F IAIROFCRA Guide
Public resource · reviewed 29 September 2026

A clearer path through FCRA prior permission.

A practical guide for Indian organisations, foreign donors and their advisers to assess the route, build a consistent FC-3B pack, and protect receipt and reporting controls.

Check the route Open templates
FC-3Bproject-specific prior permission
₹5,000current application fee
3 / 4 yearsreceive / utilise from permission
31 DecFC-4 annual-return deadline
01 · Triage

Is this an FCRA matter?

Use the substance of the arrangement, not the label on the email or agreement.

1

Is value coming from a foreign source?

If no, document why and route through the normal domestic process. If yes or uncertain, continue.

2

Grant/donation or genuine services?

Consider obligations, pricing, IP, deliverables, commercial substance and who benefits. Do not treat a payment as outside FCRA only because it is called a fee.

3

Specific donor, amount and project?

For an organisation without general registration, a defined donor, exact amount and specific activity may point to the FC-3B Prior Permission route.

4

Pause the money movement

Open the intake, get finance and FCRA/legal review, secure approval, then authorise receipt. Escalate mixed or novel structures.

The three-year existence and ₹15 lakh-spend tests shown on the portal apply to general registration, not to the project-specific prior-permission route.
02 · Workflow

One controlled path from lead to closure

Checklist progress is saved only in this browser; it is a working aid, not the official file.

  1. Project lead
  2. Legal / FCRA
  3. Secretarial
  4. Board secretariat
  5. Finance
  6. Project lead
  7. Finance + legal
  8. Authorised filer
  9. Matter owner
  10. Finance
  11. Finance + project
03 · Document pack

What belongs in the working file

Entity & governance

  • Self-certified registration / incorporation certificate
  • Full Memorandum, Articles or charter
  • Darpan ID and PAN evidence
  • Board resolution and signatory authority
  • Key-functionary list, ID evidence and Proforma AA

Donor & project

  • Exact donor commitment on letterhead
  • Donor incorporation and signatory proof
  • DPR with activity, geography and timeline
  • Detailed budget and utilisation plan
  • Related-party and conflict disclosures

Application & declarations

  • FC-3B working copy
  • Chief functionary point-wise letter
  • FATF undertaking
  • Administrative-expense declaration
  • Publication / RNI material, if applicable
  • Fee receipt and submission acknowledgement

After filing

  • Portal notices and responses
  • Permission order and condition matrix
  • Bank advice and receipt authorisation
  • Separate books and supporting vouchers
  • FC-4 returns and utilisation record
  • Six-year retention and closure index
Download the full review-pack index ↓
04 · Team operating model

One file, clear owners, no premature receipt

Use the same matter name and core facts across every document. A draft, request, proposal or meeting is not an approval.

01

Project team

Owns the intake, donor coordination, project design, delivery facts and evidence of activity.

Output: complete project brief
02

Governance

Checks objects, key functionaries, conflicts, Board authority and eligible signatories.

Output: verified authority pack
03

Finance

Owns the budget, FCRA bank route, fee record, books, receipt control and annual reporting.

Output: reconciled financial pack
04

FCRA / legal

Confirms classification, eligibility, filing readiness, conditions and responses to portal notices.

Output: written clearance
05

Authorised filer

Files only the approved final set, saves the acknowledgement and preserves every submitted version.

Output: filing record
06

Foreign donor

Provides the commitment, legal identity and signatory evidence, and waits for written receipt clearance.

Output: donor evidence pack
Recommended handoff ruleDo not move a matter to filing until the donor, amount, currency, purpose, locations, duration and instalments match across the commitment letter, DPR, budget, utilisation plan and FC-3B working copy.
05 · Templates

Use a clean copy for every donor and project

Remove placeholders, tracked changes and comments. Amount, currency, purpose, geography, duration and instalments must match everywhere.

MD · adaptable template

Recipient request letter

A clean request for the donor commitment and supporting donor records. Replace every bracketed field.

Download template
MD · adaptable template

Foreign donor commitment letter

Donor-letterhead form with exact amount, project, duration, instalments and prior-permission condition.

Download template
MD · working copy

Project intake

Capture the counterparty, transaction, project and control facts before advice or drafting begins.

Download template ↓
MD · working copy

DPR outline

A consistent detailed-project-report skeleton built around the FC-3B pack.

