Liberalised Remittance Scheme of USD 75,000 for Resident Individuals

Under this Scheme, Authorised Dealers may freely allow remittances by resident individuals up to USD 75,000 per financial year (April-March) for any permitted current or capital account transactions or a combination of both.

·         The facility is available to all resident individuals including minors.

·         Remittances under the facility can be consolidated in respect of family members subject to individual family members complying with the terms and conditions of the Scheme.

·         Remittances under the Scheme are allowed only in respect of permissible current or capital account transactions or a combination of both. All other transactions which are otherwise not permissible under FEMA and those in the nature of remittance for margins or margin calls to overseas exchanges / overseas counter party are not allowed under the Scheme.

·         Resident individuals are free to acquire and hold immovable property or shares (of listed companies or otherwise) or debt instruments or any other asset outside India without prior approval of the Reserve Bank.

·           The limits of USD 75,000 under the Scheme also include remittances towards gift and donation by a resident individual.

·         Remittances under the Scheme can be used for purchasing objects of art subject to the provisions of other applicable laws such as the extant Foreign Trade Policy of the Government of India.

·         The Scheme can also be used for remittance of funds for acquisition of ESOPs. The Scheme is in addition to acquisition of ESOPs linked to ADR / GDR and acquisition of qualification shares.

·         A resident individual can invest in units of Mutual Funds, Venture Capital Funds, unrated debt securities, promissory notes, etc. under this Scheme. Further, the resident can invest in such securities out of the bank account opened abroad under the Scheme .

·         An individual who has availed of a loan abroad while as a non resident can repay the same on return to India under the Scheme as a resident.

·         The Scheme can be used for outward remittance in the form of a DD either in the resident individual’s own name or in the name of beneficiary with whom he intends putting through the permissible transactions at the time of private visit abroad, against self declaration of the remitter in the format prescribed.

·         Individuals can also open, maintain and hold foreign currency accounts with a bank outside India for making remittances under the Scheme without prior approval of the Reserve Bank. The foreign currency accounts may be used for putting through all transactions connected with or arising from remittances eligible under this Scheme.

·         Banks should not extend any kind of credit facilities to resident individuals to facilitate remittances under the Scheme.

·         The scheme is not available for remittances for any purpose specifically prohibited under Schedule I or any item restricted under Schedule II of Foreign Exchange Management (Current Account Transaction) Rules, 2000.

·          The facility is not available for making remittances 

Precautions to be undertaken while making an application under this scheme:

All resident individuals are eligible to avail of the facility under the USD  75,000 scheme. However it is mandatory to have a PAN number to make a remittance under this scheme, and your account with any commercial bank in India must be at least 1 year old. This facility will not be available to corporate, partnership firms, HUF, Trusts, etc. Also, remittance cannot be done from any loan/overdraft account.

 It is also not permtted for remittance being made directly or indirectly to Nepal, Bhutan, Mauritius or Bhutan or to any country identified as a non-co-operative country by the Financial Action Task Force (http://www.fatf-gafi.org). Further, remittance for any payments in the nature of margin calls including for trading in foreign exchange are not permitted.

Further Clarification:

1.The facility is available to all resident individuals including minors. In case of remitter being a minor, the LRS declaration form should be countersigned by the minor’s natural guardian. Accordingly, the modified LRS application cum declaration form is enclosed;

ii. Remittances under the facility can be consolidated in respect of family members subject to individual family members complying with the terms and conditions of the scheme; and

 

iii. Remittances under the scheme can be used for purchasing objects of art subject to the provisions of other applicable laws such as the extant Foreign Trade Policy of the Government of India.

RBI/2011-12/430 March 06, 2012-A.P. (DIR Series) Circular No. 90

Investment in both Listed and unlisted shares are permitted now.

 In terms of the extant FEMA provisions LRS can be used to acquire both listed and unlisted shares of an overseas company. The Master Circular dated July 1, 2013 has been suitably modified.

Instances where more than $75000 per FY is allowed :

As per the current guidelines of LRS, only gift and donation (from the list of items under Schedule III to FEM CAT Rules, 2000), by a resident individual have been subsumed under the LRS limit. For all other purposes such as educational and medical expenses the limits of LRS and Schedule III to FEM CAT Rules 2000 are separate, distinct, mutually exclusive and over and above each other respectively.

In this context, it may be noted that under the extant guidelines under FEMA the following remittances can be made over and above the annual limit of USD 75000 permissible under LRS:

1. A resident individual can make remittances for meeting expenses for medical treatment abroad up to the estimate from a doctor in India or hospital/ doctor abroad  under general permission (without any RBI approval – Para 9 of Schedule III to FEM CAT Rules, 2000, as amended from time to time).
2. A resident individual can make remittances up to USD 25,000 for maintenance expenses of a patient going abroad for medical treatment or check-up abroad or for accompanying as attendant to a patient going abroad for medical treatment/ check-up (without any RBI approval – Para 8 of Schedule III to FEM CAT Rules, 2000, as amended from time to time).
3. A resident individual can make remittances for studies up to the estimates from the institutions abroad or USD 100,000, whichever is higher (without any RBI approval – Para 10 of Schedule III to FEM CAT Rules, 2000, as amended from time to time). This is over and above the remittance limit of USD 75,000 which can be made under the LRS route for the same.
4. A resident individual can also make all other remittances (other than donation and gifts) as stipulated under Schedules III to FEM CAT Rules, 2000, as amended from time to time. 
5. A resident individual can also carry out other permissible current account transactions (transactions which are not explicitly prohibited under Schedule I, or restricted under Schedules II and III, to FEM CAT Rules, 2000, as amended from time to time) without any limits through an AD Bank in India subject to the AD bank verifying the bonafides of the transaction (para 6 to Annex 1 of ADMA Circular No.11 dated May 16, 2000).

 
Therefore notwithstanding the revised guidelines and reduction in the LRS limit these guidelines do not affect genuine transactions. 

 Acquiring Immovable Property Abroad

Resident individuals are permitted to make remittances for acquiring immovable property within the annual limit of USD 75000 for already contracted cases, i.e. only for those contracts which were entered into on or before the date of the circular, i.e., August 14, 2013, subject to satisfaction of the genuineness of the transactions by the AD bank. Such cases should be immediately reported post facto to the Reserve Bank of India by the A D banks.

RBI/2013-14/222 A.P. (DIR Series) Circular No.32 dated 4th September 2013

R.V.Seckar

rvsekar2007@gmail.com

919848915177