FCRA Registration under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010 (FCRA 2010) read with the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Rules, 2011 is the mandatory regulatory licence issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Government of India for any Indian charitable trust, society, or Section 8 company seeking to receive, accept, or utilise foreign contribution for definite cultural, economic, educational, religious, or social programmes. Without FCRA approval, no Indian non-profit can lawfully receive a single rupee from a foreign donor — whether an individual, foreign corporation, multilateral agency, foundation, or international NGO. Receiving foreign contribution without registration is a serious offence under Sec 35 / 37 / 41 of FCRA 2010, attracting heavy penalties, prosecution, asset freezing, and disqualification of office bearers.
The FCRA framework operates through two routes — Form FC-3A for full FCRA Registration (5-year licence for organisations with at least 3 years of existence and ₹15 lakh of social-program activity in the preceding 3 years), and Form FC-3B for Prior Permission (project-specific approval for a defined foreign donor and a defined activity, typically used by newer organisations). All foreign contribution must be received only in the dedicated FCRA Designated Bank Account at State Bank of India, New Delhi Main Branch (NDMB), mandated since the FCRA Amendment Act 2020. Our FCRA registration consultancy services provide end-to-end MHA approval support — eligibility diagnostic, FC-3A / FC-3B drafting, online filing on the FCRA portal, SBI NDMB account opening, FC-4 annual returns, FC-6 changes (Rule 17A), 5-year renewal under Sec 16, response to MHA show-cause notices, and post-suspension / cancellation defence. We also handle FCRA-FEMA-PMLA-IT Act interplay for organisations with Sec 12AB / 80G / CSR-implementer status.
Established trusts / societies / Sec 8 companies with 3+ years' existence and ₹15 lakh of activity — Form FC-3A application, MHA scrutiny, and 5-year FCRA registration.
Newer organisations or specific project-based foreign funding — Form FC-3B prior permission for a defined foreign donor and defined activity, valid for the project lifecycle.
Existing FCRA-registered entities approaching 5-year expiry — Sec 16 renewal application 6 months before expiry, activity-evidence pack, and FC-3C portal filing.
NGOs working with corporate CSR funding from MNCs & foreign donors — FCRA + Sec 12AB + Sec 80G + Form CSR-1 stack, dual fund-flow protection, and donor-side reporting.
Intimation of changes in name, address, key office bearers, or aims and objects within 15 days under Rule 17A — FC-6 series form filings on the FCRA portal.
Defence against MHA show-cause for FCRA suspension under Sec 13 or cancellation under Sec 14 — strategy, written submission, hearing representation, and writ remedy.
Donation, delivery or transfer of any article, currency, or security from a foreign source — includes gifts, grants, sponsorships, in-kind donations, and even some Indian-currency receipts traceable to a foreign source.
No person (registered as a society / Sec 8 / trust / company) can accept any foreign contribution without (a) FCRA Registration under Sec 11(1), or (b) Prior Permission under Sec 11(2).
Every FCRA-registered entity must receive foreign contribution only in the FCRA Designated Account at State Bank of India, New Delhi Main Branch (NDMB) — strict, no exceptions.
Administrative expenses cannot exceed 20% of foreign contribution received in a financial year — narrowed from 50% by the FCRA Amendment Act 2020.
FCRA Amendment 2020 prohibits transferring foreign contribution to any other person / NGO, even if such other person is FCRA-registered — funds must be utilised by the recipient only.
FCRA registration is valid for 5 years; renewal application must be filed at least 6 months before expiry in Form FC-3C — failure to renew leads to expiry and ban on receiving fresh foreign contribution.
Mandatory annual return in Form FC-4 within 9 months from FY-end (i.e., by 31 December for FY ending 31 March) — donor-wise, project-wise, with receipts & payments and audited financials.
MHA can suspend an FCRA registration for up to 360 days under Sec 13 pending inquiry; cancel under Sec 14 on findings — both are reasoned, hearing-based, and writ-amenable.
