Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act Registration and Prior Permission for NGOs in Delhi, Gurugram, Noida and Ghaziabad
Apply to the Ministry of Home Affairs for FCRA registration or prior permission with your three-year record checked first, purposes and States chosen from the 2026 Schedule, and the FCRA account at SBI, New Delhi Main Branch planned before the first foreign rupee arrives. Professional fee from Rs 12,999, excluding GST and the MHA fee.
| Item | Position for Delhi NCR |
|---|---|
| Governing law | Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010 and FCRA Rules, 2011, as amended on 22 June 2026 |
| Who decides | Ministry of Home Affairs (FCRA wing), New Delhi, for every State; there is no State-level FCRA office |
| How you apply | Online on fcraonline.nic.in, wherever in NCR the NGO is registered |
| Registration (FC-3A) | Three years of existence and spending on core activities over the last three financial years (Rs 15 lakh reference in the rules) |
| Prior permission (FC-3B) | For a specific donor, amount and project, backed by a donor commitment letter |
| Receiving account | FCRA account at State Bank of India, New Delhi Main Branch, 11 Sansad Marg |
| Spending accounts | Utilisation accounts in any scheduled commercial bank, including your local NCR branch |
| Validity and return | Five years, renewed in FC-3C; annual FC-4 by 31 December |
| Our professional fee | From Rs 12,999, excluding GST and the MHA fee |
FCRA itself is a central law with one regulator, so a Noida society and a Dwarka trust file the same form on the same portal. What differs across NCR is the NGO underneath the application. The MHA asks for the registration certificate and the governing document of the association, and those come from three different State systems in a region that spans Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.
| Where the NGO sits | Type | Registered with |
|---|---|---|
| NCT of Delhi | Public charitable trust | Sub-Registrar office under the Registration Act, 1908 (deed registration) |
| NCT of Delhi | Society | Registrar of Societies, Revenue Department, Government of NCT of Delhi, under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 |
| Gurugram, Faridabad | Society | Haryana registrar, under the Haryana Registration and Regulation of Societies Act, 2012 |
| Noida, Greater Noida, Ghaziabad | Society | Uttar Pradesh registrar, under the 1860 Act as amended by Uttar Pradesh |
| Anywhere in NCR | Section 8 company | Registrar of Companies for the registered office, under the Companies Act, 2013 |
Two practical consequences follow. First, the date on that certificate starts the three-year clock for FC-3A, so an association that re-registered or converted recently may need prior permission even if the people behind it have worked together for a decade. Second, the objects in the deed, memorandum or MoA must support the purposes you now choose from the FCRA Schedule. A trust whose deed speaks only of education cannot comfortably claim rural development or health as a purpose in its FCRA application.
If your entity is not yet set up, start with trust registration in Delhi, society registration in Delhi or Section 8 registration in Delhi NCR, and draft the objects with the FCRA Schedule in view.
The MHA runs two doors. Registration in Form FC-3A lets an eligible association receive foreign contribution for its registered purposes from any lawful foreign source for five years. Prior permission in Form FC-3B is narrower: one donor, one amount, one project. Choosing the wrong door is the most avoidable refusal we see.
| Your position | Route | What the file needs |
|---|---|---|
| Registered three or more years ago, audited accounts and activity reports for three years, spending on objects of Rs 15 lakh or more | FC-3A registration | Three years of audited statements, year-wise activity reports, CA certificate on expenditure, key functionary affidavits |
| Newer NGO, or below the spending reference, with a committed foreign donor | FC-3B prior permission | Donor commitment letter stating amount and purpose, project report with cost break-up, administrative cost declaration |
| Already registered, expiry approaching | FC-3C renewal | File before expiry, with the reasonable activity test under the 2026 rules in mind |
| Registered before 22 June 2026 | FC-6F declaration | Purposes and States or UTs to retain, by 21 June 2027 |
Persons barred by Section 3 of the Act, such as political parties and candidates for election, cannot receive foreign contribution at all. Under the 2026 rules, an association whose key functionaries include foreign nationals, other than persons of Indian origin, is ordinarily not eligible for registration or prior permission. That matters for any NCR NGO founded with expatriate board members.
For the national rulebook, see our FCRA registration page and the FCRA registration guide 2026.
