Before you start

PAN, or at least a filed Form 49AA application
Passport with a valid long-term visa, and the e-FRRO registration certificate
Proof of address
An Indian mobile number, which UPI depends on

Step-by-step

1
File Form 49AA for PAN before you approach a bank
Foreign citizens cannot use the free Aadhaar-based instant e-PAN. Form 49AA through Protean or UTIITSL is the route, with the passport as identity proof. An e-PAN PDF usually lands before the physical card.
OnlineWho: YouWeek 1
2
Ask for a RESIDENT savings account, explicitly
Employment in India generally makes you a person resident in India under FEMA from the day you arrive intending to stay. That means an ordinary resident savings account. NRE and NRO products are for non-residents — and in Punjab and the tricity, where NRI banking is a large and profitable line of business, a foreign passport gets steered toward them almost automatically. Say what you want and why.
In personWho: You
3
Pick a branch in Sector 8, 9, 17 or 35, or at the Tech Park
The main private-bank branches in the central sectors and near the technology park handle corporate and foreign customers routinely. They are also, conveniently, the ones you can park at.
In personWho: You
4
Complete KYC in person with originals
Take passport, visa, FRRO registration, PAN, address proof and photographs. Indian KYC is thorough and address verification sometimes involves someone physically visiting. Expect days, not minutes.
In personWho: You
5
Set up UPI the moment the account is live
Link the account in Google Pay, PhonePe or Paytm using the Indian mobile number registered with the bank. UPI is how the country actually pays — sector markets, autorickshaws, chemists, everything. It is the single biggest quality-of-life step of your first month.
Mobile appWho: YouWeek 2
6
Learn the outward remittance route before you need it
India operates capital controls. Sending salary or savings abroad has a defined process with documentation on source of funds and tax paid. Ask your bank how it works while you are calm, not when a deadline is on you.
In personWho: You

Documents you’ll need

PAN card or e-PAN
Passport with valid visa
e-FRRO registration certificate
Proof of address
Passport photographs and completed KYC forms

Things most newcomers don’t know

Punjab's NRI banking culture works for you and against you at the same time.

This region has one of the largest emigrant populations in India and its banks have built substantial businesses around NRE and NRO accounts, remittances and NRI deposits. That means the paperwork for a foreign passport holder is familiar rather than alarming — a real advantage. It also means the reflex product for a foreign passport is an NRI account, which is the wrong product for someone employed here and FEMA-resident. Be explicit, and get the classification in writing.

Source: Reserve Bank of India — FEMA

FEMA residence, tax residence and immigration status are three different tests and they disagree.

Your visa says what you may do; the Income Tax Act counts days in an April-to-March year; FEMA looks at whether you have come to India to take up employment or to stay for an uncertain period. You can be a tax non-resident and a FEMA resident in the same week. The bank cares only about the FEMA answer.

Source: Reserve Bank of India — FEMA

The minimum average balance penalty is the fee nobody mentions at opening.

Most Indian savings accounts require an average monthly balance and charge a monthly penalty when you dip under. It is disclosed in the schedule of charges rather than in the conversation. Ask what yours is, and ask whether a salary account waives it — many do.

Source: Reserve Bank of India — customer service

UPI is the one piece of Indian infrastructure unambiguously ahead of what you left.

Instant, free, account-to-account transfers by QR code or phone number, accepted by street vendors and hospitals alike. It requires an Indian bank account and an Indian mobile number linked to it, which is why it lands in week two rather than week one.

Source: National Payments Corporation of India — UPI

Common mistakes to avoid

Approaching a bank before the PAN application exists.
Accepting an NRE or NRO account when you are resident under FEMA — a particularly easy mistake in this region.
Ignoring the minimum average balance and collecting monthly penalties.
Registering a number with your bank and then changing the number.
Assuming money can be sent 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.