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10 Best NRE Savings Accounts For NRIs

With a host of benefits including attractive interest rates, easy repatriation of both principal and interest amount, debit card for accessing your account internationally you can opt for the a/c.

By Staff
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Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) who wish to have a savings account or a fixed deposit account in India cannot open a normal account like Indian residents. If you opened one when you were an Indian resident, before moving abroad, you need to convert it into an NRO account.

 

Depending on your necessity, you can choose between NRO and NRE account. It is illegal for an NRI to hold a residential account and it could attract huge penalties.

What is an NRE account?

An NRE Account is an account maintained by a Non-Resident Indian, where payments are credited only from outside India by way of drafts or RTGS. Withdrawals, however, can be made outside India or within India. The difference between a general S/B Account and an NRE Non-Resident External Account is that the account is held by a non resident, as against public Savings accounts which are managed by resident Indians internal payments can be made only from outside India.

The Reserve Bank of India had a few years ago lifted the interest rate cap on NRE FDs, which were linked to the LIBOR (London Interbank Offer Rate). The one good thing of the NRE Savings Account is that the interest income is tax free in the hands of the investors. This is true for NRE Savings Account as well for NRE Fixed Deposits.

Advantages of NRE Accounts

The advantage of having NRE accounts is income earned as interest is exempted from tax (no TDS deduction as in regular savings account which qualifies for TDS if interest income in a FY exceeds Rs. 10,000 from all the savings account with the bank). The funds are repatriable and can be sent to any country outside India.
The funds can be transferred from this account to an NRO account. However, it is advisable not to do so, given the fact that there is a TDS on interest rates on NRO accounts.

Difference between NRO and NRE Account

NRIs can open two types of accounts: NRO (Non-Resident Ordinary) and NRE (Non-Resident Rupee) account. NRO accounts are used to normally make payments locally and funds can be remitted from India (in rupees) or abroad. NRIs who are travelling abroad can convert their normal domestic account to NRO account. On the other hand, NRE account is maintained through remittances in foreign currency.

Another major difference is that NRE has tax advantages. No tax is deducted interest earned and principal amount from savings or NRE fixed deposit accounts. In the case of NRO account, there is a TDS that is deducted on interest income.

If you have a rented-out house in India, NRO is needed as you cannot deposit Indian rupees in an NRE account. If you make frequent transfers from India to abroad, NRE is a better option, as NRO has a limit on how many transfers you can make abroad.

Things to note while choosing the best NRE account

Look for a host of things. The first thing to look when opening the best NRE savings account is whether you can avail the service in the country of your residence. Check the interest rates also, as these are important if you have large sums of money. We have highlighted a few of the best NRE savings accounts. However, you should know that these could change over time, especially the interest and other facilities that these banks offer. In any case, here they go.

Axis Bank NRE account

Axis Bank NRE account

Axis Bank is among the largest private bank in the banking sector. Axis Bank's NRE Savings Account allows you to authorize a resident Indian to conduct banking transactions on the NRI's behalf, in their absence. The NRE account welcome kit comes with a Muti-city chequebook and a Domestic-Titanium debit card. The debit card suits the requirements of non-residential Indians and it comes with certain terms and conditions. The bank additionally offers 3 lakhs free accidental coverage on their debit card. NRIs should maintain a monthly average balance (MAB) of Rs.12,000/- at Metro and Urban locations and Rs.10,000/- at all other branches in India. The customers can earn 3.5% per cent per annum interest on the savings account balance of 50 lakhs and above, 3.00% interest on the savings account balance of less than Rs 50 lakhs on a daily basis and it's paid on a quarterly basis. The NRE account can be accessed through secure internet banking as well as the mobile application from anywhere in the world for easy transactions.

RBL NRI Accounts
 

RBL NRI Accounts

RBL or Ratnakar Bank as it was formally called offers an interest rate of as much as 7% percent (effective Mar, 2023) on its NRI Savings account. This is one of the biggest reasons that we are recommending RBL.

