The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued the Foreign Exchange Management (Export and Import of Currency) (Amendment) Regulations, 2026 to modify the existing 2015 framework governing the movement of foreign currency into and out of India. The amendment introduces a Currency Declaration Form (CDF) to be used by passengers bringing foreign exchange into the country beyond specified thresholds. Passengers are required to declare foreign exchange when the aggregate value exceeds USD 10,000 or when foreign currency notes alone exceed USD 5,000 or its equivalent. The form must be presented to authorised banks or money changers when converting foreign currency into Indian rupees or reconverting rupees into foreign currency. Visitors who do not fully utilise the declared foreign exchange are required to retain the form and present it to customs authorities upon departure to take the unspent balance out of India. The amendment aims to strengthen monitoring of foreign exchange movement while ensuring procedural clarity for passengers and authorised financial institutions.
Foreign Exchange Management (Export and Import of Currency) (Amendment) Regulations, 2026
RESERVE BANK OF INDIA
(Foreign Exchange Department)
(Central Office)
Mumbai – 400001
Notification No. FEMA 6 (R)/(5)/2026-RB | Dated: February 23, 2026
Foreign Exchange Management (Export and Import of Currency) (Amendment) Regulations, 2026
In exercise of the powers conferred by clause (ga) of sub-section (2) of Section 47 of the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (42 of 1999), the Reserve Bank of India makes the following amendments to the Foreign Exchange Management (Export and Import of Currency) Regulations, 2015 (Notification No. FEMA 6 (R)/RB-2015 dated December 29, 2015) (hereinafter referred to as ‘the Principal Regulations’), namely: —
1. Short title & Commencement:
i. These Regulations may be called the Foreign Exchange Management (Export and Import of Currency) (Amendment) Regulations, 2026.
ii. They shall come into force from the date of their publication in the Official Gazette.
2. Insertion of Annex:
In the Principal Regulations, after the existing regulations, the following Annex shall be inserted, namely:
Annex
CURRENCY DECLARATION FORM (CDF)
[See Regulation 6]
Instructions for passengers:
1. This form need not be completed in cases where the aggregate value of the foreign exchange brought in by the passenger in the form of currency notes, bank notes, or travellers’ cheques does not exceed U.S.$ 10,000/- or its equivalent and/or the value of foreign currency notes does not exceed U.S.$ 5,000 or its equivalent.
2. Passengers are advised to produce this form to a bank authorised to deal in foreign exchange or money changer at the time of conversion of foreign exchange into Indian rupees or reconversion of rupees into foreign exchange.
3. Visitors to India may please note that in case they do not wish to encash all the foreign exchange declared below they should retain this form with them for production to the Customs at the time of their departure from India to enable them to take with them the unutilised balance.
4. Details of travellers’ cheques/currency notes need not be furnished.
5. Foreign tourists need not indicate their address.
________________________
(To be completed by passenger)
I ________________________ hereby, declare that the following foreign exchange is in my possession at the time of my arrival in India:
|
(Aggregate value only) |
||||
| Name of the currency | Currency notes | Travelers’ Cheques | Total | |
| 1 | ||||
| 2 | ||||
| 3 | ||||
Signature___________________
Passport No.________________
Nationality__________________
To be completed by Customs Officer
This is to certify that the above named person has brought with him foreign exchange as indicated above.
Date_________
___________________
(Stamp and Signature of Customs Officer)
(Space for endorsement)
| Date | Distinctive Number of Encashment Certificate | Amount changed | Stamp and Signature of Bank or Money changer |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
(N Senthil Kumar)
Chief General Manager
| Published in the Official Gazette of Government of India Extraordinary Part III, Section 4, dated February 24, 2026 |
Note:
The Principal Regulations were published in the Official Gazette vide GSR No.1004(E) dated December 29, 2015 in Part II, Section 3, sub-section (i) and subsequently amended vide:
1. G.S.R. No. 151(E) dated 26.02.2019
2. No. FEMA 6 (R)/(2)/2020-RB dated 11.08.2020 (published in the Gazette on 18.08.2020)
3. No. FEMA 6 (R)/(3)/2020-RB dated 03.12.2020 (published in the Gazette on 04.12.2020)
4. No. FEMA 6 (R)/(4)/2025-RB dated 28.11.2025 (published in the Gazette on 02.12.2025)
