Foreign Exchange Remittance Facilities for Individuals
Principles & Practices of Banking | Unit 8 Chapter Notes
FERA to FEMA, FEMA definitions, inward & outward remittance rules, Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS), Schedule I/II/III transactions, and the Indo-Nepal Remittance Scheme — all key figures and provisions for the exam.
📌 Why This Chapter Matters in JAIIB
This chapter is number-heavy and definition-heavy — exactly what the JAIIB paper loves. Expect 4–6 questions covering the LRS limit (USD 2,50,000), FERA vs FEMA differences, the 182-day residency rule, Schedule I/II/III transaction categories, CDF thresholds, and the Indo-Nepal Remittance Scheme. Lock in these figures and you pocket these marks.
Evolution of FEMA — From FERA to FEMA
India’s approach to foreign exchange management has shifted from tight control to facilitation — tracking the country’s economic liberalisation journey.
| Feature | FERA (1973) | FEMA (2000) |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Foreign Exchange Regulation Act | Foreign Exchange Management Act |
| Enacted | 1973 (replaced DERA 1947) | Effective June 1, 2000 |
| Nature of offence | Criminal offence | Civil offence |
| Objective | Conservation & control of foreign exchange | Facilitate external trade & orderly development of FX market |
| Approach | Import substitution | Export promotion |
| WTO alignment | No | Yes — consistent with WTO framework |
| Exception | — | Does NOT extend to Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City) |
🧠 Mnemonic — FEMA vs FERA
“FERA was a Criminal cop; FEMA is a Civil manager.” FERA treated foreign exchange offences as criminal; FEMA treats them as civil. FERA aimed at import substitution; FEMA at export promotion. FEMA effective: June 1, 2000.
Main Features of FEMA
- i.FEMA empowers the Central Government to impose restrictions on foreign exchange transactions.
- ii.Payments to/receipts from any person outside India, and deals in foreign exchange/security, are restricted.
- iii.Transactions in foreign exchange must be made only through an Authorised Person (AP).
- iv.FX transactions, foreign security dealings, or owning immovable property abroad by India residents are restricted.
- v.Transactions involving FX or foreign security and payments from outside India cannot be undertaken without RBI's general or specific permission.
- vi.Current account transactions can be restricted by the Central Government based on public interest.
- vii.RBI is empowered to subject capital account transactions to restrictions.
- viii.Residents may hold FX, foreign security, or immovable property abroad if acquired when living outside India or inherited from someone outside India.
Key FEMA Definitions — Exam Hotspot
These definitions appear directly in MCQs. The 182-day rule for resident status is the single most tested figure in this chapter.
⚠️ Most-tested number: 182 days
A person is resident in India if they have resided in India for more than 182 days during the course of the preceding financial year. Common trap: options include 90, 180, and 182 — answer is always 182.
Bringing In & Taking Out Foreign Exchange
4.1 Bringing in Foreign Exchange — Currency Declaration Form (CDF)
Foreign exchange in any form can be brought into India freely without any limit, subject to declaration procedures. A Currency Declaration Form (CDF) must be filed with Customs, EXCEPT in the following cases:
No CDF needed if currency notes + TCs ≤
USD 10,000 or equivalent
No CDF needed if foreign currency notes only ≤
USD 5,000 or equivalent
4.2 Purchase of Foreign Currency from Public — Cash Payment Ceilings
From resident persons
USD 1,000 or equivalent per transaction
From foreign visitors / NRIs
USD 3,000 or equivalent per transaction
Payments to resident customers for purchased FX can also be made by account-payee cheque / DD / loading INR debit cards / electronic funds transfer. An Encashment Certificate may be issued by AP; non-residents should produce it to reconvert unspent Indian currency.
4.3 Taking Out Foreign Exchange
- →Taking out FX other than that obtained from an AP is prohibited, unless covered by RBI's general or special permission.
- →Non-residents may take out an amount not exceeding what they originally brought in, subject to CDF and encashment certificate compliance.
- →Unspent rupees up to Rs. 10,000 may be reconverted to FX without an encashment certificate if departure is within 7 days and AP is satisfied.
- →Foreign tourists (not NRIs) may reconvert rupees withdrawn from ATM up to Rs. 50,000 against original ATM slip + valid passport/visa + air ticket confirmed within 7 days.
Inward Remittances
General Rules
- →No restrictions for a resident individual to receive inward remittances through AD banks in India.
- →ADs may freely purchase TTs, MTs, Drafts, Bills, etc. drawn in any foreign currency against rupees.
- →Foreign exchange due as remuneration, settlement of obligations, income on overseas assets, or inheritance must be sold (surrendered) to an AP within 180 days of receipt.
- →FEMA specifies no maximum limit on money being remitted into India.
