Non-Resident Ordinary Account: 10 Must Know Facts About NRO Account

Any person resident outside India may open NRO account with an authorised dealer or an authorised bank for the purpose of putting through bona fide transaction in rupees.

NRO accounts can be opened in the form of current, savings, recurring or fixed deposit accounts.

Savings Account is normally maintained for crediting legitimate dues /earnings / income such as dividends, interest etc. Banks are free to determine the interest rates.

1. Account should be denominated in Indian Rupees.

2. Permissible credits to NRO account are transfers from

• Rupee accounts of non-resident banks
• Remittances received in permitted currency from outside India through normal banking
• Legitimate dues in India of the account holder like current income like rent, dividend, pension, interest, etc.
• Sale proceeds of assets including immovable property acquired out of rupee/ foreign currency funds or by way of legacy/ inheritance.

3. Eligible debits such as all local payments in rupees including payments for investments as specified by the Reserve Bank and remittance outside India of current income like rent, dividend, pension, interest, etc., net of applicable taxes, of the account holder.

4. NRI/PIO may remit from the balances held in NRO account an amount not exceeding USD one million per financial year, subject to payment of applicable taxes.

5. The limit of USD 1 million per financial year includes sale proceeds of immovable properties held by NRIs/ PIOs.

6. Other than current income and the limit of USD 1 Mn per financial year applicable to NRIs/PIOs, balances in NRO accounts cannot be repatriated without the prior approval of RBI.

7. The accounts may be held jointly with residents and / or with non-resident Indian.

8. The NRO account holder may opt for nomination facility.

9. NRO (current/savings) account can also be opened by a foreign national of non-Indian origin visiting India, with funds remitted from outside India through banking channel or by sale of foreign exchange brought by him to India.

10. Loans to non-resident account holders and to third parties may be granted in Rupees by Authorized Dealer / bank against the security of fixed deposits subject to certain terms and conditions.

Source: RBI
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