Documents for Sending Money Abroad: LRS Checklist (2026)

To send money abroad from India under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS), you need your PAN, Form A2 (usually built into your bank's remittance application), an LRS declaration of how much you have already sent this financial year, the beneficiary's bank details, and a document proving the purpose, such as a university fee letter or hospital estimate. As of October 2026, your bank will also collect TCS once your yearly total crosses ₹10 lakh, so keep proof of purpose handy because it decides whether the rate is 2% or 20%.

Below is a purpose-by-purpose checklist, the TCS rules with worked examples, and the common mistakes that delay transfers.

The documents every LRS remittance needs

Many banks let you submit all of this online if you are an existing customer with updated KYC. Make sure your bank KYC is current, as outdated KYC is a common reason for holds.

Purpose-specific documents

Education abroad

• Admission or offer letter from the institution
• Fee invoice or demand letter showing the amount and the university's bank account
• For living expenses, an estimate from the institution or proof of accommodation
• If funded by an education loan, the loan sanction letter (this is what qualifies the transfer for nil TCS)
• Student's passport and visa copy (some banks ask)

Pay tuition directly to the university's account wherever possible. For loan options, see our comparison of an education loan in India vs abroad.

Medical treatment abroad

• Letter or cost estimate from the hospital or doctor abroad
• Referral or recommendation from a doctor in India (often requested)
• Passport copy of the patient

Gift or maintenance of a relative

• Relationship proof if asked (birth certificate, marriage certificate, passport showing parents' names)
• Recipient's identity and address details

Overseas investment (stocks, mutual funds, property)

• Details of the overseas broker or platform account
• For property or overseas direct investment, documents required under FEMA's Overseas Investment rules, which can be more extensive
• Note: you cannot use LRS for margin trading, forex trading on overseas platforms, or buying foreign currency-denominated lottery or gambling products

Overseas tour package

• Booking confirmation and invoice from the tour operator
• The operator, not your bank, collects TCS on packages

Emigration or employment abroad

• Visa, employment contract or emigration documents, depending on the purpose

TCS rules as of October 2026

Tax Collected at Source on LRS remittances is governed by Section 394(1) of the Income-tax Act, 2025, which replaced the 1961 Act from 1 April 2026 (old Section 206C(1G)). Budget 2026 cut the rates for education, medical and tour packages; the ₹10 lakh threshold was unchanged.

The ₹10 lakh threshold is per PAN per financial year, counted across all banks, forex card loads and debit card spends abroad.

Worked examples of TCS

All examples assume these are the only LRS transfers in FY 2026-27 by that person, and are illustrative.

Example 1: Self-funded tuition of ₹18 lakh

• Amount above threshold: ₹18,00,000 − ₹10,00,000 = ₹8,00,000
• TCS at 2%: ₹16,000

Example 2: Gift of ₹15 lakh to a daughter working abroad

• Amount above threshold: ₹5,00,000
• TCS at 20%: ₹1,00,000

Example 3: Tuition of ₹25 lakh funded by an education loan from a bank

• TCS: Nil, provided you show the loan sanction and the remittance is from loan proceeds

Example 4: ₹4 lakh tour package to Europe

• TCS at 2% from the first rupee: ₹8,000, collected by the tour operator, not your bank

TCS appears in your Form 26AS and AIS. You claim it as a credit when you file your return; if your tax liability is lower, the excess is refunded. Our income tax calculator helps you estimate whether you will get money back. For more on how statements reflect TCS, see our guide to Form 16, AIS and 26AS.

Do you need Form 15CA and 15CB?

For most individuals sending money under LRS, no. These forms apply to payments to non-residents that may be taxable in India (for example, fees to a foreign consultant or repatriation from an NRO account). The Income Tax rules list remittances by individuals under LRS that do not need RBI approval among the payments exempt from these forms. Your bank will tell you if your specific transaction needs them.

The LRS limit and restrictions

• Annual limit: USD 250,000 per resident individual per financial year, including minors (through a guardian).
• Per person, not per family: each family member has a separate limit. For a joint purpose such as buying property abroad, family members who are co-owners can club their individual limits, subject to bank rules.
• Prohibited purposes: lottery, betting, racing, sweepstakes, banned magazines, margin and forex trading on overseas platforms, and remittances to countries identified as non-cooperative by FATF.
• Use authorised channels only. Transfers must go through an RBI-authorised dealer bank or its partners. Informal channels are illegal under FEMA.

Step by step: making the remittance

1. Collect beneficiary details from the recipient or institution in writing, ideally from an official invoice rather than a chat message, to avoid payment-redirection fraud.
2. Add up your year-to-date LRS total across all banks, forex card loads and debit card spends abroad, so you can declare it correctly and anticipate TCS.
3. Choose the purpose that matches your documents. Education, medical, gift, maintenance, investment and travel each map to a different purpose code.
4. Fill the online or branch form (Form A2 is usually embedded) and upload purpose proofs.
5. Review the quote: exchange rate, fee, GST on conversion, TCS and whether charges are OUR or SHA.
6. Save the confirmation and SWIFT reference, plus the TCS certificate the bank issues, for your tax records.

Common reasons transfers get delayed or returned

1. Beneficiary name mismatch with the account holder name abroad
2. Wrong SWIFT, IBAN or routing code
3. Purpose code that does not match the documents
4. LRS declaration that understates earlier transfers, which also leads to wrong TCS
5. Outdated KYC or missing PAN linkage
6. Intermediary bank deductions causing a short payment to a university

Before choosing a bank or app, check the full cost. Our guide on how to compare international money transfers shows how to calculate the effective rate.

Key takeaways

• Every LRS transfer needs PAN, Form A2 (or the bank's combined form), an LRS declaration, beneficiary details and purpose proof.
• Purpose documents decide your TCS rate, so match them carefully.
• As of October 2026, TCS is nil up to ₹10 lakh per year, then 2% for education and medical and 20% for other purposes; loan-funded education is nil; tour packages attract 2% from the start.
• Individuals sending money under LRS usually do not need Form 15CA or 15CB.
• The annual LRS cap is USD 250,000 per person, and TCS is refundable through your income tax return.