What Changed and When
Starting April 1, 2026, the RBI stopped processing all overseas investment references at its central office in Mumbai. Instead, seven regional offices now handle these applications directly. This is a significant operational shift that affects how quickly your overseas investment approvals move through the system.
Why This Matters for Your Investments
If you are a resident Indian planning to invest abroad—whether in foreign companies, real estate, or business ventures—your application now gets processed closer to home. This decentralization typically means faster turnaround times and clearer communication with the regional office handling your case. The RBI made this change to distribute workload and improve efficiency across the country.
How to Submit Your Overseas Investment Application
Your Authorized Dealer (AD) bank—the bank through which you apply for overseas investment permission—must now submit your reference to the correct RBI regional office using the PRAVAAH portal. The routing depends on the Unique Identification Number (UIN) prefix assigned to the foreign entity you wish to invest in.
Regional Office Mapping by UIN Prefix
Find the UIN prefix of your foreign investment target and submit through the corresponding regional office:
| UIN Prefix | RBI Regional Office | |---|---| | AH | Ahmedabad | | BG | Bengaluru | | BL, BY, PJ | Mumbai | | BN, CA, GA, GH | Kolkata | | CG, JM, JR, KA, ND, PT, WR | New Delhi | | HY | Hyderabad | | KO, MA | Chennai |
Your AD bank should know which regional office to use based on the foreign entity's UIN. If you are unsure, ask your bank to confirm the correct routing before submitting your application.
What This Means for Your Timeline
Processing at regional offices may reduce delays caused by centralized bottlenecks. However, the actual approval timeline depends on the completeness of your application and the regional office's workload. Always submit full documentation through your AD bank to avoid back and forth.
Legal Basis
The RBI issued this circular under sections 10(4), 11(1), and 11(2) of the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999. This is a binding directive for all Authorized Dealer Category I banks in India.
Next Steps
1. Inform your AD bank that you plan to invest overseas. 2. Ask the bank to identify the UIN prefix of your foreign investment target. 3. Confirm with the bank that it will route your application to the correct regional office via PRAVAAH. 4. Prepare all required documentation (proof of funds, investment details, KYC, etc.) and submit through your bank. 5. Track your application status with the assigned regional office.
Related Regulations
This circular amends the Master Direction on Overseas Investment dated July 24, 2024. The RBI may issue further updates to this framework, so check the official RBI website for the latest Master Direction before submitting your application.
Key Takeaway
The decentralization of overseas investment processing is a procedural improvement that should make approvals faster and more accessible. As long as you work through your AD bank and ensure your application reaches the correct regional office, you should experience smoother processing than before.