Everything money-related for your trip: forex card comparison, live rates, currency trends, and the RBI/LRS rules that affect how much you can send abroad. Planning the trip itself? Head to Travel.
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Open Visa ATM Locator →Find the nearest ATM that accepts Mastercard/Cirrus/Maestro cards abroad.
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Remittances, FEMA, LRS & TCS explained
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Split your budget across a forex card (bulk of spend), some local cash (first 24–48 hrs), and a backup credit card.
Bank branches, authorised forex dealers, and airport counters all quote different rates — airport counters are usually the most expensive.
PAN card and passport are typically required for forex purchases above the RBI-specified threshold.
| Country | Currency | Code | Symbol | Card Acceptance | UPI | ATM |
|---|
| Country | Popular Methods | Card Usage | Mobile Wallets | UPI | Cash Usage | Contactless |
|---|
| Factor | Cash | Forex Card | Credit Card |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exchange Rate | Set at purchase — can drift from market rate | Locked in at load time — protects against later swings | Real-time card network rate, plus markup |
| Markup Charges | Often highest, especially at airport counters | Low — a small dealer margin at loading | Typically 3–3.5% cross-currency markup |
| ATM Charges | N/A | Free or low up to a monthly limit, then a flat fee | Cash advance fee + interest from day one |
| Security | No recourse if lost or stolen | PIN-protected, app lock/freeze, zero-liability on report | PIN/OTP protected, strong fraud protection |
| Ease of Use | Universally usable, no tech needed | Works like a debit card, widely accepted | Very easy, accepted almost everywhere cards are taken |
| Acceptance | Universal, but not always ideal to carry large sums | Wide, occasional gaps in very small/rural merchants | Very wide, strongest of the three |
| Reload Option | N/A — buy again | Reload online/app in minutes | N/A — it's a credit line |
| Rewards | None | Rare — occasional card-specific perks | Often strong — points, miles, lounge access |
| Best For | Small daily spends, tips, markets | Bulk of your travel budget | Big-ticket purchases, hotel deposits, emergencies |
Forex conversion services attract GST on the "value of supply" — calculated on a slab basis for currency exchange (a small percentage of transaction value, banded by amount), not on the full transacted sum. Airlines, banks and forex dealers pass this through in their quoted rates.
Tax Collected at Source applies on LRS remittances and overseas tour packages. Rates and thresholds are set by the Finance Ministry and revised periodically — always confirm the current slab with your bank's authorised dealer desk before remitting.
TCS differs by remittance purpose: education funded by a specified financial institution's loan typically gets the most favourable (often nil-up-to-threshold) treatment; medical treatment has its own threshold and rate; general LRS remittances (investments, gifting, overseas travel/tour packages) are taxed on a different slab. The exact numbers change with each Finance Act — treat any number you see online (including here) as indicative until confirmed with your bank.
LRS lets resident individuals remit up to USD 250,000 per financial year abroad for permitted current and capital account transactions.
RBI Press Releases →Common permitted purposes: overseas education, employment abroad, emigration, medical treatment, business trips, gifts/donations, maintenance of close relatives abroad, and investment in shares/property/deposits overseas.
USD 250,000 per resident individual per financial year, cumulative across all permitted purposes and all authorised dealer banks combined — not per transaction or per bank.
Form A2 declaration, purpose-code selection, PAN mandatory, and supporting documents specific to the purpose (admission letter for education, medical estimate for treatment, etc.). Banks conduct their own KYC/due-diligence checks per RBI's Master Direction on LRS.
Estimate the TCS on your remittance
Work out your buy/sell/remittance quote
Check today's INR exchange rates
Circulars on LRS, TCS and forex regulation are published on RBI's official site — check before large remittances.
View RBI notifications →This section can be wired to a live financial news/RSS feed once the site is deployed, for daily market commentary.