Moving to India Permanently: Tax and Exit Checklist
Permanent move to India: foreign tax exit, OCI landing, asset wind-down, banking redesignation, and one-way relocation order.
The 60-second version
Moving to India permanently differs from a trial return — you close foreign tax residency, surrender leases, redesignate all bank KYC, and model ROR global tax from year one.
Permanent move means closing foreign residency — not keeping a foot in both countries
Permanent relocation triggers foreign tax exit (US Form 8854 if expatriating, UK SA109 split year, CRA departure) plus India resident/RNOR landing.
Wind down: foreign brokerage, landlord deposit, storage, mail forwarder with end date, and employer remote-work contract if any.
Phased checklist: 6-month moving back checklist with permanent-move flags.
Permanent vs trial return
| Dimension | Trial return | Permanent move |
|---|---|---|
| Foreign lease | Keep or sublet | Terminate |
| Tax residency | May stay abroad | Exit + India ROR/RNOR |
| Banking | Partial redesignation | Full KYC stack |
| Schools | One-year seat | Long-term board |
Permanent move sequence
Tax exit abroad
US/UK/CA forms.
RNOR model
If eligible.
Asset sale
Brokerage + property.
India landing
OCI, PAN, bank.
No-return audit
Visa/citizenship abroad.
Flow
Permanent kit
- Foreign tax clearance.
- OCI booklet.
- School admission.
- Health insurance.
- Shipping vs rebuy.
Need help with Move Planning?
Share your blocker in one line. Our experts will reply with practical next steps.
Dual residency trap
Keeping foreign home + India 182+ days can create dual tax — pick primary residency deliberately.
Quick visual
Animated decision map
Community signal
What to watch in real discussions
Search community threads for the exact phrase, then treat repeated complaints as risk signals rather than official advice.
Open nofollow community search ->Interactive checkpoint
Turn this guide into a decision file
0 of 4 checked
vs temporary return?
Permanent move closes foreign tax home; trial may keep NRI status abroad.
OCI enough?
OCI covers visa; India tax uses Section 6 day-count regardless.
Keep US green card?
Immigration counsel — may conflict with India permanent settlement intent.
Sell US house?
FIRPTA + India Schedule FA if retained after ROR.
Children?
OCI minor guide + school admission docs 6–12 months ahead.
Pension abroad?
Country hub (UK/US/CA) for continued pension with India tax.
The plan is only as good as the sequence.
Tax, banking, schools, shipping — they all have dependencies. A wrong order costs months and lakhs. Get it right.