Can NRIs Invest in Gold? (2024)

Can NRIs Invest in Gold? (1)

Yes. NRIs, like other resident citizens, can invest in gold.

In India, gold as an entity has very high regard and is a must-have in your investment portfolio. Investment in gold not only diversifies your portfolio, but it mitigates risk, as well.

Why Investing in Gold is a Safe Bet for NRIs

If you take note of past trends, during severe Sensex crashes, gold still managed to buffer the overall portfolio loss by acting as a cover.

Gold is a preferred investment due to its high liquidity and inflation-beating capacity. NRIs across the globe can invest in gold and reap the benefits from the exponential growth in its rates over the years.

An NRI can invest in gold in various forms such as buying jewelry, bars, coins, gold funds, Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs), Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme (SGBS), and much more.

Buying Gold in India vs Importing Gold

NRIs can legally import up to a kilogram (about 2.2 pounds) of physical gold in the form of bars, coins, and jewelry during a visit to India. The pre-condition here is that they must have been abroad for more than six months. Importing gold into India on shorter visits of 30 days or less is also possible. In either case, this import is, subject to import duty. There are exceptions, though: Men are allowed to bring in duty-free gold worth ₹50,000, and for women, the limit is ₹100,000.

NRIs will have to declare the gold on arrival and pay 4% of the notified value in case of bars marked with a serial number, weight, and manufacturer’s name. For jewelry or other kinds of physical gold, the duty can go up to 10%. The duty value is determined by the government from time to time.

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Can NRIs Invest in Gold? (3)

Buying from US vs Abroad

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What are Gold ETFs and Gold Funds?

To invest in gold ETFs in India, you must have a Demat account. Buying a gold ETF is similar to buying actual gold, but you don’t buy it physically. It is stored in paper form in your Demat account.

On the other hand, gold funds are investments in the form of bars (bullions) in various gold-mining companies.

What Are Sovereign Gold Bonds?

The safest way to buy gold digitally is through Sovereign Gold Bonds (SGB).

Note: An NRI can’t buy SGBs. If, however, a person is an Indian resident at the time of buying SGBs and then becomes an NRI, he/she can continue to hold the SGBs till maturity or early redemption.

The bonds are issued by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on behalf of the Government of India with an assured interest rate of 2.50% per year.

An individual can invest in about 4 kilograms worth of gold (about 8.8 pounds) via Sovereign Gold Bonds. The SGBs have a tenure of eight years with an exit option from the fifth year onwards.

SBGs are the best ways of investing in gold without buying gold physically.

Documents Needed to Buy or Invest in Gold or Gold Funds in India

  • PAN Card for investments in actual gold above ₹2 lakhs.
  • To invest in ETFs, NRIs need an account with a brokerage firm and a Demat account with the same firm.
  • For SGBs, the KYC requirements include documents needed for buying physical gold and a copy of your passport.

Gold Investments in India Incur Taxation

Different gold investments in India attract different taxes.

  • Tax on buying gold: You will have to pay 3% GST along with any making charges.
  • Tax on sale of gold: It is taxed on a short- and long-term basis. The minimum holding period for gold is 3 years. If you sell the gold within 3 years of buying it, the taxation will be on a short-term basis. If you sell the gold after 3 years, it will attract the long-term taxation slab.

Buying gold in the non-physical form has a lot of benefits for NRIs. Let’s explore:

  • Purity: ETFs and Funds invest in pure quality gold or gold-producing companies; hence, you do not have to worry about purity.
  • Liquidity: ETFs and Funds can be sold easily, unlike actual gold.
  • No security required: All gold holdings are in either paper or Demat form; hence, no extra security is required.
  • Taxability: After holding ETFs and Funds for three years, they qualify as a long-term investment. On selling them, the NRI will have to pay long-term capital gains tax at the rate of 20% of the gains.

Also, if the ETFs are sold in exchange, tax will not be deducted at the source for NRIs. A self-assessment has to be done when filing tax returns.

