FAQ for NRIs and foreign clients

Email info@proudlegal.com, WhatsApp +91 98682-40037 or use the contact form with a short note, your country and any deadline. We reply with the documents we need and a time for a video consultation.

Usually not. Most matters begin with a video call and a power of attorney or affidavit signed where you live. We tell you at the outset if any step will need you in India.

Yes, for the first discussion. For filings and court work we need your own instructions, signatures and identity documents, or a valid power of attorney.

Any notice, order, title deed, agreement, will, death certificate or correspondence connected with the matter, plus your passport and OCI card if you have one. A short timeline in your own words helps a great deal.

Yes. If there is a hearing, a filing deadline or a travel date in the next few days, say so in your first message so we can prioritise it.

By the type of work, its complexity and the stages involved. We quote a fixed or stage-wise fee in writing before starting.

They are listed in the quote but shown separately, because they are paid at actuals to the court, registry or government.

By international bank transfer. Each payment is acknowledged with an invoice or receipt. Always confirm our bank details with us directly before sending money, and treat any message about changed bank details with suspicion.

No. Advocates in India are not permitted to charge fees linked to the result of a case, so our fees do not depend on the outcome.

We tell you before doing additional work and confirm any extra fee in writing. You decide whether to proceed.

If you sign in a country where the Hague Apostille Convention is in force with India, yes, after notarisation. Otherwise, the document is attested by the Indian embassy or consulate.

Yes. Indian missions attest documents and many will witness signatures. It is a valid alternative to a notary and apostille, though appointment waiting times vary.

It remains valid until revoked or until the purpose is completed, but it must be stamped in India within three months of its arrival.

For some filings, such as company and tax forms, digital signature certificates are used. Powers of attorney, affidavits and property documents generally still need a wet signature.

For documents to be filed, stamped or registered, usually yes. Copies are enough for advice and drafting, and we tell you exactly which originals are needed.

No. Your advocate attends routine hearings. You are needed only where the court requires your personal evidence or statement, and many courts allow that by video conference.

An attorney holder can depose to facts within their own knowledge, such as possession or payments they witnessed, but not to facts only you know.

It depends on the court, the type of case and how strongly it is contested. We give you a realistic range at the start and update it as the case moves.

Check first. A pending warrant or a Look Out Circular can lead to being stopped on arrival or departure. We can check the position and seek anticipatory bail where appropriate.

Yes. Most civil and family cases, and compoundable criminal cases, can be settled at any stage, and settlement terms can be signed abroad.

In most sectors, yes, under the automatic route. Some sectors have caps or need approval, and investors from countries sharing a land border with India need government approval.

Yes. Incorporation is done online. You need a digital signature, your documents notarised and apostilled or attested, and at least one director resident in India.

Shares issued to a foreign investor must be reported to the RBI on the FIRMS portal within the prescribed time, and the company files an annual return on foreign liabilities and assets.

A liaison office can only represent the parent and cannot earn income in India. If you plan to sell or deliver services in India, a subsidiary is usually the right choice.

Yes. We carry out legal, secretarial and financial due diligence and draft the term sheet and shareholders agreement.

Only on income earned or received in India, such as rent, interest, capital gains and Indian salary, if you are non-resident under the Income-tax Act, 2025.

NRE and FCNR balances are freely repatriable. From an NRO account, including sale proceeds and inheritance, up to USD 1 million per financial year after tax.

The buyer must deduct tax at source from a non-resident seller. A lower deduction certificate obtained before the sale aligns the deduction with the tax actually payable.

Usually not. Your country's tax treaty with India either limits Indian tax or gives you credit abroad, supported by a tax residency certificate and Form 10F.

Yes. Gifts from an NRI to relatives are generally not taxable in the hands of the relative, and funds can be sent through normal banking channels.