On 9 April 2026, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued guidelines to facilitate faster cross-border inward payments, in line with its Payments Vision 2025 and the G20 roadmap for cross-border payments.
These directions will come into effect six months from the date of the circular, i.e., 9 October 2026.
Key takeaways:
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The directive has been issued under Section 10(2) and Section 18 of Payment and Settlement Systems Act 2007.
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The guidelines focus on reducing delays at the beneficiary stage by streamlining processes at beneficiary banks.
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The Scheduled commercial banks have been directed to promptly inform customers upon receipt of inward payment messages, improve the frequency of nostro account reconciliation (normally within one hour), and ensure timely credit of funds to beneficiary accounts.
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Banks are also encouraged to enable straight-through processing for eligible transactions and provide digital interfaces for customer facilitation, subject to applicable FEMA and regulatory requirements.
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The guidelines are expected to significantly reduce turnaround time for credit of cross-border inward remittances, improve customer transparency through timely intimation, and enhance overall efficiency of banks’ inward payment processes.
Also Read: RBI Guidelines 2026: Faster Cross-Border Inward Payments & Timely Credit
Read more: RBI to Link UPI with Eurosystem’s TIPS for Faster Cross-Border Payments
[RBI Notification on Cross-Border Inward Payments, issued on 9-4-2026]
