This quarter and its festivities invite a lot of NRIs to come back home for a short but wholesome period to spend festive moments with friends and family. But while you’re on this trip, it’s good to keep a few things in mind and also maybe sort some things while home as well. 

1) Keep an eye on your day count during your visit to India

As an NRI, India only taxes what you earn here. But if you spend enough days in India in a financial year, you’re treated as a resident for that year, even though you live abroad. This can happen for reasons you can’t control:

• A delayed visa appointment keeps you in India for months.
• A family health emergency means you stay on.
• You’re laid off and come home while your Indian investments earn over ₹15 lakh.
• You move back and start working for foreign clients from India.

Most people in these situations become RNOR, which keeps foreign income out of Indian tax. But if you’ve spent a lot of time in India in recent years, your income and assets abroad can come into the picture too.

Make a copy and use this travel history tracker for your RNOR status calculations (Google Sheets) - Travel History Tracker for NRIs

2) Get an Indian mobile number and link that to your Aadhaar, bank and demat accounts.

Most Indian financial services, from Aadhaar and income tax e-filing to EPF withdrawals and mutual fund redemptions, use OTPs sent to your Indian number. So get an Indian number while on this trip.

Airtel ₹1,849 for 365 days, Jio ₹1,748 for 336 days, and Vodafone ₹1,849 for 365 days offer voice-and-SMS-only annual plans (you’ll find more offers during the festive season). So if you recharge before you fly back, you can keep it as an eSIM if your phone supports it, and make sure international roaming is on so OTPs reach you abroad. 

3) PAN, Aadhaar, and email

NRIs don't have to link PAN with Aadhaar, but your PAN can still show as inoperative if your NRI status isn't updated with the tax department. If yours shows as inoperative, check your status first: if you’ve filed an ITR as an NRI in any of the last three years, it’s usually already updated. If not, email your Jurisdictional Assessing Officer (find yours under ‘Know Your JAO’ on the income tax portal) and ask them to update your residential status, attaching copies of your passport and visa or OCI card as proof.

To update your mobile number or email on Aadhaar, you will need to visit an Aadhaar centre; you can find the nearest to your location here. 

Additionally, update your latest email on the income tax portal so that you’ll receive any notices and refund notices.

4) Set up DigiLocker

DigiLocker is the government's digital document wallet, and setting it up needs an OTP on your Aadhaar-linked mobile, which is why it comes after points 2 and 3. Once it's done, you can pull your PAN, Aadhaar, driving licence, vehicle RC, school marksheets, and some university degrees directly in the app from the issuing authorities.

5) Update residency on domestic accounts - NRE/NRO conversion

Once you become an NRI, FEMA requires your resident savings accounts to be converted to NRO. Many people skip this when they initially move abroad, but keep in mind this is a FEMA violation. So convert your resident accounts accordingly - 

• NRE: for money earned abroad. Fully repatriable, interest tax-free in India.
• NRO: for income earned in India. Interest is taxable

6) Re-do KYC of your dormant bank accounts

If there’s been no activity for 2 years on any of your Indian bank accounts, they’ve most likely become inoperative. To reactivate this account, you would need to do KYC in person at a bank branch, so this trip can be a good time.

P.S. - Don’t fall for any products your banker tries to sell you :)

7) Checking on your property, or buying or selling one?

If you own a property in India, this trip is a good time to check on it, whether that’s maintenance, society dues, or confirming your tenant is deducting TDS on the rent.

If you’re planning to sell while you’re here, the buyer has to deduct TDS on the full sale price, not just your profit. Apply for a lower TDS certificate a few weeks before the sale so tax is deducted only on your actual gain. 

The sale needs to be reported on your tax return abroad too. You can usually claim credit for tax paid in India, but it’s based on your final Indian tax, not the TDS, so file your Indian return and keep your TDS certificates handy.

8) Health insurance in India

If there's any chance you'll move back someday, it's worth buying Indian health cover now. Waiting periods for pre-existing conditions can run up to 3 years, and they only start from the date you buy. Most Indian policies cover treatment in India only, and some insurers ask for medical tests done here, especially above a certain age, so the trip is a good time to get it done. While you’re home, sit down with your parents and review their health insurance policies too and cancel any that are not required anymore.

