A Germany-resident NRI or OCI holder can remit up to USD 1 million per financial year from an NRO account to Germany, including property sale proceeds and inheritance, after Indian tax and with Forms 15CA and 15CB. Money traceable to earlier remittances from Germany may go back through the NRE route. Our team prepares the legal file and coordinates with your chartered accountant and bank.
- Document route
- German notary, pre-certification, then Indian mission attestation
- Time difference
- India is 3.5 hours (summer) to 4.5 hours (winter) ahead
- NRE and FCNR
- Freely repatriable
- NRO and assets
- USD 1 million per financial year
Repatriation of Funds from Germany: how it works
We document the origin of the money: property bought with Indian funds or with euros sent to India, an inheritance, or matured deposits. For a German client the bundle typically holds the property deeds, the buyer's TDS certificates, any succession documents and NRO account statements. A chartered accountant certifies Form 15CB, Form 15CA is filed online and the bank sends the funds. Proceeds of up to two homes bought with NRE or foreign funds can be repatriated outside the annual limit.
German banks apply anti-money laundering checks to large incoming transfers and may ask about the source; a clear Indian paper trail answers this quickly. Germany taxes residents on worldwide income, but capital receipts such as inheritance are not income, though German inheritance tax rules may apply to heirs resident in Germany. We provide a summary in English that your Steuerberater can use.
What clients in Germany should know
- German banks may request proof of origin for large transfers; keep the Indian sale deed and succession documents ready.
- Inheritance received by a German resident may fall within German inheritance tax, even where India levies none.
- NRE interest is exempt in India but taxable in Germany; NRO interest is taxed in India with treaty credit in Germany.
Step by step from Germany
Video consultation
A call at a time that suits Germany, after we have read your documents.
Documents signed in Germany
German notary, pre-certification, then Indian mission attestation
Work in India
Our team files, appears and follows up in India, and shares scans of everything filed.
Result and handover
Certified copies and originals are couriered to you in Germany where needed.
The full guide
This page covers what changes when you are in Germany. For the law, the documents and the step-by-step procedure, read our main page on Repatriation of Funds, or see all services for clients in Germany and the Cross-Border Tax & Money practice area.
Questions from clients in Germany
Can I transfer my late father's savings to Germany?
Yes. After the bank releases them to you as heir, they move through your NRO account within the yearly limit.
Will my German bank ask questions?
Possibly, for large amounts. The Indian documents we prepare usually satisfy them.
How long does the remittance take?
A few working days once the Indian documents are complete.