Since the 2020 amendment, foreign contribution can be received only in the "FCRA account" at State Bank of India, New Delhi Main Branch. For NCR organisations this is a short trip rather than a courier exercise, but the account still follows the SOP issued for it, and the details have to be in place before the application can be completed.
| Point | Position |
|---|---|
| Branch | SBI New Delhi Main Branch, FCRA Cell, 1st Floor, 11 Sansad Marg, New Delhi 110001 |
| Where to submit the form | At the New Delhi Main Branch or any SBI branch, including one near your office in Gurugram, Noida or Ghaziabad, for KYC and verification |
| What the bank checks | KYC of the association, its signatories and its controlling persons or beneficial owners |
| Utilisation accounts | Foreign contribution may be moved from the FCRA account to utilisation accounts in any scheduled commercial bank |
| What must not happen | Foreign money received in a local savings or current account, or mixed with domestic donations |
In practice NCR NGOs keep the main FCRA account at Sansad Marg as the receiving point and run one utilisation account at the branch they already bank with, so programme payments in Faridabad or Ghaziabad are made locally. Each utilisation account has to be intimated to the MHA, and our post-approval package files those intimations.
Source: SBI standard operating procedure for opening and operating the FCRA account. Confirm the current form with the bank before visiting.
We read your registration certificate, deed or memorandum and three years of accounts, test the existence and spending conditions, and decide between FC-3A and FC-3B.
Your actual programmes are mapped to the purposes in the 2026 Schedule, and you choose the States or UTs where you work. An NGO running projects in Delhi and Gurugram selects both Delhi and Haryana.
The account opening form is submitted at an SBI branch for verification and the account is opened at New Delhi Main Branch.
Our CA team certifies activity-wise expenditure against the audited accounts, and each key functionary signs the Proforma AA affidavit.
Form FC-3A or FC-3B is completed, documents uploaded and the fee paid online.
The MHA may ask for documents or make inquiries before deciding. We draft replies under the Standard package, and the certificate or permission is issued online on approval.
| Stage | Indicative time | Depends on |
|---|---|---|
| Eligibility review and route decision | 2 - 3 business days | Three years of accounts being available |
| FCRA account at SBI | Varies | Bank verification of KYC |
| CA certificate, affidavits, drafting | 5 - 7 business days | Activity records and signatures of key functionaries |
| Filing on fcraonline.nic.in | 1 business day | Final sign-off from the chief functionary |
| MHA inquiry and decision | Varies | MHA inquiry; no decision date can be promised |
Indicative service timelines. The decision rests with the Ministry of Home Affairs and approval is not guaranteed.
| Head | Position |
|---|---|
| MHA application fee | As prescribed in the FCRA Rules for one purpose and one State or UT, paid online at filing |
| Each additional purpose or State or UT | An additional prescribed fee under the June 2026 amendment rules |
| Bank charges | As levied by SBI and your utilisation bank |
An NCR NGO working across Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh pays for three States, not one, so the State selection is a fee decision as well as a compliance one. We confirm the amount on the portal before you pay and show it separately on the invoice.
| Plan | Professional fee | Covers |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | From Rs 12,999 | Eligibility review, one FC-3A or FC-3B application, Schedule mapping, CA certificate, affidavits, FCRA account guidance |
| Standard | On quote | Starter plus MHA query replies, utilisation account intimations and foreign contribution books set-up |
| Pro | On quote | Standard plus annual FC-4, FC-6F declaration and FC-3C renewal |
All plans exclude GST. The MHA fee is paid online at actuals and shown separately. Payment: 50% upfront, 50% on delivery.
All fees and charges listed are indicative only and do not constitute a binding offer. Final amounts may vary depending on the volume of work and the complexity involved.
The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Rules, 2026 were notified on 22 June 2026 and took effect at once. Four changes affect NCR applicants directly.
Existing registrants must declare the purposes and States they keep in Form FC-6F by 21 June 2027. The FCRA (Amendment) Bill, 2026 is a separate matter: it is before a Joint Parliamentary Committee and is not yet law.
| Obligation | Position |
|---|---|
| Annual return | FC-4 within nine months of the year end, so by 31 December, even with nil receipts |
| Administrative expenses | Capped at 20% of foreign contribution received in a year |
| Transfers | No transfer of foreign contribution to any other person or NGO |
| Books | Separate accounts for foreign contribution, apart from domestic donations |
| Changes | FC-6 series intimations for changes in name, address, objects, key functionaries or bank accounts |
| Renewal | FC-3C before the five-year validity ends |
For the accounting side, our NGO accounting team keeps foreign contribution books apart from the domestic ledger, which is what FC-4 and any MHA inspection will test.
| FCRA registration | FCRA prior permission | No FCRA | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who can receive | Eligible NGO with three-year record | Any NGO with a committed donor | No foreign contribution can be accepted |
| Donor range | Any lawful foreign source | One named donor | Domestic donors and CSR only |
| Validity | Five years, renewable | The specific amount and project | Not applicable |
| Typical NCR fit | Established Delhi trusts and societies | New Gurugram or Noida NGOs with a first grant | Early-stage NGOs relying on Indian CSR |
Many younger NCR NGOs fund their first years through Indian CSR and individual donations, build three audited years, and then apply for FC-3A with a clean record rather than rush a prior permission.
