NRI Money Repatriation: RBI Limits
Once money is sitting in an Indian account, actually getting it to your account abroad depends entirely on which account it's in and what the source of the funds was. NRE funds move freely. NRO funds have a real annual ceiling and paperwork attached to it.
This guide explains how the rules generally work and is not tax, legal, or investment advice. Rates, thresholds, and form numbers change with each Union Budget and Finance Act, and your own situation (which country you live in, your visa or citizenship status, how the asset was funded) can change the answer. Confirm your specific case with a chartered accountant or tax advisor before you file anything or move money. Exceeding the annual NRO repatriation ceiling requires prior RBI approval, so plan large transfers (like a full property sale) across financial years if you're near the limit.
NRE accounts: no RBI ceiling
Funds in an NRE account are fully and freely repatriable, principal and interest, with no RBI-imposed cap. This is the whole point of the account type: it exists specifically to hold foreign-earned money you might want to move back out at any time.
NRO accounts: the USD 1 million per year rule
RBI allows NRIs to remit up to USD 1 million per financial year out of NRO account balances, sale proceeds of assets, and inherited or legacy assets, combined into a single annual ceiling rather than a separate allowance for each category. This is the figure that applies when you're repatriating a lump sum, like the proceeds from selling a house.
Current income held in NRO, rent, dividends, pension, interest, is generally treated separately and doesn't eat into that USD 1 million cap, as long as tax on it has been paid or properly certified. The cap is really about capital leaving the country, not ordinary income.
Property sale proceeds specifically
If you bought the property using money remitted from abroad through an NRE or FCNR account, the sale proceeds can generally be repatriated in full, for up to two residential properties, without hitting the USD 1 million ceiling. Beyond that, or for property funded through rupee/NRO sources, proceeds fall under the standard USD 1 million/year NRO facility. Read Selling Property in India as an NRI for the tax side of this before you list anything.
The paperwork: Form 145 and Form 146
For remittances above a threshold (traditionally ₹5 lakh, largely unchanged under the current forms), your bank needs two documents before releasing the funds:
- Form 145 (formerly Form 15CA): your own self-declaration, filed on the income tax e-filing portal.
- Form 146 (formerly Form 15CB): a certificate from a practicing chartered accountant confirming the nature and taxability of the remittance, TDS already deducted, and whether a DTAA claim applies.
Both were renamed effective 1 April 2026 under the Income-tax Act, 2025, but the underlying process, get a CA to review and certify, then self-declare online, hasn't materially changed. Your bank will also want a source-of-funds declaration, KYC documents, and, for a property sale, the sale deed and proof of how the original purchase was funded.
Frequently asked questions
Is the USD 1 million limit per account or per person?
It is a single combined ceiling per financial year, covering your NRO account balances, sale proceeds of assets, and inherited or legacy assets together, not a separate USD 1 million bucket for each. Confirm this with your bank before assuming you have more headroom than you do.
Does rental income count toward the USD 1 million limit?
Current income sitting in your NRO account, like rent, dividends, or pension, is generally freely repatriable and does not count against the USD 1 million cap, as long as the applicable tax has been paid and certified. The cap is mainly about capital: account balances beyond current income, and proceeds from selling assets.
What is the Liberalised Remittance Scheme, and does it apply to me as an NRI?
The LRS is a separate RBI facility, currently capped at USD 250,000 per financial year, for resident Indians sending money abroad. It does not apply to NRIs repatriating their own NRO or NRE funds, which follow the rules on this page instead. The two get mixed up constantly online because both involve dollar limits and RBI.
What happened to Form 15CA and 15CB?
They were renamed Form 145 and Form 146 respectively, effective 1 April 2026, under the Income-tax Act, 2025. The substance is unchanged: Form 145 is your own online self-declaration, Form 146 is a chartered accountant's certificate confirming the remittance's nature, taxability, and TDS status. Remittances completed before 31 March 2026 under the old forms remain valid.