- →FIRC (Foreign Inward Remittance Certificate) is not required for personal remittances by NRIs to relatives. It is required for business remittances claiming tax concessions.
Approved Remittance Methods into India
Outward Remittances — The Three Schedules
Release of FX to residents is governed by FEMA (Current Account Transactions) Rules, 2000. Transactions are categorised into three schedules — memorise which schedule each falls under.
🧠 Mnemonic — PGA (Prohibited, Govt, AD)
Schedule I
Prohibited (P)
No AD can allow
Schedule II
Govt Approval (G)
Prior approval from Ministry / Dept.
Schedule III
AD can allow (A)
Within limits; beyond limits → RBI approval
Prohibited Transactions — No FX Release Allowed
- ✕Remittance of lottery winnings
- ✕Remittance for purchase of lottery tickets, banned/proscribed magazines, football pools, sweepstakes
- ✕Remittance of income from racing/riding/hobbies
- ✕Payment of commission on exports for equity investment in JV/WOS abroad
- ✕Remittance of dividend where dividend balancing applies
- ✕Payment of commission on exports under Rupee State Credit Route (except up to 10% for tea/tobacco)
- ✕Remittance of interest income on Non-Resident Special Rupee (Account) Scheme
- ✕Payment related to 'Call Back Services' of telephones
- ✕Remittances for participation in lottery/money circulation schemes or prize money
Prior Approval Required from Central Government
Key examples (the full list appears as a table in the textbook):
- →Cultural tours → Ministry of Human Resources Development
- →Advertisement in foreign print media (other than tourism/FDI/bidding) >USD 10,000 by State Govt/PSU → Ministry of Finance
- →Remittance of freight of vessel chartered by a PSU → Ministry of Surface Transport (Chartering Wing)
- →Remittance of hiring charges of transponders by TV Channels → Ministry of Information & Broadcasting
- →Prize money/sponsorship of sports activity abroad >USD 1,00,000 (by non-national sports bodies) → Ministry of HRD (Dept. of Youth Affairs)
- →Remittance for membership of P&I Club → Ministry of Finance (Insurance Division)
AD Can Permit (up to LRS limit; beyond → RBI approval)
| Purpose | Limit |
|---|---|
| Gift or donation | USD 2,50,000 per FY |
| Private visits (except Nepal & Bhutan) | USD 2,50,000 per FY |
| Going abroad on employment | USD 2,50,000 per FY |
| Emigration | USD 2,50,000 or as prescribed by country of emigration |
| Maintenance of close relatives abroad | USD 2,50,000 per FY |
| Business trips / conferences | USD 2,50,000 per FY |
| Medical treatment abroad | USD 2,50,000 per FY (no estimate needed); more with doctor's estimate |
| Studies abroad | USD 2,50,000 per FY (no estimate needed); more with university estimate |
Note: Remittances from Resident Foreign Currency (RFC) accounts and EEFC accounts for Schedule II/III transactions are exempt from prior approval requirements.
Authorised Dealer Category II — Non-Trade Current Account Transactions
RBI has granted AD Cat-II licences to upgraded FFMCs, select RRBs, and select UCBs. They can undertake a defined range of non-trade current account transactions — not all transactions.
Transactions AD Cat-II Can Handle
International Credit Cards, Debit Cards & Smart Cards
International Credit Cards (ICC)
- →FEMA restrictions do NOT apply to ICCs issued by overseas banks used by residents for expenses while visiting outside India.
- →Residents can use ICCs on internet for any purpose for which FX can be purchased from an AD in India (e.g., import of books, downloadable software).
- →ICCs CANNOT be used for prohibited items — lottery tickets, banned magazines, sweepstakes, call-back services.
- →No aggregate monetary ceiling separately prescribed for ICC use on internet by RBI.
- →ADs may issue ICCs to NRIs/PIOs without prior RBI approval — charges must be settled from inward remittances or NRE/FCNR balances only.
- →Use of ICC for payments in foreign exchange in Nepal and Bhutan is NOT permitted.
International Debit Cards (IDC)
- →AD banks may issue IDCs to residents for drawing cash or paying merchant establishments overseas during visits abroad.
- →IDCs can be used only for permissible current account transactions and within Schedule limits.
- →IDCs cannot be used on internet for prohibited items.
Store Value / Charge / Smart Cards (Prepaid Travel Cards)
- →AD banks may issue such cards to residents travelling on private/business visits abroad.
- →Use is limited to permissible current account transactions under FEM (CAT) Rules, 2000.
- →Unutilised balance on prepaid travel cards can be redeemed only after 10 days from last transaction.
- →APs must redeem the unused balance immediately on request, subject to retaining: unclaimed/unsettled amounts; service tax payable; and a small balance not exceeding USD 100 for pipeline transactions.