We are a CA and CS practice operating under DSG CORPORATE FINANCIAL ADVISORS LLP, working with NCR clients from our Delhi office at 04, Malook Singh Marg, Arjun Nagar, Krishan Nagar, Delhi 110051. FCRA is an MHA process, but most refusals trace back to the accounts and the governing document, which is where a CA team does its work.
| Reference | Relevance |
|---|---|
| Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010, Sections 11 and 12 | Registration and prior permission |
| Section 17, as amended in 2020 | Receipt only in the FCRA account at SBI, New Delhi Main Branch |
| Section 8(1)(b), as amended in 2020 | Administrative expenses capped at 20% |
| Section 7, as amended in 2020 | Bar on transfer of foreign contribution |
| FCRA Rules, 2011, Rule 9 | Three years of existence and spending on core activities for registration |
| FCRA (Amendment) Rules, 2026, notified 22 June 2026 | Purposes Schedule, States or UTs, key functionaries, FC-6F, reasonable activity test |
Authority sources: Ministry of Home Affairs FCRA portal at fcraonline.nic.in and the SBI FCRA account SOP.
A health society registered with the Registrar of Societies in Delhi in 2022 ran mobile clinics in Shahdara and, from 2024, in Ghaziabad. A foreign foundation offered a two-year grant. The society had existed for more than three years, but its audited spending on objects over the last three financial years was below the reference figure. We filed for prior permission in FC-3B for that grant, with Health as the purpose and both Delhi and Uttar Pradesh as States, opened the FCRA account at New Delhi Main Branch and a utilisation account at the society's existing bank, and diarised a review for a full registration application once the spending record supports it.
Illustrative scenario based on typical file patterns. Not a named client engagement.
Before FCRA, most NCR NGOs need 12A and 80G registration. To set up the entity, see trust registration in Delhi, society registration in Delhi or Section 8 registration in Delhi NCR. Questions: contact us.
No. FCRA registration and prior permission are decided by the Ministry of Home Affairs for the whole country and applied for online on fcraonline.nic.in. A Delhi trust, a Gurugram society and a Noida Section 8 company all file the same forms. What differs is the State registration certificate and governing document each attaches.
Yes. Section 17 requires foreign contribution to be received only in the FCRA account at SBI, New Delhi Main Branch, wherever the NGO is registered. The account opening form can be submitted at an SBI branch near you for verification. From the FCRA account, funds can be moved to a utilisation account at your local bank.
Not for receiving them. Foreign contribution must first land in the FCRA account at New Delhi Main Branch. You can, however, open a utilisation account at your Noida bank, intimate it to the MHA and transfer funds there for programme spending. Domestic donations must stay in a separate account.
From the date the association was registered, as shown on the certificate from the Sub-Registrar, the registrar of societies or the ROC. Years of informal work before registration do not count. Rule 9 also looks at spending on core activities in the last three financial years, with Rs 15 lakh as the reference.
Both the NCT of Delhi and Haryana. Under the rules notified on 22 June 2026, applicants name every State or UT where they will use foreign contribution, and an additional fee is charged for each beyond the first. Leaving out a State you work in can lead to questions on FC-4 or at renewal.
Ordinarily not. Under the 2026 amendment rules, an association whose key functionaries include foreign nationals, other than persons of Indian origin, is ordinarily not eligible for registration or prior permission, although the Central Government may allow exceptions by order. The board is usually reconstituted before applying.
Not for registration in FC-3A until it has three years of existence and an activity record. A new Section 8 company with a committed foreign donor can apply for prior permission in FC-3B for that specific grant and project, supported by the donor commitment letter and a project report.
It must file Form FC-6F by 21 June 2027 declaring the purposes and States or UTs it wishes to retain. Its next FC-4 carries the expanded disclosures, and at renewal the reasonable activity test linked to Rs 10 lakh of foreign contribution used over two years applies.
An eligibility review, one FC-3A or FC-3B application with purposes and States mapped to the 2026 Schedule, the CA certificate on expenditure, Proforma AA affidavits and guidance on the FCRA account. MHA query replies and post-approval compliance are quoted separately. Fees exclude GST and the MHA fee. Payment is 50% upfront and 50% on delivery.
Tell us what you need and a real CA calls you back, with no scripts and no transfers. Call 72783 76654. Mon - Sat, 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM IST.
Reviewed by CorporateWalla's CA and CS team · Last Updated 19 October 2026 · · Sources: Ministry of Home Affairs: FCRA online services, Ministry of Home Affairs
Canonical: https://corporatewalla.com/delhi-ncr/fcra-registration
