NRI Info
General information for Non-Resident Indians — status, rights, responsibilities, and resources.
Cancelling a Power of Attorney for India from abroad — the working process
A step-by-step guide for NRIs revoking a Power of Attorney executed for use in India: how the Contract Act and Powers of Attorney Act govern revocation, why "power coupled with interest" is irrevocable, the deed of revocation executed abroad via consular attestation or Apostille, registration of the revocation at the sub-registrar, newspaper public notice, notice to the attorney and to all third parties holding the old PoA, and what to do when the attorney won't cooperate.
Should an NRI take foreign citizenship? — the trade-offs
A current decision framework for NRIs weighing foreign citizenship against keeping the Indian passport: the Article 9 no-dual-citizenship rule, formal renunciation under Section 8 and Form XXII, what OCI does and does not substitute for, the tax consequences (especially for US citizens), what happens to minor children, and the fact patterns where foreign citizenship clearly makes sense and where it clearly does not.
Receiving an Indian pension abroad — a working guide for NRIs and OCIs
How to continue drawing an Indian pension after moving abroad or taking foreign citizenship: which pensions continue unaffected (central government, EPS, NPS, armed forces, private annuities), NRO credit mechanics, Jeevan Pramaan annual life-certificate routing from abroad, Section 195 TDS and the DTAA pension article, Form 15CA/CB repatriation to the USD 1 million per FY ceiling, and the KYC updates banks and disbursing authorities expect after a citizenship change.
Indian customs duty-free allowance for NRIs, OCIs and foreign visitors — 2026 guide
Current duty-free baggage allowances for passengers arriving in India: the ₹50,000 general allowance, the foreign-tourist ₹15,000 allowance, the Nepal/Bhutan/Myanmar carve-outs, gold jewellery limits after one year abroad, the Rule 6 Transfer of Residence slabs for returning NRIs, what the red and green channels actually check, the ATITHI declaration app, foreign-currency declaration thresholds, duty rates for TVs, drones and excess gold, and the usual mistakes that turn a Green-channel walk into a Red-channel detention.
PIO card status in 2026 — what holders should do now
The PIO card scheme was withdrawn in January 2015 and PIO cards stopped working as travel documents after 30 September 2019. What a holder of an unused PIO card should do in 2026 — conversion to OCI via the "OCI in lieu of PIO" route, what happened to the fee waiver, when a PIO document is still useful as ancestry proof, and the travel options while an OCI application is pending.
Power of Attorney for India — executing one from abroad in 2026
A working guide for NRIs and OCIs executing a Power of Attorney for use in India: why a Special PoA is almost always the right choice, how the Apostille route under the Hague Convention actually works now, when consular attestation is still needed, the stamp-duty and three-month adjudication window after arrival, compulsory registration for property-related PoAs after the 2012 Supreme Court ruling, choosing and constraining the attorney, and the specific clauses an NRI PoA should contain.
Renouncing US citizenship — a working guide for Indian-origin Americans
How a US citizen of Indian origin actually renounces US citizenship in 2026: the consular appointment outside the United States, Forms DS-4079/4080/4081, the reduced US$450 fee after the 2024 State Department rule-making, the Certificate of Loss of Nationality, Section 877A "covered expatriate" exit-tax exposure and the Form 8854 filing, the final dual-status return, the Reed Amendment caution, and how renunciation interacts with OCI, resumption of Indian citizenship, and Social Security.
Returning to India — a working guide for NRIs and OCIs in 2026
The financial, regulatory and practical steps for a long-term NRI or OCI moving back to India: the FEMA residential-status switch on the day of arrival, the Income Tax Act's RNOR transition window that keeps foreign income out of Indian tax, redesignating NRE / NRO / FCNR accounts, opening an RFC account for foreign-currency assets, the Transfer of Residence customs concession, driving licence / Aadhaar / PAN updates, work authorisation on an OCI card, and the timing that keeps the tax and banking transitions coordinated rather than forced.
Transferring inherited Indian shares to an NRI — 2026 working guide
How an NRI, OCI or foreign-national legal heir actually gets inherited Indian shares into their own hands: transmission (not transfer) under SEBI's 2022 common framework, the nominee-led fast route, the legal-heir route with Succession Certificate / Probate / Letters of Administration, the ₹5 lakh / ₹15 lakh simplified thresholds, routing through a non-PIS NRO demat account under Section 6(5) of FEMA, sale through the secondary market without PIS approval, capital-gains computation using the deceased's cost base, and repatriation of sale proceeds via Form 15CA/CB within the USD 1 million ceiling.
Transfer of Residence to India — 2026 guide for returning NRIs
How Rule 6 of the Baggage Rules, 2016 works for an NRI, OCI or returning Indian citizen moving back to India for good: who qualifies for the ₹5 lakh used-household slab, the shorter-stay intermediate slabs, the Annex II concessional 15% basic customs duty on listed appliances, the accompanied-and-unaccompanied baggage timelines, the two-month window for sea-cargo arrival, the Form for Transfer of Residence with its supporting document set, condonation of short stays abroad, and how ToR interacts with vehicle import and the regular baggage allowance.
Safety Deposit Box in Indian Banks
How safety deposit lockers work in Indian banks, the RBI revised locker rules, and the widespread misconception that the bank will compensate you for the full value of items stolen from your locker. Spoiler: it will not.
Finding Lawyers, Accountants, and Service Providers in India from Abroad
A practical guide for NRIs on finding and vetting India-based service providers — lawyers, chartered accountants, customs brokers, property managers, real estate agents, architects, household services — with official registries to verify credentials and red flags to avoid.
Filing a Police Complaint in India — FIR, Zero FIR, and Online Options
How FIRs work in India under the new Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) 2023, what can and cannot be filed online, how to use state e-FIR systems and the national cyber-crime portal, the Zero FIR mechanism, what to do if the police refuse to register your complaint, and how NRIs can file from abroad.
About V K Chand
Virendar Chand is the Author of THE NRI GUIDE. He left India for North America in 1970, completed his Business Administration in Canada in 1974