As has been already established, gold has inflation-beating capabilities and is a good option when considering liquidity. It means that you can get instant funds by exchanging gold.

As an NRI, investing in gold is a good move towards a secure future.

Can NRIs Invest in Gold? (4)

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Can NRIs Invest in Gold? (5)

Pre Existing Conditions

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Can NRIs Invest in Gold? (2024)

FAQs

How much gold NRI can buy in India? ›

NRIs can import gold in the form of bars, ornaments, and coins up to 1 kg on their visit to India. However, this comes with the condition that NRIs must have lived outside India for a minimum period of six months.

Can NRI buy gold Jewellery in India? ›

Even for NRIs, it is the safest and profitable investment besides real estate investment. The NRIs can make investments in gold in the form of purchasing jewellery, bars, coins, ETFs-Exchange Traded Funds, NRI gold bonds, etc.

What can NRIs invest in? ›

Best Investment Options for NRIs in India 2022
  • Fixed Deposit.
  • National Pension System.
  • Direct Equity.
  • Real Estate.
  • Mutual Funds.
  • Public Provident Fund.
  • Portfolio Management Services (PMS)
  • Unit Linked Insurance Plans (ULIPs)
Jan 22, 2023

Can NRI buy gold biscuits in India? ›

How can NRIs invest in gold? Non-Resident Indians or NRIs can invest in physical gold such as jewellery, bars or coins.

Can I Buy gold in USA and bring to India? ›

Each passenger can carry up to 1 kg (kilogram) of gold jewelry upon payment of customs duty, provided the passenger has stayed abroad for atleast a year or more. Also, Indian customs will not allow more than 1 kg of gold jewelry even if the passenger is willing to pay the customs duty for it.

How much gold is allowed for NRI? ›

Ans. An Indian passenger who has been residing abroad for over one year is allowed to bring jewellery, free of duty in his bonafide baggage upto 20 grams with a value cap of Rs. 50,000/- (in case of a gentleman passenger) or up to 40 grams with a value cap of Rs. 1,00,000/- (in the case of a lady passenger).

Is gold cheaper in USA than India? ›

Is gold cheaper in USA than India? USA is cheaper (if the wastage is same as in India ), in India we have duty of 11% on jewllery. price of goods has god nothing to do with exchange rate.

How can I declare gold before leaving India? ›

If no such document is available, an affidavit stating the source of jewellery, ownership and value must be submitted. Name of the passenger, passport no., destination, date, time and Flight No. of onward travel should be mentioned clearly on the packaging lists.

Can I carry jewellery from India to USA? ›

If they are personal possessions that you intend to bring back home there is no need to declare them. Yes, they're personal items. If you plan to carry something valuable, anything valuable, whatever you do, do not put it in checked luggage.

Can I retire with 5 crores in India? ›

5 crores mark, you would have to start saving at the age of 20 and will have to shell out Rs. 4,208 per month. The investment keeps growing as your age increases and investment term shrinks. Moreover, generating returns at 12% rate to reach the retirement corpus goal can be unrealistic.

Can NRIs invest in Crypto? ›

Yes, Indian cryptocurrency exchanges such as CoinSwitch or WazirX allow NRIs to trade. You can trade in more than 300 cryptocurrencies here, with competitive INR conversion rates. You get to browse through offers on leading exchanges such as OKEx, Binance, etc., and opt for the best one.

Which income of NRI is taxable in India? ›

It provides than an Indian citizen earning Total Income in excess of ₹ 15 lakh (other than income from foreign sources) shall be deemed to be Resident in India if he / she is not liable to pay tax in any country.

Can I carry gold bar from India to USA? ›

There is no duty on gold coins, medals or bullion but these items must be declared to a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officer. Please note a FINCEN 105 form must be completed at the time of entry for monetary instruments over $10,000. This includes currency, ie.

