Foreign Exchange (Forex) FAQs

Buy:

Minimum transaction amount: USD 500 or its equivalent. (The minimum limit per product i.e. Forex Prepaid Card or Currency Notes is USD 200 or its equivalent)

Reload:

There is no minimum transaction amount restriction on Reload.

Customers are requested to place ‘buy order’ at least 3 working days prior to the date of travel. The Forex Prepaid Card and currency will be delivered in 2 working days after contacting the customer. Forex Prepaid Card will be loaded in one working day after receipt of document at the branch. For any urgent requirement, please visit any ICICI Bank Forex Servicing branch. For a list of branches, please click here.

To buy/ reload/ refund forex on the iMobile app/ Internet Banking, follow the path mentioned below:

Log in to iMobile > Cards & Forex > Forex Prepaid Cards > Select the card and hit “Reload”

Log in to Internet Banking > Cards & Loans > Forex & Prepaid Cards.

In terms of para 3.4.5 of RBI master Direction-Other Remittance Facilities dated January 1, 2016, Resident Indians who purchase their forex prepaid cards, are permitted refund of the unutilized foreign exchange balance only after 10 days from the date of last transaction and accordingly, this condition is stated in the "user guide". Since these cards are expected to act as substitutes for cash / Travellers Cheques, the facilities available to the user will have to be similar. Accordingly, all such Authorised Persons shall redeem the unutilized balance outstanding in the cards immediately upon request by the resident Indians to whom the cards are issued subject to retention of:

1. Amounts that are authorized and remain unclaimed / not settled by the acquirers as of the date of redemption till the completion of the respective settlement cycle
2. A small balance not exceeding US$ 100, for meeting any pipeline transactions till the completion of the respective settlement cycle; and
3. Transaction fees / service tax payable in India in Rupees
4. For the amount that are authorized but unclaimed / not settled by the acquirer, the issuer of such cards can hold such amounts until such transactions are processed / settled by the acquirers within the prescribed settlement timeframe.

Note:
In terms of section 2(c) of Foreign exchange management Act, 1999, "authorised person" means an authorised dealer, money changer, off-shore banking unit or any other person for the time being authorised under sub-section (1) of section 10 to deal in foreign exchange or foreign securities.

We currently offer the following currencies online:

1. For Foreign currency notes: USD, EUR & GBP

2. For ICICI Bank Forex Prepaid Card: USD, EUR, GBP, AUD, CAD, CHF, JPY, AED, HKD, SGD, THB, SAR, SEK, ZAR NZD.

You are free to refund all the available balance on your card. The card will still remain active and you can reload it with a desired currency the next time you travel and continue to use it till its date of expiry.

Forex Prepaid Card will be loaded instantly on best effort basis. In case of any system issue, card will be reloaded within 1 working day of initiating request.

Foreign exchange can be bought 180 days in advance from the proposed date of travel. Provided, you are able to produce the required documents.

In case the transaction is canceled by you, applicable differential loss arising due to forex rates fluctuation will be deducted from the amount refunded to your account. Profit if any, will not be passed on to you.

The Forex Prepaid Card you wish to reload/ refund has to be linked to your savings account. Once linked, you can view, manage and update basic Forex Prepaid Card details through ICICI Bank Internet Banking or iMobile Application.

You can purchase foreign exchange online through ICICI Bank when you are travelling overseas for any of the below mentioned purposes

• Business Travel
• Private Visit (Leisure Travel)
• Education (Studies Overseas)
• Medical Treatment
• Emigration

Yes. You can enter the amount of foreign currency you wish to refund against the available balance. The transaction will be completed in one working day and the net amount in rupees, at the prevailing exchange rate for the day, will be credited to the chosen Savings Account.

Please keep your passport number, its expiry date and Debit Card handy while placing an order to purchase forex online. Also, don’t forget to carry your debit card, for its Grid values, to complete online reload Forex Prepaid Card transactions on Internet Banking/ iMobile app when abroad.

Please make your request for online purchase and home delivery of Foreign Currency notes and Forex Prepaid Card, 3 working days before your date of travel. For any urgent requirement, please visit the nearest branch that offers forex services. To view the list of branches, please click here.

NRI customers cannot purchase Forex Prepaid Card, Traveller’s Cheques or Foreign Currency notes in India.

Currently, Forex Prepaid Cards & Currency Notes can be purchased online. You can get refund of unspent balance on Forex Prepaid Card and Currency Notes at any ICICI Bank Forex Servicing branch. For the list of such branches, please click here.

Further you may also refund the unspent balance on your Forex Prepaid Card online through internet banking or iMobile and get the refund amount credited to your linked savings account subject to compliance with extant RBI regulations.

We offer two products through this platform - ICICI Bank Forex Prepaid Card and Foreign Currency Notes. You may request any of these products as per your requirement.

• Login to Internet Banking/ iMobile App
• Internet Banking: Click on ‘My Accounts’ & select ‘Forex and Forex Prepaid Cards’
• iMobile App: Click on ‘Cards, Loans & Forex’ & select ‘Forex and Forex Prepaid Cards’
• Click ‘Link Forex Prepaid Card’ & Select ‘Self’/ ‘Close Relative’
• Enter Forex Prepaid Card number & passport number of cardholder
• Enter mobile number & e-mail ID to send updates
• For close relatives, upload a relationship proof, as applicable (in PDF format)
• Submit request and note the reference number for future reference. 

This facility is available on ICICI Bank Internet Banking and iMobile round the clock. However, ICICI Bank reserves the right to have any service downtime due to technical glitches without any prior notice.

Yes. Please use the ‘Track your Order’ option available on the ICICI Bank Internet Banking/ iMobile application.

You can check the status of your order through the Track your Order option on ICICI Bank Internet Banking. Alternately, you may contact our Customer Care.

For the delivery of Forex requested, the following documents are required:

1. Fill and sign the requisite form/s (Form A2 cum application and LRS declaration) to be submitted

2. Submit a copy of your passport

3. Show the original passport for physical verification

4. In case of business travel, a copy of valid business visa has to be submitted and will be verified against original at the time of physical verification

5. The person placing the request needs to be physically present at the location of delivery to handover the documents and receive the Forex as requested.

Please note : Documentation and other requisites for availing the facility are subject to changes from time to time, depending on the FEMA/ internal guidelines of the bank.

Forex Prepaid Cards linked in the capacity of close relative cannot be refunded online. If the card is not linked to any account in the capacity of ‘Self’, the customer needs to visit the nearest branch for refunding the balance on his/ her card.

Currently, this service is available only in Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad, Baroda, Gurugram, Noida and Chandigarh.

In addition to ‘Self’, Forex can be requested only for close relatives (Mother, Father, Spouse, Son and Daughter). Please choose the Relationship status in the online form to ‘Close Relative’ and provide the personal & travel details of the traveler. The person requesting for Forex and the traveler should sign the form jointly and have to be physically present at the time of delivery.

Please call our Customer Care. Your money shall be refunded within 7-10 working days.