Download outline ↓
CSV · working copy

Budget and utilisation plan

Line-by-line cost plan with activity, evidence, timing and administrative-expense classification.

Download CSV ↓
MD · control list

Review-pack index

Folder and evidence index from entity records through final reporting and closure.

Download index ↓
Copy-ready email to a prospective foreign donorOpen 
Subject: Documents needed for FCRA prior permission — [Project]

Dear [Name],

Thank you for discussing support for [Project]. As [Recipient organisation] must obtain project-specific FCRA Prior Permission before receiving the proposed foreign contribution, please share:

1. A signed commitment letter on [Donor] letterhead using the attached master;
2. Donor legal name, form, registration number, country and registered address;
3. Registration/incorporation evidence;
4. Authorised-signatory name, title and authority evidence;
5. Exact amount, currency, purpose, project locations, duration and payment schedule; and
6. Any grant conditions, reporting terms, conflicts or links with the recipient's governing body.

Please do not transfer funds until [Recipient organisation] confirms in writing that Prior Permission and the required banking arrangements are in place.

Regards,
[Name]
[Recipient organisation]
Copy-ready internal review requestOpen 
Subject: FCRA review required — [Donor] / [Project] / [Amount and currency]

Please review the attached pack for route, eligibility and consistency before FC-3B filing.

Key facts
- Donor and country: [ ]
- Amount and currency: [ ]
- Project, locations and duration: [ ]
- Proposed instalments / receipt date: [ ]
- Related parties, partners or conflicts: [ ]

Please confirm or mark issues on:
1. Foreign-source and transaction classification;
2. Section 12(4), governance and signatory eligibility;
3. Darpan and SBI FCRA Account prerequisites;
4. Donor commitment, DPR, budget and FC-3B consistency;
5. Administrative-expense classification;
6. Transfer/partner, procurement, IP or service-payment risks; and
7. Filing readiness and any conditions to reflect in approvals.

Status requested: Cleared / Cleared with conditions / Not ready.
Copy-ready portal clarification cover noteOpen 
Subject: FC-3B clarification response — [Application number] — [Notice date]

This response addresses each point in the notice in the same order.

Point 1 — [Restate issue briefly]
Response: [Direct answer]
Evidence: [Annexure and page]

Point 2 — [Restate issue briefly]
Response: [Direct answer]
Evidence: [Annexure and page]

We confirm that any updated amount, purpose, location, duration, instalment or party detail has been reconciled across the commitment letter, DPR, budget, utilisation plan and FC-3B materials.

Submitted by: [Authorised person]
Reviewed by Finance: [ ]
Reviewed by FCRA/legal: [ ]
Submission date: [ ]
06 · Operating guardrails

Controls that stay live after permission

Specificity

Use only for the approved donor, amount, purpose, activities, locations, period and conditions.

No subgranting

Do not transfer foreign contribution to another association. Distinguish legitimate payment for services from prohibited transfer, and obtain advice for partner structures.

20% administration

Keep administrative expenditure within 20% of foreign contribution received in the financial year unless prior approval is obtained. Classify costs carefully.

Annual FC-4

File by 31 December following each financial year, including Nil returns where required, until the contribution is fully utilised.

Instalments

For permission above ₹1 crore, MHA may stage receipt. The portal currently shows FC-3BB for later instalments as “Coming Soon”; confirm the live route.

Separate evidence

Maintain separate books, bank trail, vouchers, approvals and project evidence. Treat interest and other income from foreign contribution as foreign contribution.

Working guide, not a substitute for matter-specific advice. Rules, forms and portal practice can change. Check the MHA portal and obtain FCRA/legal review before filing, receiving funds, restructuring a transaction or answering a notice.
07 · Source register

Primary sources first

MHA FCRA OnlineCurrent services, fees, validity and deadlines ↗ Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010Statutory basis ↗ Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Rules and amendmentsFCRA Account, donor commitment, fee and instalment rule ↗ MHA FCRA FAQsBanking, receipt, utilisation and compliance guidance ↗ MHA do's and don'tsPractical receipt, transfer and administrative-expense controls ↗ NITI Aayog Voluntary Action CellNGO Darpan information ↗

Last checked against the linked primary sources on 29 September 2026. Portal services, fees, forms and filing practice can change; verify the live position before acting.