FEMA Compounding Powers Delegated to RBI Regional Offices
Current · Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2011-12/298 · issued 13 Dec 2011 · ~2 min read
Quick answerRBI has delegated powers to compound certain FEMA contraventions (delays in reporting inward remittances, FC-GPR filing, and share issuance) to specified Regional Offices, with fee of Rs. 5,000. This aims to ease compliance for AD banks and their customers.
The rule, in the simplest words
If your bank or customer is late in reporting money coming from abroad, or late in filing a form called FC-GPR (a form for reporting shares given to a foreign investor), or late in giving shares to a foreign investor (more than 180 days), they can now go to a local RBI office to fix it, instead of always going to Mumbai.
For small mistakes (where the amount involved is less than Rs. 1 crore), you can go to one of these 10 RBI offices: Bhopal, Bhubaneshwar, Chandigarh, Guwahati, Jaipur, Jammu, Kanpur, Kochi, Patna, or Panaji.
For bigger mistakes (any amount), you must go to one of these 7 main RBI offices: Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, or New Delhi.
You must pay a fee of Rs. 5,000 by a demand draft (a special cheque) made to 'Reserve Bank of India' and payable at the office where you apply.
You must also give all the required papers (like Annexes, a promise that no investigation is happening, the company's rules (MOA), and the latest audited balance sheet) so the process is fast and no one has to write back asking for more.
How it plays out — a real example
A forex & trade-finance officer in Indore has a customer who is a small company that got money from a foreign investor but reported it 2 months late. The amount is Rs. 50 lakhs. The officer tells the customer they don't need to go to Mumbai; they can just go to the RBI office in Bhopal (which is nearby), pay the Rs. 5,000 fee with a demand draft, and submit the required papers. This saves the customer time and travel, and the officer feels good helping them fix the mistake easily.
What changed
RBI delegated compounding authority for specific FEMA contraventions (delays in reporting inward remittances, FC-GPR filing, and share issuance beyond 180 days) to its Regional Offices. For smaller contravention amounts (below Rs. 1 crore), ten Regional Offices (Bhopal, Bhubaneshwar, Chandigarh, Guwahati, Jaipur, Jammu, Kanpur, Kochi, Patna, Panaji) can now handle cases. For larger amounts, seven major offices (Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi) have unlimited authority. Additionally, applicants must now submit standardized documentation (Annexes for FDI, ECB, ODI, Branch/Liaison Office, plus an undertaking of no investigation, MOA, and latest audited balance sheet) to avoid correspondence delays.
What it means for you
Banks and their customers can now approach local RBI Regional Offices for compounding of common FEMA procedural delays, reducing the need to route all cases through Mumbai. This decentralization speeds up resolution for smaller contraventions. The standardized documentation requirement will streamline processing but demands careful preparation by applicants. AD banks must update their internal procedures and advise clients accordingly.
What you must do
Inform all constituents about the new delegation of compounding powers to RBI Regional Offices for specified FEMA contraventions.
Guide customers to submit compounding applications directly to the relevant Regional Office with the prescribed fee (Rs. 5,000 demand draft) and required documents (Annexes, undertaking, MOA, audited balance sheet).
Ensure customers understand the documentation requirements to avoid delays; advise them to check jurisdiction and contravention amount limits.
Update internal compliance manuals and training materials to reflect the decentralized compounding process.
Who it affects
All Category-I Authorised Dealer banks, Companies and entities with FEMA contraventions related to FDI, ECB, ODI, or Branch/Liaison Office reporting delays, RBI Regional Offices (Foreign Exchange Department)
❓ Common questions
Which FEMA contraventions can now be compounded at RBI Regional Offices?
The circular covers delays in reporting inward remittances, delays in filing form FC-GPR after share allotment, and delays in issuing shares beyond 180 days, as per specific paragraphs of Schedule I to FEMA 20/2000-RB.
What is the fee and where should it be submitted?
The fee is Rs. 5,000, payable via demand draft in favor of 'Reserve Bank of India' and payable at the Regional Office where the application is submitted (or at Mumbai if submitted to CEFA).
What documents must accompany the compounding application?
Applicants must provide details as per the prescribed Annexes (for FDI, ECB, ODI, Branch/Liaison Office), an undertaking that they are not under investigation by agencies like DOE or CBI, a copy of the Memorandum of Association, and the latest audited balance sheet.
📜 Read the original circular — full text as issued by RBI
Related Press Release
RBI/2011-12/298
A.P. (DIR Series) Circular No.57
December 13, 2011
To,
All Category – I Authorised Dealer banks
Madam / Sir,
Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (FEMA)
Foreign Exchange (Compounding Proceedings) Rules, 2000 (the Rules) -
Compounding of Contraventions under FEMA, 1999
Attention of all the Authorised Dealer Category - I (AD Category - I) banks and their constituents is invited to A.P. (DIR Series) Circular no. 56 dated June 28, 2010 and the Foreign Exchange (Compounding Proceedings) Rules, 2000 notified by the Government of India vide G.S.R.No.383(E) dated 3rd May 2000, as amended from time to time.
2. As a measure of customer service and in order to facilitate the operational convenience, it has been decided to delegate the powers to the Regional Offices of the Reserve Bank of India mentioned below to compound the contraventions of FEMA involving (i) delay in reporting of inward remittance, (ii) delay in filing of form FC-GPR after allotment of shares and (iii) delay in issue of shares beyond 180 days (viz. paragraphs 9(1)(A), 9(1)(B) and 8, respectively, of the Schedule I to the Foreign Exchange Management (Transfer or Issue of Security by a Person Resident Outside India) Regulations, 2000, notified vide Notification No. FEMA 20/2000-RB dated 3rd May 2000 and as amended from time to time:
a) Paragraphs 9 (1) (A) and 9 (1) (B) of Schedule I to FEMA 20/2000-RB dated May 3, 2000 -
Bhopal, Bhubaneshwar, Chandigarh, Guwahati, Jaipur, Jammu, Kanpur, Kochi, Patna and Panaji for amount of contravention below Rupees One hundred lakh only (Rs. 1,00,00,000 /-).
b) Paragraphs 9 (1) (A), 9 (1) (B) and 8 of Schedule I to FEMA 20/2000-RB dated May 3, 2000 -
Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai and New Delhi for amount of contravention without any limit.
