Non Resident Indians

NRI Account Meaning:

An NRI Account refers to the accounts opened by a Non-Resident Indian (NRI) or a Person of Indian Origin (PIO) with a bank or financial institution which is authorised by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), to provide various services.

Here are the types of NRI Accounts that you can opt for, to meet your financial requirements.

Non-Resident External (NRE) Accounts

The Non-Resident External (NRE) Account allows you to transfer your foreign earnings easily to India. However, this type of account is rupee dominated and can be opened in the form of Current, Savings, Fixed or Recurring Deposits. It is vital to know that there is no tax levied on the interest earned from these accounts, i.e. they are tax exempt, and they are also easily repatriable, i.e. transferable. These accounts can be jointly opened with close relative Resident Indian on Former or Survivor basis.

Non- Resident Ordinary (NRO) Accounts

The Non-Resident Ordinary (NRO) Account are primarily opened for depositing rupees earned in India. Foreign earnings can also be deposited in this account. When an Indian citizen goes abroad for a job with an intention to stay there, his resident accounts should be converted into an NRO Account by the bank. Therefore, it is essential to inform the bank about the individual’s departure abroad.

Also, it is vital to know that NRO Accounts are rupee dominated and can be opened in the form of Savings, Current, Recurring Deposits or Fixed Deposits. These accounts can be jointly opened with any Resident Indian on Former or Survivor basis.

Foreign Currency Non-Resident (FCNR) Accounts

The Foreign Currency Non-Resident (FCNR) Account can be opened in different currencies such as US Dollars, Canadian Dollars, Australian Dollars, Sterling Pounds, Euro, Japanese Yen, etc. These FCNR Accounts can be opened in the form of term deposits for the following maturity periods:

It is essential to know that the entire deposit, i.e., principal and interest is tax-free until you hold the NRI status and is easily repatriable.