A UAE-resident NRI can remit up to USD 1 million per financial year from an NRO account to the UAE, covering property sale proceeds and inheritance, after Indian tax and with Forms 15CA and 15CB. Money traceable to earlier remittances from the UAE can often go back through the NRE route. We prepare the legal and tax file and coordinate with your chartered accountant and bank.
- Document route
- UAE notary, MOFA attestation, then Indian Embassy or Consulate attestation
- Time difference
- IST is 1h30 ahead of UAE time all year (no daylight saving)
- NRE and FCNR
- Freely repatriable
- NRO and assets
- USD 1 million per financial year
Repatriation of Funds from the UAE: how it works
We trace the source of funds: sale of property bought with Indian money or with remittances from the UAE, inheritance, or matured deposits. Documents include the sale and purchase deeds, tax deduction certificates, succession papers and bank statements. The chartered accountant certifies Form 15CB, Form 15CA is filed online and the bank processes the remittance. Where property was bought from NRE funds or remittances, proceeds of up to two residential properties can be sent outside the annual limit.
Indian banks increasingly ask for detailed proof of the source of funds, so we prepare one organised file that answers their questions upfront. Because the UAE has no personal income tax, the main tax question is in India: whether the buyer deducted the correct tax and whether a refund is due through an Indian return. We also check whether you could be treated as a deemed resident under Indian law if your Indian income is high, which changes how your income is taxed.
What clients in the UAE should know
- Indian citizens with Indian income above ₹15 lakh who are not liable to tax in any country can be deemed resident in India; UAE residents should check this before large sales.
- Interest on NRE deposits is exempt in India, which suits many UAE residents; NRO interest is taxable in India.
- Banks in India and the UAE may both ask about the purpose of large transfers; keep the legal papers ready.
Step by step from the UAE
Video consultation
A call at a time that suits the UAE, after we have read your documents.
Documents signed in the UAE
UAE notary, MOFA attestation, then Indian Embassy or Consulate attestation
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 the UAE where needed.
The full guide
This page covers what changes when you are in the UAE. 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 the UAE and the Cross-Border Tax & Money practice area.
Questions from clients in the UAE
Can I send my house sale money to Dubai?
Yes, from your NRO or NRE account, within the applicable limits, with Forms 15CA and 15CB.
Is there tax in the UAE on money I bring in?
The UAE does not tax personal income or remittances, but Indian tax must be settled before remittance.
How long does it take?
A few working days once the documents are in order.