How much gold can US citizen bring from India? ›

According to the Indian Customs website, you are allowed to carry up to 10 kilograms of gold while traveling from India to the United States. This is the maximum amount of gold that you are allowed to carry without having to declare it and pay customs duty on it.

Can we send gold jewellery from India to USA? ›

Import of Gems and Jewelry (made of gold/silver/diamond, semi- precious or precious stones ) or gold-silver in any form is prohibited in Courier. For other fashion jewelry which are made of other artificial articles like brass, aluminum, non-precious stones there is no restriction.

How much gold is allowed in international flights? ›

As per CBIC, a male passenger residing abroad for over a year can bring up to 20 grams of gold jewellery with a maximum value of Rs 50,000.

How much gold we can carry with us? ›

For unmarried women, the maximum amount of physical gold they can keep at home is 250 grams. Men are only allowed to keep up to 100 grams irrespective of their marital status. Anything kept beyond these limits without required income proof, will be subject to investigation and possible seizure.

How much is customs duty on gold in India? ›

To tackle the deficit, the government has increased the basic customs duty on gold over years to manage the flow of imports. The total tax paid by a gold buyer in India is currently 18%, which includes basic customs duty, agriculture infrastructure cess, and GST.

How much gold can I buy without tax? ›

As mentioned above, to avoid the tax in the state of California, you must make a purchase of more than $1,500.

In which country gold is too cheap? ›

Switzerland: The prices of gold are not that high in Switzerland when compared to India. If you are keen to buy 10 grams of gold in Switzerland, you just need to pay only 583.30 Swiss Franc per 10 grams of 24-carat gold or Rs 45095 while you need to pay just 534.70 Swiss Franc/ 10 grams for 22-carat gold or Rs 41,338.

Which country gold is best quality? ›

Hong Kong, China

It also amongst the most active markets for gold trading across the globe and is a rate setter for many places. Considering this dominant position of Hong Kong, purchasing gold jewelry in high quality from there could a good deal. The goldsmiths there are popular for their creative designs.

In which state gold is very cheap? ›

Which City or State is the Cheapest for Buying Gold in India. At present, the price of gold is at the lowest in Kerala.

Can I carry 3 phones from USA to India? ›

Carrying one sealed box of iPhone might not be an issue but if you are carrying 3-4 devices, you will have to show the receipts of your purchases and might even have to pay a customs duty. So, it's better that you avoid carrying more than two phones on your flight from USA to India.

How much usd can i carry from India to USA? ›

You can indefinitely retain foreign exchange upto US$ 2,000, in the form of foreign currency notes or travellers' cheques (TCs) for future use. Any foreign exchange in cash in excess of this sum, is required to be surrendered to a bank within 90 days and TCs within 180 days of return.

How much Indian rupees can I carry to USA? ›

Foreign Currency-

There is no limit to carry foreign exchange to the US. However, amounts exceeding USD 5,000 or equivalent and foreign exchange in the form of currency notes, bank notes or traveller's cheques in exceeding USD 10,000 or its equivalent must be declared to the customs.

Which items are not allowed in USA from India? ›

Prohibited and Restricted Items
  • Alcoholic Beverages. ...
  • Automobiles. ...
  • Biologicals. ...
  • Ceramic Tableware. ...
  • Cultural Artifacts and Cultural Property. ...
  • Defense Articles or Items with Military or Proliferation Applications. ...
  • Dog and Cat Fur. ...
  • Drug Paraphernalia.

How many grams of gold can you take on a plane? ›

You can carry 1Kg gold per person after paying the custom duty. It can be gold coins or gold bars. But the important thing is that if you are of Indian origin and have a valid passport only then you are allowed to carry the gold. The gold can be carried in the form of baggage.

What is a good retirement income in India? ›

As per basic retirement calculations, one would need a corpus of approximately Rs. 2.5 crore at the age of 60 years to survive the next 30 years (life span of 90 years) assuming a 10% rate of return on the corpus and a 5% inflation rate for expenses.

