NRI selling property in Andhra Pradesh, Vizag or Vijayawada: how to send the sale money abroad (repatriation, Form 145 / 146, was 15CA / 15CB)
Short answer: sold a flat or plot in Vizag, Vijayawada or anywhere in Andhra Pradesh as an NRI and want the money abroad? RBI's rules allow two routes: the amount you originally paid in foreign exchange (from abroad, NRE or FCNR), for not more than two homes; and, for the rest, up to USD one million per financial year from your NRO account after tax. Before the bank sends it, you file Form 145 (was 15CA), and for a taxable amount over ₹5 lakh in the tax year your CA first files Form 146 (was 15CB).
Two things changed. Read this first. (1) Form 15CA and 15CB have new names: the income tax e-filing portal says "Form 145 is a new form that replaces the old Form 15CA" and "As per the Income tax Act 1961, Form 146 is known as Form 15CB." (2) The RBI master circular we quote below is dated 1 July 2015 and cites older notifications; one of them (FEMA 21/2000) has since been replaced by the 2018 regulations we also quote. The current text of the remittance-of-assets regulations is to verify: we did not read it. Your bank (the authorised dealer) applies the rules in force on the day you remit, so treat this page as a list of questions to take to your bank and your chartered accountant.
Step 1: how did you pay when you bought it?
This decides which route your money can take. The RBI rules below are quoted from the FEMA 21(R)/2018 regulations (regulation 8) and the RBI master circular on remittance facilities for NRIs (paras 5 and 7).
| How the purchase was paid | What RBI's text says |
|---|---|
| From abroad through banking channels, or from your NRE / FCNR account | The authorised dealer "may allow repatriation of the sale proceeds" if the property was acquired under the foreign exchange law of the time and paid in foreign exchange through banking channels or from FCNR / NRE funds. For homes: "restricted to not more than two such properties." The master circular adds that this is "to the extent of the amount paid for acquisition ... in foreign exchange", and "The balance amount can be credited to the NRO account" and sent under the USD one million facility. |
| Home loan repaid from abroad or from NRE / FCNR | Banks "may allow repatriation ... to the extent of such loan/s repaid by them out of foreign inward remittances received through normal banking channel or by debit to their NRE / FCNR(B) accounts" (master circular 7.3). |
| With rupee money, or bought while you lived in India | "NRI/PIO may remit sale proceeds of immovable property purchased by him out of Rupee funds (or as a person resident in India) ... without any lock-in-period", within the USD one million per financial year facility (5.2 with 5.1). |
| Inherited | Submit "documentary evidence in support of inheritance or legacy of assets, an undertaking by the remitter in the prescribed formats" (5.3). Sent within the same USD one million facility. |
| Agricultural land, farm house or plantation | Regulation 8(b) covers property "other than agricultural land/ farm house/ plantation property". The route for these is to verify with your bank before you sell. |
The USD one million line, word for word (master circular 5.1): an NRI or PIO "may remit an amount up to USD one million, per financial year, out of the balances held in his Non- Resident (Ordinary) Rupee (NRO) account / sale proceeds of assets (inclusive of assets acquired by way of inheritance or settlement), for all bona fide purposes, subject to payment of applicable taxes in India, if any."
Step 2: tax comes before the transfer
- The buyer deducts TDS when paying an NRI seller. See our NRI seller TDS guide; keep the buyer's TDS certificate.
- Your capital gains decide the final tax. See our capital gains guide (Sections 54 / 54F / 54EC, old numbers).
- RBI's circular says remittances are allowed "on production of an undertaking by the remitter in the formats prescribed by the Central Board of Direct Taxes" and that RBI "will not issue any instructions under FEMA, 1999 clarifying tax issues." Those formats are Form 145 and Form 146.
Step 3: Form 145 (was 15CA) and Form 146 (was 15CB)
The portal says Form 145 "must be submitted before the money is sent" and "is filed for each remittance". It has four parts, quoted from the Form 145 user manual:
| Part | When it applies (portal wording) |
|---|---|
| A | "taxable under Act and the remittance or the aggregate of such remittances ... does not exceed ₹ 5,00,000 during the tax year" |
| B | taxable, above ₹ 5,00,000, and a "certificate u/s 395 (1)/ 395(2) of the Act has been obtained from the Assessing Officer" |
| C | taxable, above ₹ 5,00,000, and "a certificate in Form No. 146 from an accountant" has been obtained |
| D | "not taxable under the Act other than payments referred to in Rule 220(3)" |
Which part applies to your sale money is a question for your CA and bank; we do not decide it here.