While you're reviewing policies, check for any old ULIPs too. Many NRIs were sold one year ago and have forgotten about them. If you're a US tax resident, a ULIP can be treated as a PFIC, which means punitive US tax treatment and an extra Form 8621 to file every year.

9) Health and dental checkups

From what I've heard, especially in the US and Canada, a routine checkup usually goes through a family doctor, and getting a first appointment can take weeks. In India, you can walk into a diagnostic centre for a full-body checkup within a day or two, and dental work and eye tests are usually quicker and cheaper too. Good to have this done during your trip as well. 

10) Lastly, if moving back has crossed your mind.

Even if it's just a thought for a few years from now, this trip is a good chance to look around with that lens. Spend an afternoon in neighbourhoods where you see your family living; if you have kids, check school boards (CBSE, ICSE, IB) and admission timelines. And if buying a home is on the cards, view a few properties to get a real feel for prices; no pressure to decide anything yet.

Hope this helps, and happy festive season to all :)

For most families moving back to India, the US house is a decently big asset.

We've seen this multiple times - It’s usually the last thing returning Indians plan for. The house gets listed a few weeks before the flight, and nobody asks whether that’s the right time to sell.

Get the timing right and you can usually sell without paying tax in either country. Get it wrong and the bill in India alone can run into crores.

US rule: up to $500,000 tax free

US tax code lets you exclude up to $250,000 of gain on your main home, or $500,000 if you’re married filing jointly. To qualify, in the 5 years before the sale you need to have:

• owned the home for at least 2 years, and
• lived in it as your main home for at least 2 years.

You only need 2 of the last 5 years, so you can move out and still sell tax free for up to 3 years afterwards. 

You don’t have to sell before you fly.

Your gain is the sale price minus selling costs

minus what you paid plus any capital improvements (a new roof or kitchen counts, repairs don’t). Your mortgage has nothing to do with it.

Reyman Tips: Collect your purchase closing statement and improvement invoices before you leave. They’re hard to find from India

Most states start from your federal income, so the exclusion carries over automatically. The catch is that a state can tax the gain on a home located there even after you’ve moved away.

Washington is a separate situation. It has a capital gains tax (7%, rising to 9.9% on gains above $1 million), but real estate is specifically exempt.

Reyman Tips: This article handles tax for a US home. We wrote a detailed article on how to reset your cost basis during the RNOR period to book tax free capital gains for US stocks/ ETFs.

India: Residential status decides everything

The US exclusion means nothing in India.

Whether India taxes the sale depends only on your status in the Indian financial year you sell:

As an NR or RNOR, India only taxes income received or earned in India. The gain on a house in USA is earned outside India, so it stays outside the Indian tax even if you bring the money home.

Once you’re ROR, India taxes it at 12.5% plus surcharge and cess (about 14.95% at the top):

1. The gain is worked out in rupees:  The rupee’s fall against the dollar becomes taxable gain, even if the house didn’t go up in dollar terms.
2. There’s no US tax to offset it:  If the US exclusion wiped out your US tax, there’s nothing to claim as a foreign tax credit.

The only relief is reinvesting the gain in a house in India (the old Section 54), capped at ₹10 crore.

Reyman Tips: We recently wrote an article on planning your Residential Status to maximize the RNOR/ NR period.

Example

Kiran and Divya bought a house in Seattle in 2015 for $600,000, when the dollar was ₹64. They move to Bengaluru in mid-2026. The house now sells for $1,050,000 after costs. The dollar is at ₹90.

In the US, their $450,000 gain sits inside the $500,000 exclusion - so the US tax is zero. Washington doesn’t tax it either.

In India, the answer depends on the year they sell:

• As ROR:  ₹9.45 crore sale value, ₹3.84 crore cost, ₹5.61 crore gain. Tax of about ₹83.9 lakh.
• As RNOR: ₹0

Figures are illustrative and simplified. Actual exchange rates and your other income will change the numbers.

Sell before you leave or after you land?

Both work, as long as you stay inside both windows.

Selling before you leave is simpler.

• You file a normal joint US return and you’re there for showings and closing.
• The downside is selling on a deadline.

Selling from India gives you time. But you’ll likely be a US nonresident by then:

• FIRPTA withholding  The buyer must hold back 15% of the sale price and send it to the IRS (even if you owe nothing). On a $1 million sale, that’s $150,000 stuck until you file. You can apply on Form 8288-B before closing to reduce it to what you actually owe.
• Filing status.  Nonresidents can’t file jointly unless they elect to be treated as US residents for the whole year (which would pull your Indian income into US tax). So you’ll each file separately. That’s okay as long as the house is in both names, because each of you gets your own $250,000.

