Before you start

PAN card
Passport with valid visa and FRRO registration
Proof of Hyderabad 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 in the tech corridor
HITEC City, Gachibowli and Madhapur branches process foreign KYC routinely because of the volume of international tech employees. A branch in an older part of the city may 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.
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, instantly and free, from an autorickshaw to a hospital bill. 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. 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

Tech-corridor branches are much faster for foreign KYC.

Microsoft's and Amazon's largest campuses outside the US are in Hyderabad, and the banks serving that corridor handle foreign passports and FRRO certificates as routine. Choosing a HITEC City or Gachibowli branch over one nearer your flat can save a fortnight.

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. Once running you rarely handle cash. 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. Employment in India generally makes you FEMA-resident. Banks occasionally misclassify foreign customers — get the classification confirmed in writing.

Source: Reserve Bank of India — FEMA regulations

Minimum average balance requirements are lower here than in Mumbai.

Banks tier their minimum balance requirements by city category, and Hyderabad generally sits below Mumbai and Delhi. It is a small thing, but combined with lower rents it is part of why the same salary stretches further here.

Source: Reserve Bank of India — customer service