FC-GPR Filing 2026: 30 Day Deadline, FIRMS Steps

**Form FC-GPR (Foreign Currency Gross Provisional Return), often written FCGPR, is the report an Indian company files with the Reserve Bank of India when it allots shares to a foreign investor. It is due within 30 days of the allotment date, filed through the Single Master Form on the RBI FIRMS portal and reviewed by the company's AD bank before it reaches the RBI.** The clock runs from allotment, not from the day the money arrived.

If you are a foreign founder or a foreign parent company that has just funded an Indian Private Limited Company, the job is not done when the remittance lands. This page covers what FC-GPR is, who must file it, the dates to track, the documents and certificates the form needs, the FIRMS portal steps, the late submission fee, and the mistakes that cause the AD bank to send the form back.

Check your own dates in one minute on the [FC-GPR deadline calculator](/static/tools/fc-gpr-deadline-calculator.html).

## The four rules in one place

- Form FC-GPR is due within 30 days of share allotment, filed through the Single Master Form on the RBI FIRMS portal.
- Shares must be allotted within 60 days of the money reaching the Indian account. If they are not, the money must be refunded within 15 days after that, so 75 days from receipt.
- Entity Master registration and a Business User login on FIRMS must exist before anything can be filed. Both go through the AD bank.
- A late filing goes through the late submission fee route for up to three years from the due date. After that the only route is compounding.

## What FC-GPR is

Form FC-GPR is the reporting form an Indian company uses to tell the RBI that it has issued equity shares or other eligible capital instruments to a person resident outside India against foreign investment. It sits inside the Single Master Form (SMF) on the FIRMS portal (Foreign Investment Reporting and Management System). For most foreign owned Indian companies it is the first FEMA reporting obligation after incorporation and the first inflow of capital.

### FC-GPR full form and meaning

FC-GPR stands for Foreign Currency Gross Provisional Return. Foreign Currency because the consideration came from outside India. Gross Provisional Return because it reports the gross issue of instruments at the time of allotment, before the annual position is captured in the FLA return. The form is written FC-GPR in the regulations and FCGPR in most bank and portal correspondence. Both mean the same filing.

## When FC-GPR applies

FC-GPR applies when an Indian company allots any of the following to a non resident against inward foreign direct investment:

- Equity shares
- Compulsorily convertible preference shares
- Compulsorily convertible debentures
- Share warrants, where permitted

The common scenario is a US, UK, European, Canadian or Gulf parent subscribing to the shares of its new Indian subsidiary, or a foreign individual founder subscribing as a shareholder, or an early foreign investor round. Bonus and rights issues to existing non resident shareholders are also reported on FC-GPR.

### What FC-GPR does not cover

FC-GPR reports a fresh issue only. It does not cover a transfer of existing shares between a resident and a non resident. That is Form FC-TRS. Founders often assume every transaction with a foreign party needs FC-GPR. The correct form depends on whether shares are being issued or transferred.

## FC-GPR against FC-TRS

| | FC-GPR | FC-TRS |
|---|---|---|
| Trigger | Fresh allotment of shares to a non resident | Transfer of existing shares between a resident and a non resident |
| Who files | The Indian company | The resident party to the transfer, or the non resident through the AD bank in some cases |
| Deadline | 30 days from allotment | 60 days from transfer or from receipt of funds, whichever is earlier |
| Filed on | FIRMS portal, Single Master Form | FIRMS portal, Single Master Form |

The line by line comparison is in [FC-GPR vs FC-TRS](/insights/fc-gpr-vs-fc-trs-differences-filing-deadlines).

## Why the RBI reporting matters

FEMA requires the RBI to see foreign capital entering Indian companies. FC-GPR is how the regulator records that the shares were issued and that the inflow fits the FDI rules for the sector. Until the filing is accepted, the allotment is not regarded as complete for FEMA purposes. That affects the company's ability to remit dividends, bring in further investment, transfer shares later, or pass a due diligence. A missing or late FC-GPR is a reporting contravention, and it surfaces at exactly the wrong time: a funding round, a repatriation, an exit. The wider setup context is on the [foreign subsidiary in India](/services/foreign-subsidiary.html) page and the full deadline map is in the [FDI reporting guide](/insights/fdi-reporting-requirements-in-india-for-founders).

## The FC-GPR timeline

**Form FC-GPR must be filed within 30 days of the date of share allotment.** The allotment is the board resolution that allots the shares. The remittance date does not start the clock, but it starts a different one.

| Event | Rule | Practical note |
|---|---|---|
| Money received in the Indian account | Day 0 for the allotment clock | Ask the AD bank for the FIRC and the investor KYC the same week |
| Shares allotted by the board | Within 60 days of receipt | Day 0 for the FC-GPR clock |
| Refund if shares are not allotted | Within 15 days after the 60 day window closes, so 75 days from receipt | Refund without RBI approval; interest may apply |
| Form FC-GPR filed | Within 30 days of allotment | Through the SMF on FIRMS, reviewed by the AD bank |
| Share certificates issued | Within 60 days of allotment under the Companies Act | Stamp duty on the certificates is a state matter |
| Annual FLA return | 15 July every year | Reports the position at 31 March |

### FC-GPR due date, worked example

Funds received on 1 October. Latest allotment date: 30 November. Board allots on 20 October. FC-GPR due: 19 November. If the board waits until 30 November to allot, FC-GPR is due on 30 December, and the company has used the whole window with no buffer for AD bank queries.

### Events to track

Keep four dates on one sheet: the credit date in the bank statement, the FIRC date, the board resolution date, and the share certificate date. The FC-GPR filing quotes the first three and the AD bank checks them against each other.

### What delays a filing

The usual causes: convening the board late, waiting for a valuation certificate, incomplete KYC on the foreign investor, an Entity Master that was never registered, or a Business User request still sitting with the bank. The clock does not pause for any of these. Start the paperwork the day the remittance is confirmed, not after the allotment.

## The RBI FIRMS portal

FIRMS (firms.rbi.org.in) is the RBI's single portal for foreign investment reporting. Three things must exist on it before FC-GPR can be filed.

### Entity Master

The company itself must be registered in the Entity Master. Registration needs the CIN, the PAN, the details of the foreign investment already in the company, and an authority letter on company letterhead naming the person who will operate the account. The RBI approves the Entity Master. First time registrations usually take a few working days, and a company set up years ago without foreign investment may have no Entity Master at all.

### Business User

The Business User is the login that files the Single Master Form. It is mapped to the AD bank branch and the bank approves the request. Open it in parallel with the bank account paperwork, not after it.

### Single Master Form

The SMF is the online form that carries FC-GPR, FC-TRS, ESOP, CN, DI and the other event reports. Select FC-GPR inside it. Each filing gets an SMF reference number that the AD bank quotes when it raises a query.

## Documents required for FC-GPR

### Company and investment documents

- Certificate of incorporation and the company's PAN
- