A US-resident NRI or OCI holder can remit up to USD 1 million per financial year from an NRO account to the US, covering sale proceeds, inheritance and other Indian income, after paying Indian tax and filing Forms 15CA and 15CB. Funds traceable to money originally brought from abroad may be repatriated through the NRE route. We work with your bank and chartered accountant so the remittance is clean on both sides.
- Document route
- US notary, then apostille from the state Secretary of State
- Time difference
- IST is 9h30 (US Eastern, summer) to 13h30 (US Pacific, winter) ahead
- NRE and FCNR
- Freely repatriable
- NRO and assets
- USD 1 million per financial year
Repatriation of Funds from the USA: how it works
We first trace where the money came from: sale of property bought with Indian funds, inheritance, maturity of deposits, or sale of property bought with remittances from the US. Each has different documents. For a property sale, we need the sale deed, proof of tax deducted by the buyer and the original purchase deed. For inheritance, the will or succession certificate and a death certificate. The chartered accountant issues Form 15CB certifying that tax has been paid, and Form 15CA is filed online before the bank processes the transfer.
Banks sometimes ask for more than the rules require, so we prepare a single file that answers their questions in advance. Where the property was bought with NRE or foreign funds, up to two residential properties' sale proceeds can be repatriated without counting towards the USD 1 million limit. On the US side, keep the transfer records; the IRS and your bank may ask about large incoming wires, and FBAR reporting applies if your Indian accounts together exceeded USD 10,000 at any time in the year.
What clients in the USA should know
- Inheritance received from an Indian relative is not taxed as income in the US, but Form 3520 reporting applies above the IRS threshold for foreign gifts and bequests.
- Interest on NRO deposits is taxable in India; interest on NRE deposits is exempt in India but taxable in the US.
- Remittances above USD 1 million in a financial year need prior RBI approval through your bank.
Step by step from the USA
Video consultation
A call at a time that suits the USA, after we have read your documents.
Documents signed in the USA
US notary, then apostille from the state Secretary of State
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 the USA where needed.
The full guide
This page covers what changes when you are in the USA. 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 the USA and the Cross-Border Tax & Money practice area.
Questions from clients in the USA
Can I send my mother's inheritance from India to the US?
Yes, through your NRO account within the USD 1 million annual limit, with the succession documents and Forms 15CA and 15CB.
Do I need a chartered accountant?
Yes for Form 15CB in most cases. We coordinate with a chartered accountant so the forms match the legal documents.
How long does a remittance take?
Once documents are in order, banks usually process the transfer within a few working days.