Q564. Indian citizen living in

Nepal, do I have NRI status in India

Question: Dear Sir, I am an bonafied Indian National (Holding an Indian passport) residing in Nepal for last 20 years. I wish to know if i can get NRI status in India or not? Please note that there is lot of confusion in this regards with Indians residing in Nepal. Please oblige me by replying immediately quoting specific section of Indial penal code. Please note that your immediate reply will be highly appriciated. Regards Sunil mehta Kathmandu, Nepal. Answer: My understanding is that Indian citizens living abroad, other than SAARC countries for more than 183 days/in a financial year are referred to as 'Non-resident Indians' (NRI) Nepal happens to be one of the The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries. Indian residents I believe, when they travel to Nepal for employment or business purposes to stay in Nepal for an uncertain period are not allowed to open non-resident bank accounts in India such as NRO or NRE. They can continue to hold their resident Indian bank accounts. If you check with any bank in India they should be able to advise you. In some aspects, a Indian citizen living in Nepal continues to be treated as resident in India. You state that you have lived in Nepal for 20 years, if there is a specific reason why you want yourself to be classified as a non-resident Indian, you should consult a professional in India.