Before you start

PAN card
Passport with valid visa and, where applicable, FRRO registration
Proof of Mumbai address, usually the registered lease
Passport photographs and completed KYC forms

Step-by-step

1
Apply for the PAN card first
Nothing else moves without it. Foreign nationals can apply, and the application is online with document verification. Without a PAN, tax is deducted from your salary at a higher rate and most banks will not complete account opening.
OnlineWho: YouWeek 1
2
Establish which account type applies to you
Your residential status under the Foreign Exchange Management Act determines whether you open a resident savings account or an NRO/NRE account. Employment in India generally makes you resident for FEMA purposes. Ask the bank to confirm in writing, because getting this wrong creates compliance problems later.
In personWho: You
3
Choose a bank with a proper foreign-national desk
The large private banks — and the international banks with Indian retail operations — handle foreign KYC routinely. Smaller branches may not have processed a foreign passport in months and will take considerably longer.
In personWho: You
4
Complete KYC in person with originals
Bring your passport, visa, FRRO registration, PAN, registered lease and photographs. Indian KYC is thorough and the bank will verify your address, sometimes by sending someone to it. Expect the process to take days rather than minutes.
In personWho: You
5
Set up UPI as soon as the account is live
The Unified Payments Interface is how India actually pays for things — from a street vendor to a hospital. It is instant, free and works from a smartphone. Getting it running is the single biggest quality-of-life upgrade in your first month, and it requires an Indian bank account and an Indian mobile number linked to it.
Mobile appWho: YouWeek 2
6
Understand the rules on moving money out
India has capital controls. Repatriating funds abroad has documentation requirements and, for salary, a defined route. Ask your bank about the process before you need it, and keep evidence of the source of funds — it will be asked for.
In personWho: You

Documents you’ll need

PAN card
Passport with valid visa
FRRO registration certificate, where applicable
Registered leave-and-licence agreement as address proof
Passport photographs and completed account opening and KYC forms

Things most newcomers don’t know

UPI is the single most transformative thing to set up, and most guides bury it.

India's Unified Payments Interface handles instant, free transfers between any two accounts using a phone. Street vendors, autorickshaws, restaurants and utility bills all take it. Once it is running you rarely handle cash again. It needs an Indian account and an Indian number linked to it, which is why it lands in week two rather than week one.

Source: National Payments Corporation of India — UPI

Your FEMA residential status, not your visa, decides your account type.

The Foreign Exchange Management Act has its own residency test, separate from immigration and from income tax. Someone here on employment is generally resident for FEMA purposes and opens an ordinary savings account; a non-resident uses NRO or NRE accounts with different repatriation rules. Banks sometimes get this wrong for foreign customers — get the classification confirmed in writing.

Source: Reserve Bank of India — FEMA regulations

Minimum average balance requirements are real and penalised.

Most Indian savings accounts require a minimum average monthly balance, and falling below it attracts a fee. The thresholds vary enormously between banks and between branch tiers within the same bank. Ask what yours is before opening, not after the first penalty.

Source: Reserve Bank of India — customer service

Capital controls mean moving money out needs paperwork.

India restricts outward remittance, with defined routes and documentation for salary and other income. It is entirely doable but it is not a same-day transfer, and banks require evidence of source and of tax paid. Ask about the process early rather than when you need the money abroad urgently.

Source: Reserve Bank of India — remittance facilities

Common mistakes to avoid

Trying to open an account before the PAN card exists.
Choosing a branch that rarely handles foreign nationals and losing weeks to it.
Getting the FEMA account classification wrong and creating a compliance problem.
Falling below the minimum average balance and collecting monthly penalties.
Assuming money can be moved abroad on demand without documentation.

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.