Due to high interest rate offered by Indian banks for NRI customer there is a lot of interest on FCNR and NRE Fixed deposits and I am receiving query like can I break my FCNR deposit before maturity almost everyday now. It depends on the bank to bank, most of the bank doesn't allow you to break your FCNR fixed deposit if it's done for more than 3 years, but you can do premature withdrawal if it's done for less than 3 years. Most of the bank including ICICI, HDFC and Kotak Mahindra doesn't pay any interest if you break your FCNR term deposit within a year. If you break your FCNR FD after year, you will likely get less interest rate than promised, mostly what is equivalent to the period money remained in the Bank. So, make sure you check with your relationship manager about a premature withdrawal penalty before opening an FCNR fixed deposit.
Recently one of my friends asks me about breaking his FCNR fixed deposit, which he has recently done for 3 years when banks were offering high-interest rates up to 5%. He has opened his FCNR deposit with ICICI bank and was in need of some money in the short term.
Recently one of my friends asks me about breaking his FCNR fixed deposit, which he has recently done for 3 years when banks were offering high-interest rates up to 5%. He has opened his FCNR deposit with ICICI bank and was in need of some money in the short term.
He wasn't aware that ICICI bank doesn't allow you to break your FCNR fixed deposit if it's for a tenure of 3 years or higher. So he eventually ended up borrowing money at a higher interest rate.
This brings an important point about opening FCNR fixed deposit, you must know the closure requirement for your FCNR deposits, asking simple questions like, can I break my FCNR Deposit before the maturity period? to bank relationship manager is the best thing to do.
AS I had said previously, in case of breaking your foreign currency Non-resident fixed deposit, you may end up getting nothing or a lower than expected rate, but in some special cases like this, you might not even able to withdraw your money. As a revision, here I am sharing what every NRI investor should know about closing an FCNR fixed deposit before completing its tenure.
Terms and conditions vary from bank to bank, but you will get an idea, what could happen if you think of breaking foreign currency non-resident deposit. This is also a good guide for Non-resident Indians, who are thinking to park their extra/surplus dollars in Foreign currency deposits.
This brings an important point about opening FCNR fixed deposit, you must know the closure requirement for your FCNR deposits, asking simple questions like, can I break my FCNR Deposit before the maturity period? to bank relationship manager is the best thing to do.
AS I had said previously, in case of breaking your foreign currency Non-resident fixed deposit, you may end up getting nothing or a lower than expected rate, but in some special cases like this, you might not even able to withdraw your money. As a revision, here I am sharing what every NRI investor should know about closing an FCNR fixed deposit before completing its tenure.
Terms and conditions vary from bank to bank, but you will get an idea, what could happen if you think of breaking foreign currency non-resident deposit. This is also a good guide for Non-resident Indians, who are thinking to park their extra/surplus dollars in Foreign currency deposits.
Just a note, this more than 3 years withdrawal penalty is mainly because of RBI's move of offering forward SWAP deal at a rate of 3.5% as against the current market rate of 7% last year, when Rs was tumbled to a record low, almost touching 1:69 against US Dollar.
Since that rate was only for a tenure of 3 years or more than 3 years, banks are now locking in money to avoid any losses. By the way, FCNR is not the only option, you can also earn high-interest rates on NRE and NRO deposits, but before that, you should know the difference between NRE, NRO, and FCNR fixed deposits.
ICICI bank allows you to close your FCNR fixed deposit prematurely, only if they are opened with less than 3 years of tenure.
As stated on their website
You can close your FCNR Deposits before the due date in case the deposit is booked for a tenure of fewer than 3 years. The following clauses would be applicable:
Before completion of 1 year: No interest will be payable
After completion of 1 year: No penalty will be levied in case of premature closure of FCNR deposits booked/renewed on or after June 1, 2013.
Interest shall be paid at the applicable rate for the period the deposit remained with the Bank. This is not bad, but only if you know before opening the FCNR deposit. You can also request for a Closure of Deposits by applying Online through the "Service Request" option available in your Internet Banking NRE Saving account.
ICICI bank Premature Withdrawal Condition for FCNR deposit
As stated on their website
You can close your FCNR Deposits before the due date in case the deposit is booked for a tenure of fewer than 3 years. The following clauses would be applicable:
Before completion of 1 year: No interest will be payable
After completion of 1 year: No penalty will be levied in case of premature closure of FCNR deposits booked/renewed on or after June 1, 2013.
Interest shall be paid at the applicable rate for the period the deposit remained with the Bank. This is not bad, but only if you know before opening the FCNR deposit. You can also request for a Closure of Deposits by applying Online through the "Service Request" option available in your Internet Banking NRE Saving account.
Kotak Mahindra Bank FCNR fixed deposit premature closure
Kotak Mahindra Bank in turn has a higher penalty for premature withdrawal of foreign currency non-resident deposits. For FCNR deposits over 3 years, no premature withdrawal will be allowed during the first year and the deposit will be locked in for 3 years. Subsequently, if a premature withdrawal needs to be made, it will be subject to a penalty.As per the bank website, 'the penalty will be computed at 7.5 percent per annum plus the prevailing USD/INR swap rate in the market for the residual tenor of the original deposit, applied over the period for which the deposit is held.