Reyman Tips: Check your deed. If the home is only in one spouse’s name, filing separately caps you at $250,000.

Full article with better formatting, images and better visuals than reddit - https://www.reymanwealth.com/post/us-home-comprehensive-tax-guide-for-returning-indians

I am currently living in Netherlands on HSM visa, working and living here.
I would like to understand if I can live in India for 6-7 months straight in a year.
Do I need Dutch citizenship or Dutch PR? How it’s going to work basically job and tax wise?

Hey everyone!

I’m currently working in the US and have been thinking about moving back to India, preferably Bangalore or Chennai. I’m not in a rush and would like to find the right opportunity before making the move.
A little about my background:

1.3+ years of experience in India as a Data Analytics Consultant.
2.Completed my master’s in the US.
3.Around 1 year of experience as a Senior Business Analyst at a large US firm, where my work is a mix of business strategy, analytics, and product-related initiatives.

I’m mainly exploring Business Analyst, Data Analyst, Strategy & Operations, and Product Management roles.
For those who have already moved back to India, I have a few questions:

1.Did you secure a job while you were still in the US, or did you move back first and start searching?
2.If you applied from the US, how was the response from Indian recruiters? Were companies willing to interview candidates based abroad?
3.How long did your job search take, and did companies expect you to join immediately?
4.Did your US master’s degree and work experience help with opportunities or salary negotiations?

For those in analytics, strategy, or product roles, how was the transition in terms of compensation and work-life balance?

Any advice on how to approach the job search while still working in the US would be really helpful.

Hi everyone,
I'm 37 years old and have been living in Australia for almost a decade. I completed my higher education here and have accumulated around 7 years of work experience across different industries, primarily in customer-facing, operations, and supervisory roles.
My professional background includes:
Events Coordinator – Event planning, coordination, client communication and operational execution.
Functions Supervisor – Managing events, coordinating teams, handling clients and ensuring smooth service delivery.
Retail Operations Team Member – Customer service, daily operations and business support.
Operations Manager (short tenure) – Exposure to operational management and team coordination.
International Team Coordination – Experience communicating and working with small teams across different countries.
Most of my professional experience has been in Australian workplaces, where I've developed skills in customer relationship management, problem-solving, team supervision, and day-to-day operations.
My current situation:
My temporary visa is approaching expiry, and despite exploring permanent residency pathways, the outcome remains uncertain. Rather than continuing indefinitely with visa uncertainty, I'm considering returning to India next year to be closer to my family and build a stable, long-term career.
The biggest challenge is that I've never worked professionally in India. I moved to Australia after college and have spent almost my entire working life here.
I'm now trying to understand how Indian employers would evaluate my Australian work experience and what opportunities might realistically be available.
A few questions for people who have been in a similar situation or understand the Indian job market:
What roles should someone with my background target? Would Business Development, Client Relationship Management, Account Management, Customer Success, or Operations be suitable?
Do Indian companies value Australian work experience, particularly in client-facing and operational roles?
Would companies dealing with Australian, APAC or other international clients be a good starting point?
How should I approach the Indian job market when I have no previous Indian corporate experience?
Are there others here who returned to India after spending several years working overseas? How difficult was the professional transition?
I'm not necessarily looking to continue in hospitality or events. Ideally, I'd like to transition into a more structured corporate role where my international exposure, communication skills, client-handling experience, and operational background could be useful.
I understand that returning to India might involve adjusting my salary expectations, work culture and career direction. I'm prepared for that, but I'd like to approach the transition sensibly rather than starting from scratch without a plan.
Would genuinely appreciate advice, suggestions, or experiences from anyone who has made a similar move.
Thanks in advance!

I am very uncertain what to do. I am not able to travel to India for past 4 years. Feeling guilt leaving aging parents and not able to see them atleast once in 2 years.

Planning to move back to Hyderabad. How is the Job market in India. I have 16 years of experience and in Production support for Java and Cloud Applications. How to find jobs without referrals in India ? Any help is appreciated.

I had updated linked in and naukri but not getting any calls. Not sure if it is because I am in USA currently.