Before you start

PAN card
Passport with valid visa and FRRO registration
Proof of Gurgaon 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 Cyber City or Golf Course Road branch
These branches serve the consulting and multinational corridor and handle foreign KYC as routine. A branch in an older sector may not have processed a foreign passport in months and will take considerably longer.
In personWho: You
3
Confirm your FEMA account classification in writing
Your residential status under the Foreign Exchange Management Act — separate from immigration and income tax residency — determines whether you open a resident savings account or an NRO/NRE account. Get the bank to state it.
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. Expect days rather than minutes.
In personWho: You
5
Set up UPI immediately
The Unified Payments Interface handles almost every payment in India, from an autorickshaw to a hospital bill, instantly and free. It needs an Indian account and a linked Indian mobile number. This 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. Understand the process early and keep evidence of source of funds.
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

Gurgaon branches are among the easiest in India for foreign KYC.

The Cyber City and Golf Course Road corridor concentrates multinational employees and their banking, so branches there process foreign passports, FRRO certificates and expatriate account structures as routine. Choosing one of those over a nearer branch in an older sector can save a fortnight.

Source: community-reported

UPI is the single most useful thing to set up, and most guides bury it.

India's instant payment system works from a phone, is free, and is accepted almost universally — including by street vendors and autorickshaws. Once running, you rarely handle cash. It needs 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. Banks occasionally misclassify foreign customers, creating compliance problems later — get it confirmed in writing.

Source: Reserve Bank of India — FEMA regulations

Minimum average balance penalties are real and vary by branch tier.

Most Indian savings accounts require a minimum average monthly balance, with fees for falling below it. Metro-tier branches — which Gurgaon's are — typically set higher thresholds than smaller towns. Ask what yours is before opening.

Source: Reserve Bank of India — customer service