Clarifications on various aspects
of the facility - eligibility criteria, purpose and the ceiling
for repatriation, etc.
Facilities
for remittance of assets held in India by Non-Residents
(A) Who is eligible?
The
repatriation facility is available to the following category of persons:
(I)
Foreign national [other than a citizen of Nepal or Bhutan or a Person
of Indian Origin (PIO)] who:
(i)has retired from an employment in India or
(ii)has inherited the assets from a person who was a resident in India or
(iii)A widow resident outside India and has inherited assets of her
deceased husband who was an Indian Citizen, resident in India.
(II)NRI/PIO who acquired the assets in question, out of rupee
resources when he was in India or by way of legacy/inheritance from a
person who was a resident in India.
(B)
Funds/assets eligible for repatriation
(a)
Sale proceeds of immovable property,
(b)
Assets acquired by way of Inheritance/legacy
(c) A
deposit with a bank or a firm or a company,
(d)
Provident fund balance or super annuation benefits,
(e)
Amount of claim or maturity proceeds of insurance policy,
(f)
Sale proceeds of shares, securities,
(g)
Any other asset held in India, in accordance with the provisions of the Act
or Rules or Regulations made there under (as defined at Regulation 2(v) of
Notification No.FEMA 13/2000-RB dated May 3, 2000).
(C).Purpose of remittance
The liberalized remittance
facility is available for any bonafide purpose.
(D). General
conditions to be satisfied for repatriation of assets.
(i)Documentary evidence in support of the acquisition of the
funds/assets proposed to be remitted.
(ii)Undertaking and Certification relating to tax compliance.
(E). Specific conditions relating to
repatriation of sale proceeds of immovable property.
(i)
Repatriation of sale proceeds of immovable property, acquired out of Rupee
funds is available subject to the condition that the property should have
been held for a minimum period of 10 years. If such a property acquired out
of Rupee funds is sold after being held for less than 10 years,
remittance can be made, if the sale proceeds have been held by the NRI / PIO
for the balance period in NRO Account (Savings/ Term Deposits) or in any
other eligible security, provided such investment is traced to the sale
proceeds of the immovable property.
(ii) There is no lock-in-period in respect of immovable property acquired by
way of-
(a) Inheritance/legacy.
(b) Foreign currency funds (through inward remittance or by debit to FCNR/NRE
accounts.
(F). Remittance Procedure
(i)In case, the remittance is to be made in more than one instalment,
the remittances of all instalments should be remitted through the same
authorised dealer.
(ii) It is also clarified that the remittance facility is available even
if the NRI/PIO/Foreign National is not maintaining any NRO account. However,
the remittance should be routed through banking channel only, subject to tax
compliance.