Before you start

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

Step-by-step

1
File Form 49AA for PAN before approaching any bank
The free Aadhaar-based instant e-PAN is unavailable to foreign nationals. Form 49AA through Protean or UTIITSL uses your passport as identity. The e-PAN PDF usually arrives well before the physical card.
OnlineWho: YouWeek 1
2
Ask explicitly for a RESIDENT savings account
Employment in India generally makes you a person resident in India under FEMA from arrival. Front-line staff who rarely see a foreign customer sometimes default to an NRO product, which carries repatriation and tax rules that do not fit an employed resident.
In personWho: You
3
Choose a branch that actually handles foreign KYC
The main branches of the large private banks on MI Road, in C-Scheme and around Malviya Nagar handle foreign nationals far more often than a neighbourhood branch will. In a city this size that difference can be weeks.
In personWho: You
4
Complete KYC in person with originals
Passport, visa, FRRO registration, PAN, address proof and photographs. Address verification sometimes involves a physical visit. Expect days rather than minutes.
In personWho: You
5
Set up UPI as soon as the account is live
Link the account in Google Pay, PhonePe or Paytm using the Indian mobile number registered with the bank. UPI works at bazaar stalls, autorickshaws and hospital counters alike, and removes most of the two-tier pricing problem because the amount is typed rather than negotiated in cash.
Mobile appWho: YouWeek 2
6
Learn the outward remittance route before you need it
India has capital controls, and moving salary or savings abroad requires documentation on source of funds and tax paid. Understand the process while nothing is urgent.
In personWho: You

Documents you’ll need

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

Things most newcomers don’t know

Minimum balance requirements are tiered by city, and Jaipur sits in a cheaper tier than the metros.

Indian banks set minimum average balance thresholds by branch classification — metro, urban, semi-urban, rural — and the same account at a Jaipur branch commonly requires a lower balance than at a Mumbai or Delhi one. It is a small saving, but it also means advice copied from a colleague in a metro will overstate what you need to park. Ask for your specific branch's figure and whether a salary account waives it.

Source: Reserve Bank of India — customer service

FEMA residence, tax residence and immigration status are three separate tests.

Your visa says what you may do; the Income Tax Act counts days in an April-to-March year; FEMA asks whether you came to India to take up employment or to stay indefinitely. You can be a tax non-resident and a FEMA resident simultaneously. The bank only cares about the FEMA answer, so get the classification confirmed in writing rather than accepting whatever the form defaults to.

Source: Reserve Bank of India — FEMA

UPI is the single best defence against the tourist price.

Jaipur has a well-established two-tier pricing culture, and cash negotiation is where it operates. Paying by UPI moves the transaction to a typed number on a screen against a merchant QR code, and merchants price it far more consistently. It is also how every local pays, which changes how you are read at the counter. Setting UPI up is worth more here than in most Indian cities.

Source: National Payments Corporation of India — UPI

Gemstone purchases are a customs and payment question, not just a shopping one.

Jaipur is the world's main coloured-stone market and buying is easy; getting a significant purchase home legally is not. High-value stones need proper invoicing, a recognised laboratory certificate, and awareness of your home country's import rules and India's export documentation. Paying in cash without paperwork is how people end up with an uninsurable stone and a customs problem. Insist on a full invoice through the banking system.

Source: Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council