After around 20 years in the Middle East and Africa, I came back to India. I had spent most of those years as a Group CFO and COO, so I thought the money side would be the easy part. It was not. The tax forms were the simplest piece. The harder decisions were when to move, what to keep abroad, how to rebuild an investment portfolio for life in India, and how my family and I would settle back after so long away.
Since then, our firm has prepared more than 250 NRI Come Back Plans for families returning from the USA, the UK, Australia, Singapore, Canada, New Zealand and the Gulf. These are the lessons that come up again and again.
1. Plan the date before you book the flight
Your residential status is tested every tax year, on days in India, for each spouse separately. If you were non-resident for nine of the previous ten years, you will usually be Resident but Not Ordinarily Resident (RNOR) for two or three years after you return. In those years, income earned and received abroad is generally outside Indian tax. The month you arrive decides when that window starts. Date your own years with the RNOR calculator and read RNOR planning.
2. Every country is different
A US 401(k), a UK SIPP, Australian super, Singapore CPF, a Canadian RRSP and a Gulf end-of-service benefit are all treated differently. Each depends on the tax treaty with India, the rules on withdrawals and the exit rules of the country you are leaving. A plan copied from a friend who lived somewhere else is usually wrong for you. The country hubs set out the detail: USA, UK, Australia, Singapore, Canada, New Zealand and UAE.
3. Estate tax does not stop at the border
India has no estate duty. The US taxes non-residents on US assets above USD 60,000, and the UK can keep long-term residents within inheritance tax for years after they leave. If you hold US shares or have lived in the UK for a long time, plan this before you move. See cross-border estate tax risks.
4. Foreign assets must be reported
Once you are fully resident, every foreign account, pension, policy and property goes into Schedule FA of your Indian return. Build the list before you land, and keep it up to date every year. The Schedule FA guide explains what goes in.
5. Children often stay abroad
Many parents come home while their children study or work overseas. Wills, nominations and the estate-tax position must work for heirs living in two or three countries. Start with NRI wills and dual-will planning.
6. Re-plan your investments for India
A portfolio built for life abroad rarely fits life in India. Asset allocation, currency exposure and income needs all need a fresh look, and so do your accounts: NRE and NRO accounts must be redesignated on return, while FCNR deposits can run to maturity. See NRE, NRO and FCNR after return.
7. Coming home is a change in itself
India has changed, and so have you. Adapting again to Indian life, work and family expectations takes time. I trained as an organisational development coach, and the family conversations we hold in every plan are often the most valuable part.
8. Plan what you will do, not only what you will own
The families who settle best know what the next chapter looks like: work, a business, teaching, community or rest.
9. Trust a professional with NRI experience, not well-meaning relatives
In my experience, almost every family that takes the time to plan has a safe landing. The ones who do not plan, or who rely on advice from relatives and friends instead of a professional they can trust, with NRI experience and not only local experience, risk a crash landing.
Where to start
Download the NRI Come Back Plan starter checklist (PDF), read the Return to India hub, or see the NRI Come Back Plan at Regi Tom Antony & Associates. If you would like to talk it through, book a free 30-minute first conversation.
General information as at November 2026, not advice for your situation.