Daily balanceRate of Interest (p.a.) w.e.f. March 01, 2023
Upto Rs. 1 lakh4.25%
Above Rs. 1 lakh upto Rs. 10 lakh*5.50%
Above Rs. 10 lakh upto Rs. 25 lakh*6.00%
Above Rs. 25 lakh and upto Rs. 7.5 Crore*7.00%
Above Rs. 7.5 Crore upto Rs. 25 Crore*7.00%
Above Rs. 25 Crore upto Rs. 50 Crore*6.25%
Above Rs. 50 Crore upto Rs. 100 Crore*5.25%
Above Rs. 100 Crore upto Rs. 200 Crore*6.00%

The NRE and NRO fixed deposits at the bank also fetch attractive interest rates. Here are the highest interest earning tenure for deposits up to Rs 2 crore on NRE and NR0 accounts w.e.f 1 March 2023:

..Deposits below Rs.2 crore  
Period of DepositDomestic & Flexi FD Interest Rates p.a.Senior Citizen Interest Rates p.a.NRE Interest Rates p.a.NRO Interest Rates p.a.
7 days to 14 days3.50%4.00%NA3.50%
15 days to 45 days4.00%4.50%NA4.00%
46 days to 90 days4.50%5.00%NA4.50%
91 days to 180 days4.75%5.25%NA4.75%
181 days to 240 days5.50%6.00%NA5.50%
241 days to 364 days6.05%6.55%NA6.05%
365 to 452 days (12 months to less than 15 months)7.00%7.50%7.00%7.00%
453 to 459 days (15 months)7.80%8.30%7.80%7.80%
460 to 724 days (15 months 1 day to less than 725 days)7.80%8.30%7.80%7.80%
725 days7.80%8.30%7.80%7.80%
726 days to less than 24 months7.00%7.50%7.00%7.00%
24 months to less than 36 months7.00%7.50%7.00%7.00%
36 months to 60 months 1 day7.00%7.50%7.00%7.00%
60 months 2 days to 240 months6.25%6.75%6.25%6.25%
Tax Savings Fixed Deposit (60 months)7.00%7.50%NA7.00%
Deutsche Bank Value Plus Savings

Deutsche Bank Value Plus Savings

Deutsche Bank Value Plus NRE savings account comes with:

  • Instant bank account opening kit
  • Complimentary International Gold Debit Card.Flexible cash withdrawal and point of sale limits from Rs. 25,000 to Rs. 150,000
  • Earn 0.5 express rewards for every Rs. 100 you spent (conditions applied).
  • 2.5 percent petrol surcharge waiver at all petrol pumps across India up to Rs 150 per month.
  • Free acceptance at ATMs with leading International banks through Global ATM alliance network.
  • Lost card insurance of up to Rs. 2.5 lakhs on your card for 30 days prior to reporting and 7 days post reporting the loss to the Bank.
  • NRE fixed deposits at 7.50% percent (7 days to 5 years) 25 January 2023.

However, one is required to either maintain a minimum Average Quarterly Balance (AQB) of Rs. 100,000 in Savings Account or a minimum Assets Under Management (AUM) of Rs. 150,000 in your account, as per the bank's website.

Bank of Baroda NRE Savings Account

Bank of Baroda NRE Savings Account

Bank of Baroda has a significant global presence with branches in Australia, South Africa, Europe, Middle East, Africa and the Far East.

Its NRE savings account comes with:

  • Free remittance facility if the account is maintained at a branch in India
  • Demand draft, bankers cheque, cheque book facilities issued free of charge
  • No charges for collection of a cheque drawn on self a/c / travel cheques/currency notes tendered during a personal visit
  • Free custodial services
  • Free Debit VISA enabled ATM card
  • Free 24/7 account access through internet banking
  • Preferential exchange rate for conversion and allotment of lockers
  • Interest at the rate of 3.35 percent p.a. on daily balances.
Kotak Mahindra Bank

Kotak Mahindra Bank

The NRE savings accounts at Kotak Mahindra Bank earn 3.50 percent interest p.a. There are 3 types of NRE savings accounts offered to the NRIs and the interest is payable to their account at different intervals (quarterly or half-yearly).

Interest rates on fixed deposits are as high as 7.30 percent w.e.f May 2020. One can use its net banking facility to make credit card and utility bill payments.

