Ans. A resident of India, who has gone out of India on a temporary visit may bring into India at the time of his return from any place outside India (other than Nepal and Bhutan), currency notes of Government of India and Reserve Bank of India notes up to an amount not exceeding Rs.25,000. A person may bring into India from Nepal or Bhutan, currency notes of Government of India and Reserve Bank of India notes, in denomination not exceeding Rs.100. Any person resident outside India, not being a citizen of Pakistan and Bangladesh and also not a traveller coming from and going to Pakistan and Bangladesh, and visiting India may bring into India currency notes of Government of India and Reserve Bank of India notes up to an amount not exceeding Rs.25,000 while entering only through an airport.

ECS Credit payments can be initiated by any institution (called ECS Credit User) which needs to make bulk or repetitive payments to a number of beneficiaries. The institutional User has to first register with an ECS Centre. The User has to also obtain the consent of beneficiaries (i.e., the recipients of salary, pension, dividend, interest etc.) and get their bank account particulars prior to participation in the ECS Credit scheme. ECS Credit payments can be put through by the ECS User only through his / her bank (known as the Sponsor bank). ECS Credits are afforded to the beneficiary account holders (known as destination account holders) through the beneficiary account holders’ bank (known as the destination bank). The beneficiary account holders are required to give mandates to the user institutions to enable them to afford credit to their bank accounts through the ECS Credit mechanism.

All Scheduled Commercial Banks, Regional Rural Banks and Scheduled Primary Co-operative Banks are covered under the Scheme.

Differential rates of interest can be paid onsingle depositof Rs.15 lakhs and above and not on the aggregate of individual deposits where such total exceeds Rs.15 lakhs.

Non-competitive bids will be allowed upto 5 percent of the notified amount in the specified auctions of dated securities.

Yes. But ADs (banks) should ensure that the funds to be repatriated outside India were either received from abroad or are of repatriable in nature or are permissible in terms of RBI notification No.FEMA.13/2000 dated 3rd May 2000.

Authorised dealers are free to decide the documentation, as also any other information (including declaration), required by them, to satisfy themselves, before effecting the remittance. They should, however, call for the following documents viz. A certificate from a Chartered Accountant certifying that the applicant exporter satisfies the criteria of having export earning of at least Rs.10 lakhs, during each of the preceding two years, The C.A. certificate as at (a) above is not necessary, in case the export earnings prescribed (i.e. minimum Rs.10 lakhs in each of the previous two years), have been realised through the same authorised dealer, through whom the remittance is sought to be made. A Chartered Accountant’s certificate should also be obtained, certifying that the remittance represents advertisement charges incurred by the advertiser towards telecast in foreign countries and not in India alone. The certificate will have to be obtained for each remittance. Authorised dealers should, before allowing the remittances, obtain from the remitter an undertaking and a C.A. certificate in the format as prescribed in the CBDT circular No.10/2002 dated October 9, 2002. [c.f. A.P. (DIR Series) Circular No.56 dated November 26, 2002).

Banks have been allowed to convert the balance in the account at the time of departure of the tourists into foreign currency provided the account has been maintained for a period not exceeding six months and the account has not been credited with any local funds, other than interest accrued thereon.

These guidelines have been notified by Reserve Bank of India in its Notification FEMA No.19 dated 3^rd May 2000 as amended from time to time which can be accessed at the Reserve Bank’s website fema.rbi.org.in.

In connection with private visits abroad, viz., for tourism purposes, etc., foreign exchange up to US$10,000, in any one calendar year may be obtained from an authorised dealer. The ceiling of US$10,000 is applicable in aggregate and foreign exchange may be obtained for one or more than one visits provided the aggregate foreign exchange availed of in one calendar year does not exceed the prescribed ceiling of US$10,000 {The facility was earlier called B.T.Q or F.T.S.}. This US$10,000 (BTQ) can be availed of by a person alongwith foreign exchange for travel abroad for any purpose, including for employment or immigration or studies. However, no foreign exchange is available for visit to Nepal and/or Bhutan for any purpose.