How much money do you need to live a decent life in India? ›

These are the averages in a couple major cities:
Total Living Expenses in New Delhi²Average cost
1 person, per month (without rent)₹27,492
1 person, per year (without rent)₹329,904
4-person family, per month (without rent)₹95,788
4-person family, per year (without rent)₹1,149,456
Dec 20, 2021

What is the best age to retire in India? ›

The most expected and common age for retirement in most companies is in the 60s.

Can NRI hold Indian stocks? ›

NRIs can invest in the Indian stock markets or equities of Indian Companies as per RBI norms. Since these Indians are not Resident Indians, they must approach an Authorized Dealer or a Bank that is authorized by the Reserve Bank of India to manage and route the investments through: Portfolio Investment Scheme (PIS) or.

Can I transfer crypto from India to USA? ›

In the age of cryptocurrency, sending money to loved ones and friends overseas is easy. You can now transfer money from India to USA relatively easily with online services. There are the usual services that many people are familiar with such as Paypal.

How much NRI invested in India? ›

According to a report, NRIs invested around $13.1 billion in Indian real estate in 2021. The report projected growth of 12% in 2022.

What is not taxable for NRI? ›

Income which is earned outside India is not taxable in India. Interest earned on an NRE account and FCNR account is tax-free. Interest on NRO accounts is taxable in the hands of an NRI.

Do NRI pay tax in USA? ›

The United States levies tax on its citizens and residents on their worldwide income. Non-resident aliens are taxed on their US-source income and income effectively connected with a US trade or business (with certain exceptions).

What is NRI 180 days rule? ›

NRI, PIO, and RNOR Status

The NRI status in India is attained by people who are Indian citizens but stay in India for less than 182 days in the preceding financial year or people who live outside India for employment, business, or any other purpose for an uncertain period.

Can I bring diamond jewelry from India to USA? ›

Imports of diamonds, pearls, rubies, sapphires and emeralds from countries with normal trade relation status are duty-free as long as they are not permanently strung, set or mounted. Additional duty rates for these items can be found in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) in chapter 71.

Can you carry gold jewellery in flight? ›

Yes, for the most part. Gold, platinum, sterling silver, and other fine jewelry rarely causes an alarm. That means you can wear your rings, earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and watches.

Can I carry diamond necklace from India to USA? ›

Yes, if the jewelry your girlfriend's parents are bringing with them to the United States is valued at more than $10,000, they are required to declare it to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

How much gold can I buy with cash in India? ›

Jewellery up to Rs. 2 lakh can be purchased in cash. How can I avoid paying tax on my gold purchase? To avoid paying tax, you can claim a tax exemption on long-term capital gains from the sale of gold assets under Section 54F of the IT Act, 1961.

How much gold can I carry from USA to India without customs? ›

In the case of a female passenger, the weight is up to 40 Grams of gold, subject to a maximum value of Rs 100,000. But if it's a male and female who have stayed abroad for less than a year, then there will be no free allowance to bring back any type of gold in India.

How much gold can I bring to us? ›

If the value of the gold imported is equal to or greater than $10,000 in value, you must fill out a FinCEN 105 form. A Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer will need the items declared to him or her.

Is gold taxable in India? ›

Physical gold

For the long term, your capital gains will be taxed at 20% plus a 4% cess and additional surcharge if applicable. Additional a GST of 3 percent will have to be paid on purchase of physical gold," explained Ravi Singh.

Is investment in gold taxable in India? ›

“You can take indexation benefit on the cost of acquisition of physical gold to derive the value of long-term capital gain. Such gain is chargeable to tax at 20 per cent plus a cess of 4 per cent on the income tax amount. Hence, the total tax will be 20.08 per cent.

Does the government know if I buy gold? ›

Do I have to report my gold coin purchases to the Government ? No, there is no branch of federal, state, or local government that is interested in how much gold you might own.

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