The Customer shall not challenge the calculation of penalty done by KMBL and such calculation shall be final and binding on the customer.
So it's more complex than what you think. My advice is that you should not put any foreign currency money, which you need in short term, because that will not do any good.
SBI FCNR Deposit Premature Closing penalty
State Bank of India, the SBI has two separate types of FCNR deposits - a regular FCNR (B) deposits and a special FCNR (B) deposit. The special FCNR (B) deposit does not allow premature withdrawal on deposits over 3 years but also offers a higher rate of interest.On the other regular FCNR (B) deposit allows premature closing, which is subject to a penal interest of 1%. Also, No interest is payable if the deposit is closed within a year. It means this is also in-line with other banks, nothing drastically different.
HDFC Bank FCNR Fixed Deposit Premature Withdrawal
HDFC Bank also doesn't allow you to close your FCNR fixed deposit if it is for more than 3 years of tenure. For FCNR deposits of shorter tenure, No interest is paid if the FCNR Deposit is prematurely withdrawn before 1 year.Also, the interest rate applicable for premature closure of deposits (all amounts) will be lower of:
Other Indian banks like Axis Bank, YES Bank also has a similar set of rules, even foreign banks which has Indian operations e.g. DBS Bank, Standard Charted bank pays No interest is if FCNR deposit is withdrawn before completion of 12 months, also as opposed to NRE fixed deposits, Interest is compounded half-yearly.
So a big lesson learned for my friend but those who are interested in opening in FCNR fixed deposit must esquire about premature closing penalties and procedure before opening an FCNR deposit. I agree on it all when rates are good, but you should your due diligence.
- The base rate for the original/contracted tenor for which the deposit has been booked OR
- The base rate applicable for the tenor for which the deposit has been in force with the Bank.
- As per the bank's website, Partial or premature withdrawals will not be permitted for FCNR deposits booked/renewed for a tenor of 3 years and above from September 25, 2013, till November 28, 2013
Other Indian banks like Axis Bank, YES Bank also has a similar set of rules, even foreign banks which has Indian operations e.g. DBS Bank, Standard Charted bank pays No interest is if FCNR deposit is withdrawn before completion of 12 months, also as opposed to NRE fixed deposits, Interest is compounded half-yearly.
So a big lesson learned for my friend but those who are interested in opening in FCNR fixed deposit must esquire about premature closing penalties and procedure before opening an FCNR deposit. I agree on it all when rates are good, but you should your due diligence.
FCNR is a very good product for Non-resident Indians because your money is kept in a foreign currency of your choice, so it's free of exchange rate risk.
Also, FCNR interest is tax-free in India and both interest and principal in FCNR can be freely repatriated outside India. IF you need money in the near future better keep it safe in a saving account to avoid borrowing at a higher interest rate, when the need arises, or do a deposit for shorter tenures.
By the way, FCNR deposit rates change every month and sometimes even before that, so don't forget to check the bank website for current FCNR rates before opening your account.
Other NRI Banking Articles you may like
- NRE, NRO, or FCNR? Which is the right account for NRIs?
- Difference between NRE and NRI Account?
- Is NRO Account Taxable in India?
- How to appoint a mandate holder in NRE Account?
- What happens to the NRE account when you return to India?
- Is it mandatory to open NRI accounts?
- Can you repatriate money from the NRO account overseas?
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You can always ask for a loan against your FCNR deposits.. many banks allow loans in INR and also in the foreign exchange of choice
ReplyDeleteHi Bro can I withdraw my FCNR FD from ICICI bank without any penalty in case I put just for one year, if they take penalty how is that calculations. ..
ReplyDeleteHello Roshit, Yes, you can withdraw your FCNR FD from ICICI bank but if you do it before completion of 1 year, I am afraid, no interest will be paid.
DeleteIf you have FCNR fixed deposit for more than 1 year tenure and you break it after 1 year then no penalty will be levied, condition is FCNR FD should be booked/renewed on or after 1st June 2013.
Interest shall be paid at the applicable rate for the period the deposit remained with the Bank.
Hi Sir, if I am withdrawing my FCNR FD from yes bank after a year, is any penalty will be payable?
ReplyDeleteJust check with the bank if premature withdraw allowed, generally they don;t give any interest if you withdraw before maturity.
DeleteHi sir, can if I am withdrawing my FCNR FD FROM YES BANK with in a year what could be a maximum penalty? if the FD is for 5 years.
ReplyDeletein same case if I am withdrawing my FCNR FD after a year, is any penalty will be payable ? Regards
Just check with the bank if premature withdraw allowed, generally they don;t give any interest if you withdraw before maturity.
Delete@Prasad, please let me know if you get to know how much penalty payable, i'm also on same boat
DeleteCan I open FCNR account online ? or How I can remotely request to open FCNR account ?
ReplyDeleteHello, it depends where you are, you can open online FCNR account if you already have NRE account with the bank, but if you don't then you need to open online and send documents to them via courier, I mean KYC document, most banks like HDFC and Kotak provides pickup service but again that depends upon location.
Delete