Before you start

PAN card
Passport with valid visa and FRRO registration
Proof of Chennai address
Passport photographs and completed KYC forms

Step-by-step

1
Apply for the PAN card first
Nothing else moves without it, and its absence means a higher rate of tax deducted from your salary. Foreign nationals can apply online.
OnlineWho: YouWeek 1
2
Use a branch that serves the expatriate manufacturing community
Branches around Sriperumbudur, Guindy and the OMR corridor process foreign documentation regularly because of the automotive and electronics workforce. A neighbourhood branch elsewhere may take considerably longer.
In personWho: You
3
Confirm your FEMA account classification in writing
Your residential status under the Foreign Exchange Management Act determines whether you open a resident savings account or an NRO/NRE account. Get it stated.
In personWho: You
4
Complete KYC in person with originals
Bring passport, visa, FRRO registration, PAN, registered rent agreement and photographs. Address verification may involve a visit.
In personWho: You
5
Set up UPI immediately
The Unified Payments Interface handles almost every payment in India, instantly and free. It needs an Indian account and a linked Indian mobile number, and it is the biggest quality-of-life step of your first month.
Mobile appWho: YouWeek 2
6
Ask about repatriation before you need it
India has capital controls. Moving money abroad has documentation requirements and a defined route for salary income.
In personWho: You

Documents you’ll need

PAN card
Passport with valid visa
FRRO registration certificate
Registered rent agreement as address proof
Passport photographs and completed KYC forms

Things most newcomers don’t know

The manufacturing sector's foreign community makes some branches unusually practised.

Chennai's automotive and electronics belt employs substantial Korean and Japanese staff long-term, and the banks serving Sriperumbudur and Guindy handle foreign passports, FRRO certificates and expatriate accounts routinely. Choosing one of those can save a fortnight over a neighbourhood branch.

Source: community-reported

UPI is the single most useful thing to set up.

India's instant payment system works from a phone, is free, and is accepted almost universally including by share autos and street vendors. It requires an Indian account plus a linked Indian number.

Source: National Payments Corporation of India — UPI

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

The Foreign Exchange Management Act has its own residency test, separate from immigration and income tax. Employment in India generally makes you FEMA-resident. 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, with fees for falling below. Thresholds vary by bank and branch tier — ask before opening.

Source: Reserve Bank of India — customer service