⚠️ Prohibition on Drawal of Foreign Exchange
No FX drawal is permitted for: (a) Schedule I transactions; (b) travel to Nepal/Bhutan; (c) transactions with a person resident in Nepal or Bhutan. Nepal/Bhutan transactions are done in Indian Rupees.
Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS) — Full Detail
LRS was introduced in 2004 and has replaced purpose-wise limits under Schedule III for resident individuals. It is the single most-tested topic in this chapter.
LRS Key Numbers & Rules — Memorise These
Capital Account Transactions Permitted under LRS
- →Opening of a foreign currency account abroad with a bank
- →Purchase of property abroad
- →Making investments abroad — shares (listed/unlisted overseas company), debt instruments, MFs, VCFs, unrated debt, promissory notes
- →Setting up Wholly Owned Subsidiaries (WOS) / Joint Ventures (JV) outside India for bonafide business
- →Extending loans (including Indian Rupee loans) to NRI relatives as defined under Companies Act, 2013
Prohibitions under LRS
- ✕Remittance for margins/margin calls to overseas exchanges or counterparties — NOT allowed.
- ✕Cannot be used to gift funds to another resident individual by remitting to their foreign currency account overseas.
- ✕Schedule I and Schedule II transactions are not permitted.
- ✕Capital account remittances to FATF non-co-operative countries/territories are not permitted.
- ✕Banks must not extend credit facilities to resident individuals to facilitate capital account remittances under LRS.
- ✕Remittances to individuals/entities identified as posing terrorism risk (as per RBI advisories) are not permitted.
LRS Procedure & Documents
- →Individual must designate a single AD branch through which all LRS remittances will be made.
- →Must furnish Form A2 for purchase of foreign exchange under LRS.
- →PAN (Permanent Account Number) is mandatory for making remittances under LRS.
- →New bank customers: AD must carry out due diligence and obtain bank statement for the previous year or latest IT assessment order/return.
- →For remittances < USD 25,000, AD may prepare and keep on record a dummy Form A2.
- →All LRS remittances are reported in FETERS in the normal course.
- →Payment must be by cheque drawn on the applicant's bank account, or debit to account, or DD/Pay Order, or credit/debit/prepaid card.
Indo-Nepal Remittance Scheme
Key Facts — Indo-Nepal Remittance Scheme
⚠️ Exam trap — Two different cash ceilings
The Indo-Nepal scheme has two different limits: overall ceiling per remittance is INR 2,00,000; for cash remittances from non-customers / walk-in customers, the limit is Rs. 50,000 per remittance with a maximum of 12 remittances per year.
Period of Surrender of Foreign Exchange
- →General rule: A resident individual must surrender received/realised/unspent/unused foreign exchange to an AP within 180 days.
- →Repurposing allowed: FX purchased for a specific purpose can be utilised for any other eligible permitted purpose.
- →Returning traveller exception: May retain foreign currency notes and travellers' cheques up to USD 2,000 AND foreign coins without any ceiling beyond 180 days, for future travel.
- →AP cannot refuse: An AP should not refuse to purchase FX even if surrendered after the 180-day prescribed period, merely on the ground that the period has expired.
Chapter at a Glance — Key Numbers
| Threshold / Rule | Figure | Context |
|---|---|---|
| FEMA effective date | June 1, 2000 | Replaced FERA, 1973 |
| Residency threshold | 182 days | Preceding FY; more than 182 days = resident |
| CDF not required if | ≤ USD 10,000 (total) / ≤ USD 5,000 (notes only) | When bringing FX into India |
| Cash purchase from residents | USD 1,000 | Per transaction ceiling |
| Cash purchase from NRI/foreigners | USD 3,000 | Per transaction ceiling |
| Surrender period for FX | 180 days | After receipt; AP cannot refuse post-expiry |
| LRS annual limit | USD 2,50,000 per FY | Per resident individual; minors eligible |
| Medical treatment (no estimate) | USD 2,50,000 | Per FY; estimate needed beyond this |
| Studies abroad (no estimate) | USD 2,50,000 | Per FY; estimate needed beyond this |
| Foreign currency notes — general | USD 3,000 | Within overall LRS ceiling |
| Foreign currency notes — Iraq/Libya | USD 5,000 | Within overall LRS ceiling |
| Retain after travel | USD 2,000 + coins | Can retain indefinitely for future travel |
| Indo-Nepal — ceiling per remittance | INR 2,00,000 | Account-holders and non-account holders |
| Indo-Nepal — cash (walk-in) | Rs. 50,000; max 12/year | Non-customers only |
| LRS — Form A2 dummy (small remit) | < USD 25,000 | AD may keep dummy form on record |
Practice Test
Chapter 8 Mock Test — Coming Soon
Exam-standard MCQs on FEMA definitions, LRS, schedules, and Indo-Nepal remittance — timed, graded, PRO.
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