The Compounding Authorities attached to these Regional Offices of the Foreign Exchange Department have been authorised to compound such cases at their level(s) within the financial powers as per the Foreign Exchange (Compounding Proceedings) Rules, 2000. Accordingly, all applications for compounding whether received on the advice of the Regional Office concerned or suo-moto, relating to the contraventions mentioned at (a) and (b) above and up to the amount of contravention stated therein, may be submitted by the companies falling under the jurisdiction of the aforesaid Regional Offices directly to the Regional Office concerned, together with the prescribed fee and other relevant documents. All other applications may be submitted to the Compounding Authority, Cell for Effective implementation of FEMA (CEFA), Foreign Exchange Department, 5th floor, Amar Building, Sir P.M.Road, Fort, Mumbai-400001, as hitherto. The prescribed fee of Rs. 5000/- (Rupees Five thousand only) may be paid by way of a demand draft drawn in favour of "Reserve Bank of India" and payable at the Regional Office where the application is being submitted and at Mumbai if the application is submitted at CEFA, Mumbai.
3. In terms of sub-rule (1) to Rule 8 of Foreign Exchange (Compounding Proceedings) Rules, 2000, the Compounding Authority may call for any information, record or any other documents relevant to the compounding proceedings. It has been observed that there is no uniformity in submitting the required details with supporting documents along with the compounding application. This results in avoidable correspondence between Reserve Bank and the applicant. It has, therefore been decided that along with the application in the prescribed format, the applicant may also furnish the details as per the enclosed Annexes relating to Foreign Direct Investment , External Commercial Borrowings , Overseas Direct Investment and Branch Office / Liaison Office , as applicable, along with an undertaking that they are not under investigation of any agency such as DOE, CBI, etc., a copy of the Memorandum of Association and latest audited balance sheet while applying for compounding of contraventions under FEMA, 1999.
4. Authorised Dealers may bring the contents of this circular to the notice of their constituents and customers concerned.
5. The directions contained in this circular have been issued under sections 10 (4) and 11 (1) of the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (42 of 1999).
Yours faithfully,
(Dr. Sujatha Elizabeth Prasad)
Chief General Manager
Annex- FDI
Details to be furnished along with application for compounding of
contravention relating to Foreign Direct Investment in India
Name of the applicant Date of incorporation Nature of activities under taken Brief particulars about the foreign investor Details of foreign inward remittances received by Applicant Company from date of incorporation till date Table A
Sl. No.
Reproduced for reference with acknowledgment — Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2011-12/298 · issued 13 Dec 2011. The plain-English explanation above is BankPulse’s own independent summary.
Guide customers to submit compounding applications directly to the relevant Regional Office with the prescribed fee (Rs. 5,000 demand draft) and required documents (Annexes, undertaking, MOA, audited balance sheet).
📜 Compliance
Inform all constituents about the new delegation of compounding powers to RBI Regional Offices for specified FEMA contraventions.
Ensure customers understand the documentation requirements to avoid delays; advise them to check jurisdiction and contravention amount limits.
Update internal compliance manuals and training materials to reflect the decentralized compounding process.
Grouped from the action items above — a single circular may involve more than one team.
Worked example & action-note template
Example: if you are a Compliance officer at a bank this circular applies to (All Category-I Authorised Dealer banks, Companies and entities with FEMA contraventions related to FDI, ECB, ODI, or Branch/Liaison Office reporting delays, RBI Regional Offices (Foreign Exchange Department)), your first concrete step on “FEMA Compounding Powers Delegated to RBI Regional Offices” is: “Inform all constituents about the new delegation of compounding powers to RBI Regional Offices for specified FEMA contraventions.” (RBI issued this 13 Dec 2011).
Action required: Inform all constituents about the new delegation of compounding powers to RBI Regional Offices for specified FEMA contraventions.
Action required: Guide customers to submit compounding applications directly to the relevant Regional Office with the prescribed fee (Rs. 5,000 demand draft) and required documents (Annexes, undertaking, MOA, audited balance sheet).
Action required: Ensure customers understand the documentation requirements to avoid delays; advise them to check jurisdiction and contravention amount limits.
Action required: Update internal compliance manuals and training materials to reflect the decentralized compounding process.
Owner: ____________ Target date: ____________
Board/committee approval needed? Y / N
Evidence filed in compliance register on: ____________
Built only from this circular’s own published fields — not legal advice; always confirm against the official RBI source.
💬 Banker Discussion
Discuss this circular with fellow bankers — reply, upvote what helps, report what doesn’t belong. Be professional; no client data. Views are the commenter’s own, not BankPulse’s.
BankPulse Compliance Evidence Pack — generated 03 Aug 2026 · status cross-checked against RBI’s official withdrawal register (refreshed weekly). Official RBI source: https://www.rbi.org.in/Scripts/NotificationUser.aspx?Id=6870&Mode=0 — Plain-English summary by BankPulse (bankpulse.ai), reviewed by our expert reviewer, CA Amit Jain. Independent platform, not affiliated with the Reserve Bank of India; is our own plain-English paraphrase, not RBI’s original wording.
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