An Australia-resident NRI or OCI holder can remit up to USD 1 million per financial year from an NRO account to Australia, including property sale proceeds and inheritance, after Indian tax and with Forms 15CA and 15CB. Funds traceable to remittances into India may move through the NRE route. We prepare the legal file and work with your chartered accountant and bank.
- Document route
- Australian notary public, then apostille from DFAT
- Time difference
- Australia is 2h30 (Perth) to 5h30 (Sydney and Melbourne in summer) ahead of IST
- NRE and FCNR
- Freely repatriable
- NRO and assets
- USD 1 million per financial year
Repatriation of Funds from Australia: how it works
We trace the source of the money and gather the sale and purchase deeds, tax deduction certificates, succession documents and bank statements. The chartered accountant certifies Form 15CB, Form 15CA is filed online, and your bank processes the transfer to Australia. Where property was originally bought with NRE money or foreign remittances, sale proceeds of up to two residential properties can be repatriated outside the annual limit.
On the Australian side, large incoming transfers may attract questions from your bank, and income or gains may be assessable by the ATO. Inheritance itself is not income in Australia. Keep the remittance documents together with the Indian legal papers in one place for your Australian accountant. If your Indian bank asks for something unusual, such as a fresh no-objection from co-heirs or an indemnity, we handle the correspondence and explain the request to you, so the remittance is not held up for weeks while emails go back and forth.
What clients in Australia should know
- The Indian financial year runs April to March and Australia's July to June, which affects how amounts are reported.
- Interest on NRO deposits is taxable in India; NRE interest is exempt in India but assessable in Australia.
- Remittances above USD 1 million in a financial year need RBI approval through the bank.
Step by step from Australia
Video consultation
A call at a time that suits Australia, after we have read your documents.
Documents signed in Australia
Australian notary public, then apostille from DFAT
Work in India
Our team files, appears and follows up in India, and shares scans of everything filed.
Result and handover
Certified copies and originals are couriered to you in Australia where needed.
The full guide
This page covers what changes when you are in Australia. For the law, the documents and the step-by-step procedure, read our main page on Repatriation of Funds, or see all services for clients in Australia and the Cross-Border Tax & Money practice area.
Questions from clients in Australia
Can I send my parents' savings to Australia after they pass away?
Yes, through your NRO account after obtaining succession documents, within the annual limit.
Do I need Form 15CB?
In most cases, yes. We coordinate with a chartered accountant.
How long does the transfer take?
A few working days once documents are complete.