Diagnostic of 3-year track record, ₹15 lakh activity test, governance, financial discipline, Sec 12AB / 80G interplay, and FC-3A vs FC-3B route recommendation.
End-to-end Form FC-3A drafting and online filing on FCRA portal — activity report, 3-year financials, board details, and supporting affidavits till 5-year licence issuance.
Project-based prior permission filing — donor commitment letter, project budget, activity description, and timeline with MHA scrutiny and approval follow-up.
State Bank of India, New Delhi Main Branch FCRA designated account opening, KYC pack, board resolution, signatories, and integration with FCRA portal.
FCRA utilisation account at any scheduled bank for downstream programme spending — tagging, fund-flow controls, and FC-4 reporting integration.
Annual FC-4 return filing — donor-wise breakup, activity-wise utilisation, audited receipts & payments, balance sheet, and CA audit certificate.
Intimation of changes (KMP, address, name, bank, aims) within 15 days through FC-6A / 6B / 6C / 6D / 6E forms; pre-acceptance for object changes.
5-year renewal application 6 months before expiry — fresh activity report, 5-year fund-flow, FC-4 history, audit reports, and MHA follow-up till renewal order.
Anti-money laundering checks, donor KYC framework, suspicious-transaction trigger map, and PMLA-aligned governance for high-value FCRA recipients.
Defence in Sec 13 suspension or Sec 14 cancellation proceedings — written submissions, MHA hearing, restoration application, and High Court writ remedy.
FCRA-specific audit by Chartered Accountant — receipts & payments, donor-wise reconciliation, 20% admin-cap testing, asset register, and Form FC-4 sign-off.
FCRA impact handling on trust demerger, Sec 8 conversion, M&A — fresh registration application for resulting entity (no carry-over) and project-bridge planning.
Foreign foundation / multilateral / MNC CSR offering grant — without FCRA registration or prior permission, the funds cannot be received in India.
NGO crossing the 3-year activity threshold and ₹15 lakh of social-program spend — eligible for full Sec 11(1) registration via Form FC-3A.
Existing 5-year FCRA validity approaching expiry — renewal application must be filed at least 6 months before the expiry date to avoid lapse.
Annual FC-4 not filed by 31 December — non-filing attracts late fee, impacts renewal eligibility, and triggers MHA scrutiny.
Amendment to objects, name, address, or KMP — Rule 17A 15-day intimation in FC-6 series; object change requires pre-acceptance from MHA.
Notice for FCRA violation — Sec 8(1) admin cap breach, Sec 7 sub-granting allegation, Sec 17 non-NDMB receipt, or governance lapse — defence pack and hearing.
FCRA suspended under Sec 13 — bank account frozen, fund flow halted — strategic response, MHA representation, and writ remedy where required.
Trust demerger or Sec 8 conversion impacts FCRA — registration is non-transferable; resulting entity needs fresh FCRA registration.
Eligibility diagnostic — 3-year activity test, governance review, Sec 12AB / 80G alignment, donor profile, and FC-3A vs FC-3B route recommendation.
Activity report curation, financial pack, KMP KYC, board resolutions, donor letters, and SBI NDMB account opening preparation.
Online Form FC-3A / FC-3B filing on FCRA portal, supporting affidavits, fee payment, and ARN tracking till MHA queries.
Response to MHA queries, additional submissions, hearing where required, and follow-through till FCRA registration / prior permission order.
FC-4 annual returns, FC-6 changes, 20% admin-cap monitoring, donor-wise reporting, and 5-year renewal calendar.
Partner with our FCRA specialists for end-to-end FC-3A registration, FC-3B prior permission, SBI NDMB account setup, FC-4 annual returns, FC-6 changes, 5-year renewals, and MHA suspension / cancellation defence for FY 2026–27.
Talk to an FCRA Registration Expert