The Reserve Bank of India has amended its know your customer directions for local area banks to allow foreign portfolio investors to use an alternative process for certifying customer identification documents, effective immediately. The facility was already available to nonresident Indians and persons of Indian origin and forms part of parallel extensions across several bank categories. Local area banks may accept original certified copies from authorized officials of overseas branches of Indian scheduled commercial banks, branches of overseas banks that have relationships with Indian banks, notaries public abroad, court magistrates, judges, and Indian embassies or consulates general in the country where the customer resides.
2026-09-18Reserve Bank of India
Reserve Bank of India extends overseas KYC document certification facility to foreign portfolio investors at local area banks
The Reserve Bank of India has extended an alternative overseas KYC document certification process at local area banks to foreign portfolio investors with immediate effect. Documents may be certified by specified overseas bank officials, notarial or judicial authorities, or Indian diplomatic missions.