1. NRE Rupee Savings Account

  • Average Quarterly Balance to be maintained at Rs. 10,000.
  • Easy remittances to India by Cheque or Wire Transfer or Click2Remit.
  • Preferential Forex rate for transactions above $10,000 or equivalent.

2. NRE Platina Saving Account

  • Preferential pricing on products and services
  • Global VISA Platinum Debit Card
  • Dedicated Relationship Manager across branches in India

3. NRE Mariner Saving Account

  • Home loan with 50 percent discount on processing fee
  • Global Debit card with up to 10 free non-Kotak ATM withdrawals
  • Zero opening fee for Online Investment Account
ICICI Bank NRE Account

ICICI Bank NRE Account

NRIs should maintain a monthly average balance of Rs 10,000 at account level or Rs 25,000 at Customer ID level. The bank offers a free mandate ATM card & cheque book for your family in India, giving them anytime, anywhere access to your account.

Also, the account is allowed to be opened with any convertible currency and banks convert the currency into rupee. It is to be however noted that the account remains maintained in Indian rupee. Interest is calculated on an annual basis and paid on an half yearly basis in June and December. The one advantage is that ICICI Bank being a rather large bank, also has branches in many countries of the Middle East as well as the United States.

Interest rates at 3.50% per annum for end-of-day balances equal to or above INR 50 lacs and 3.00% per annum for end-of-day balances below INR 50 lacs.

SBI NRE Accounts

SBI NRE Accounts

NRIs should maintain monthly average balance or MAB of Rs 1000 at a rural SBI branch while for metro and semi-urban the requirement stands at Rs. 3000 and Rs. 2000 respectively.  Interest rate is 3% per annum  for balance above Rs. 10 crore and is calculated on a daily basis. The account fetches 2.70% interest rate for balance upto Rs. 10 crore.

SBI has its presence in many countries like US,UK,Canada,Middle East etc.

The account can be opened either singly or jointly with other NRIs or residents on former or survivor basis. The account can be opened with a zero balance. For branches with personal banking facility, deposit of 1 lakh for metro and Rs. 50,000 for semi urban or rural areas has to be maintained.

HDFC NRE Accounts

HDFC NRE Accounts

One can remit funds easily through Quickremit, IndiaLink, Telegraphic Transfers and Cheque and draft facility is for free for this account holders One can avail of free ATM Card for the mandate holder in India

With an interest of 3.00% on balance of up to Rs. 50 lakh and 3.50% on balance of above Rs. 50 lakh, the account offers interest on a quarterly interval basis. Further, the interest calculation shall be done on the basis of daily balance available in the account.

CitiBank NRE Account

CitiBank NRE Account

The bank has offshore branches in India ("Citibank India") which provides NRIs with access to products and services. Initial money to open the account is USD 5000 for USA & Canda (varies with other countries). The bank also provides free platinum debit card for its customers.

Interest of 3.5% is calculated on a daily basis and credited on a half-yearly basis in the months of March and September. No tax incidence for interest income, however in your country of residence the same can attract tax implications.

Standard Chartered NRE Account

Standard Chartered NRE Account

The Standard Chartered provides free access to funds in rupee value and users can convert the same into respective foreign currency during their stay abroad any time as per their convenience. It provides utmost flexibility to its NRE account users. Interest earned on the NRE savings account is fully repatriable and you will be eligible for zero tax deduction on the interest income. The bank will provide global valid Visa platinum debit card for the users. Get higher limits for ATM withdrawal and on purchases using the debit card.

Yes Bank NRE account:

Yes Bank NRE account:

The NRI bank account offered by YES BANK allows you to transfer your winnings to India in a practical way. With the NRE savings account, you can conveniently transfer your earnings to India. You can choose the best NRE account in India which is YES BANK. The benefits and features are lucrative for the account holder. Also, you can repatriate the funds held in the account as well as the interest earned at any time. Also, you are exempt from paying taxes on the amount of interest. The YES BANK NRE account has a multitude of direct banking services available at your fingertips, you can keep full control of your hard-earned money abroad. YES BANK offers innovative financial solutions, supported by expert advice which, in turn, meets your banking and savings needs. In addition, their interest rate is 6% on the NRE account in India. It offers free and low-cost money transfers via various online and offline modes.

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