Form 146 (user manual) is the CA's certificate, needed for a taxable remittance where the payment or total "exceeds ₹5 Lakh in the tax year". The CA must be registered on the portal and sign with a DSC. In field 29(c) the CA states whether the remittance is "on the account of capital gains", with sale consideration, purchase date and cost.
Order of steps on the portal, as the manuals describe them:
- Log in, go to Authorised Partners > My Chartered Accountants (CA) > "Add CA" (membership number).
- Assign the CA Form 146 under "Forms as per the Income Tax Act, 2025" and submit.
- The CA files Form 146 and e-verifies with DSC; you get its acknowledgement number.
- You open e-file > Income Tax Forms > File Income Tax Forms > Form 145, choose Part C, enter that acknowledgement number, review the prefilled panels and e-verify.
- Keep the Form 145 acknowledgement number for the bank.
Step 4: papers to put in one folder before you visit the bank
- Registered sale deed and your original purchase deed (Andhra Pradesh)
- Bank records showing how you paid for the purchase (inward remittance, NRE or FCNR debits), or loan statements showing repayment from abroad
- Inheritance papers, if inherited
- Buyer's TDS certificate and your CA's capital gains working
- Form 146 and Form 145 acknowledgement numbers
- How many homes you have already repatriated sale money for (the two-property limit)
Your bank's own document list and forms are to verify with the branch; we have not read any bank's checklist.
What you see, and what it can mean
| Your situation | Question to ask the bank |
|---|---|
| Bought with NRE money, sold for more than you paid | Up to the foreign exchange amount you paid can go under the property route; the rest goes to NRO and the USD one million route. Ask how they split it. |
| This is your third home sold | The foreign exchange route is "restricted to not more than two such properties". Ask what route applies to the third. |
| Sale money is in your NRO account | Ask for the USD one million per financial year remittance and the Form 145 part they need. |
| Bank asks for a "15CA/15CB" | The portal's new names are Form 145 / Form 146. |
Related guides
- Selling as an NRI: the buyer's TDS side
- Capital gains tax when selling, Section 54 / 54F / 54EC
- NRI power of attorney for selling from abroad
- Land record check for NRIs
- Stamp duty and registration charges on a sale deed
Sold in Telangana? See the Telangana guide.
Not tax or legal advice; confirm with a chartered accountant and your bank. This page summarises RBI and income tax department pages read on 22 Oct 2026. Rules, form names and limits change, and your facts decide the answer. Not legal advice and not foreign exchange advice.
A free sample from our Andhra Pradesh property do-it-yourself pack for NRIs: which portal to open, in what order, what to ask for, and what to keep on file.
Get it free (instant download)FAQ
Can an NRI send the money from selling a flat in Vizag or Vijayawada abroad?
RBI's rules allow it through your bank: the amount originally paid in foreign exchange (not more than two homes), and the balance up to USD one million per financial year from the NRO account, after applicable taxes. Confirm the current rules with your bank.
Is Form 15CA still used?
The income tax portal says Form 145 replaces the old Form 15CA, and Form 146 is the new name for Form 15CB. Your bank may still use the old names.
When is the CA's Form 146 needed?
The portal's manual says for a taxable payment to a non-resident where the payment or total exceeds ₹5 lakh in the tax year. Form 145 Part C then uses the Form 146 acknowledgement number.
I bought the flat with money from my Indian salary. Is there a lock-in?
RBI's master circular says sale proceeds of property bought out of rupee funds, or as a resident, can be remitted under the USD one million facility "without any lock-in-period". The circular is dated 2015, so confirm with your bank.
I inherited the property. Can I repatriate the sale money?
The master circular says yes within the USD one million facility, with documentary evidence of the inheritance and an undertaking in the prescribed format. Ask your bank for its format.
Official sources
- RBI: FEMA 21(R)/2018 immovable property regulations
- RBI: Master Circular, remittance facilities for NRIs (2015)
- Income Tax e-filing: Form 145 user manual
- Income Tax e-filing: Form 146 user manual
Not legal advice. We don't check properties or certify ads. A lawyer must confirm title, and the Authority's own notices override anything on this page.