NRO Accounts

NRO accounts may be opened/ maintained in the form of current, savings, recurring or fixed deposit accounts. The requirements laid down in the directives issued by Reserve Bank in regard to resident accounts shall apply to NRO accounts.

• Credits
  • Proceeds of remittances received in any permitted currency from outside India through banking channels or any permitted currency tendered by the account-holder during his temporary visit to India or transfers from rupee accounts of non-resident banks.
  • Legitimate dues in India of the account holder.
  • Transfers from other NRO accounts.
  • Any amount received by the account holder in accordance with the rules or regulations made under the Act
• Debits
  • All local payments in rupees including payments for investments subject to compliance with the relevant regulations made by the Reserve Bank.
  • Remittance outside India of current income in India of the account holder net of applicable taxes.
  • Transfers to other NRO accounts.
  • Settlement of charges on International Credit Cards issued by authorised dealer banks in India to NRIs or PIOs, subject to the limits for repatriation of balances held in NRO accounts specified in regulation 4(2) of Foreign Exchange Management (Remittance of Assets) Regulations, 2016.

Balances in NRO accounts are not eligible for remittance outside India without the general or specific approval of Reserve Bank. Funds received by way of remittances from outside India in foreign exchange which have not lost their identity as remittable funds will only be considered by Reserve Bank for remittance outside India. Where an account (current/ savings) is opened by a foreign tourist visiting India, with funds remitted from outside India in a specified manner or by sale of foreign exchange brought by him to India, authorised dealers may convert the balance in the account at the time of departure of the tourist from India to foreign currency for payment to the account holder provided the account has been maintained for a period not exceeding six months and the account has not been credited with any local funds, other than interest accrued thereon.

• To Account holders
  • Loans to non-resident account holders may be granted in rupees against the security of fixed deposits subject to usual norms as are applicable to resident accounts, for personal purposes or for carrying on business activities except for the purpose of relending or carrying on agricultural/ plantation activity or for investment in real estate business.
  • Authorised dealer/ bank may permit overdraft in the account of the account holder subject to its commercial judgement and compliance with the interest rate etc. directives.
• To Third parties Loans/ overdrafts to resident individuals/ firms/ companies in India may be granted against the security of deposits held in NRO accounts, subject to the following terms and conditions.
  • The loans shall be utilised only for meeting borrower's personal requirements and/ or business purpose and not for carrying on agricultural/ plantation activities or real estate business, or for relending.
  • Regulations relating to margin and rate of interest as stipulated by Reserve Bank from time to time shall be complied with.
  • The usual norms and considerations as applicable in the case of advances to trade/ industry shall be applicable for such loans/ facilities.

In case of person who had availed of loan or overdraft facilities while resident in India and who subsequently becomes a person resident outside India, the authorised dealer may at their discretion and commercial judgement allow continuance of the loan/ overdraft facilities. In such cases, payment of interest and repayment of loan may be made by inward remittance or out of legitimate resources in India of the person concerned.

The accounts may be held jointly with residents on ‘former or survivor’ basis. NRIs and/or PIOs may hold NRO account jointly with other NRIs and/or PIOs.

Authorised dealers/ authorized banks may allow operations on an NRO account in terms of a Power of Attorney, provided such operations are restricted to (i) all local payments in rupees including payments for eligible investments subject to compliance with relevant regulations made by the Reserve Bank; and (ii) remittance outside India of current income in India of the non-resident individual account holder, net of applicable taxes. The resident Power of Attorney holder shall not repatriate outside India funds held in the account under any circumstances other than to the non-resident individual account holder himself nor shall make payment by way of gift to a resident on behalf of the non-resident account holder nor transfer funds from the account to another NRO account. Any remittance outside India shall be within the ceiling as may be prescribed by the Bank from time to time and subject to tax compliance.

• From Resident to Non-resident
  When a person resident in India leaves India for a country (other than Nepal or Bhutan) for taking up employment, or for carrying on business or vocation outside India or for any other purpose indicating his intention to stay outside India for an uncertain period, his existing account should be designated as a Non-Resident (Ordinary) account.
• From Non-resident to Resident
  NRO accounts may be designated as resident rupee accounts on the return of the account holder to India for taking up employment, or for carrying on business or vocation or for any other purpose indicating his intention to stay in India for an uncertain period. Where the account holder is only on a temporary visit to India, the account should continue to be treated as non-resident during such visit.

The amount due/ payable to non-resident nominee from the account of a deceased account holder shall be credited to NRO account of the nominee with an authorised dealer/ authorised bank in India.

• The transaction in the account which may appear to represent reimbursement in rupees against foreign exchange made available to a person resident in India other than authorised dealer, as well as any other transaction of suspicious nature, should be reported to Reserve Bank.
• The transactions in these accounts shall be reported to the Reserve Bank in accordance with the directions issued by it from time to time.
• The accounts opened by an authorised dealer or an authorised bank in respect of individual/s of Bangladesh nationality shall be reported by the authorised dealer/ authorised bank branch to its Head Office and the Head Office of such authorised dealer/ authorised bank shall forward a quarterly report containing details of Name of the Individual(s),
• Passport Number, Issuing Country/State, Name of the FRO/ FRRO, Date of issue of Residential Permit and validity thereof, to the Ministry of Home Affairs (Foreigners Division) on Quarterly basis” Explanation: ‘Quarterly basis’ means, quarter as at end of March/ June/ September and December of every year.