Ans. Under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme, all resident individuals, including minors, are allowed to freely remit up to USD 2,50,000 per financial year (April – March) for any permissible current or capital account transaction or a combination of both. Further, resident individuals can avail of foreign exchange facility for the purposes mentioned in Para 1 of Schedule III of FEM (CAT) Amendment Rules 2015, dated May 26, 2015, within the limit of USD 2,50,000 only.

The Scheme was introduced on February 4, 2004, with a limit of USD 25,000. The LRS limit has been revised in stages consistent with prevailing macro and micro economic conditions.

In case of remitter being a minor, the LRS declaration form must be countersigned by the minor’s natural guardian. The Scheme is not available to corporates, partnership firms, HUF, Trusts etc.

Ans. The remittance facility under the Scheme is not available for the following:

1. Remittance for any purpose specifically prohibited under Schedule-I (like purchase of lottery tickets/sweep stakes, proscribed magazines, etc.) or any item restricted under Schedule II of Foreign Exchange Management (Current Account Transactions) Rules, 2000.

2. Remittance from India for margins or margin calls to overseas exchanges / overseas counterparty.

3. Remittances for purchase of FCCBs issued by Indian companies in the overseas secondary market.

4. Remittance for trading in foreign exchange abroad.

5. Capital account remittances, directly or indirectly, to countries identified by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) as “non- cooperative countries and territories”, from time to time.

6. Remittances directly or indirectly to those individuals and entities identified as posing significant risk of committing acts of terrorism as advised separately by the Reserve Bank to the banks.

7. Gifting by a resident to another resident, in foreign currency, for the credit of the latter’s foreign currency account held abroad under LRS.

Ans. Individuals can avail of foreign exchange facility for the following purposes within the LRS limit of USD 2,50,000 on financial year basis:

1. Private visits to any country (except Nepal and Bhutan)

2. Gift or donation

3. Going abroad for employment

4. Emigration

5. Maintenance of close relatives abroad

6. Travel for business, or attending a conference or specialised training or for meeting expenses for meeting medical expenses, or check-up abroad, or for accompanying as attendant to a patient going abroad for medical treatment/ check-up

7. Expenses in connection with medical treatment abroad

8. Studies abroad

9. Any other current account transaction which is not covered under the definition of current account in FEMA 1999.

The AD bank may undertake the remittance transaction without RBI’s permission for all residual current account transactions which are not prohibited/ restricted transactions under Schedule I, II or III of FEM (CAT) Rules, 2000, as amended or are defined in FEMA 1999. It is for the AD to satisfy themselves about the genuineness of the transaction, as hitherto.

Ans. The investor who has remitted funds under LRS can retain and reinvest the income earned from his investments made under the Scheme. However, the received/realised/unspent/unused foreign exchange, unless reinvested, shall be repatriated and surrendered to an authorised person within a period of 180 days from the date of such receipt/ realisation/ purchase/ acquisition or date of return to India, as the case may be.

Further, any additional repatriation requirement with respect to investments made under Overseas Investments Rules and Regulations 2022 shall also be adhered to.

Ans. Remittances under the facility can be consolidated in respect of family members subject to the individual family members complying with the terms and conditions of the Scheme. However, clubbing is not permitted by other family members for capital account transactions such as opening a bank account and investment, if they are not the co-owners/co-partners of the investment/ overseas bank account. Remittances for acquiring immovable property outside India from a person resident outside India, may be consolidated in respect of relatives if such relatives, being persons resident in India, comply with the terms and conditions of the Scheme.

Ans. AD will be guided by the nature of transaction as declared by the remitter in Form A2 and will thereafter certify that the remittance is in conformity with the instructions issued by the Reserve Bank in this regard from time to time. However, the ultimate responsibility is of the remitter to ensure compliance to the extant FEMA rules/regulations.

Ans. Yes, it is mandatory for the resident individual to provide his/her Permanent Account Number (PAN) for all transactions under LRS made through Authorized Persons.

Ans. There are no restrictions on the frequency of remittances under LRS. However, the total amount of foreign exchange purchased from or remitted through, all sources in India during a financial year should be within the cumulative limit of USD 2,50,000.

Once a remittance is made for an amount up to USD 2,50,000 during the financial year, a resident individual would not be eligible to make any further remittances under this scheme, even if the proceeds of the investments have been brought back into the country.

Ans. Resident individuals (but not permanently resident in India) who have remitted their entire earnings and salary and wish to further remit ‘other income’ may approach RBI with documents through their AD bank for consideration.

Ans. No. The rationale is that remittance facility for current account transactions under Schedule III of FEM (CAT) Amendment Rules, 2015, such as private and business visits, up to the LRS limit of USD 250, 000 can also be provided by FFMCs. As FFMCs cannot maintain accounts of remitters, the proviso (as mentioned in para 5.4 of the circular ibid) has been confined to capital account transactions. However, FFMCs, are required to ensure that the "Know Your Customer" guidelines and the Anti-Money Laundering Rules in force have been complied with while allowing the current account transactions.