combined — a large property sale usually means planning the remittance over more than one year or seeking RBI approval. Don't confuse this with the LRS (USD 250,000) — that's the scheme for Indian residents, not NRIs. And incomplete source-of-funds documents are the most common cause of weeks-long delays at the bank.
Sources & further reading: RBI — FEMA remittance facilities for NRIs/PIOs and master directions (rbi.org.in) · Form 15CA/15CB e-filing and Rule 37BB (incometax.gov.in · incometaxindia.gov.in).
Illustrative only · Not tax or legal advice. Limits, forms and bank requirements indicative as of June 2026 and can change; banks may ask for additional documents. Consult a qualified professional for your situation.
Illustrative only · Not tax or legal advice. Limits, forms and bank requirements indicative as of June 2026 and can change; banks may ask for additional documents. Consult a qualified professional for your situation.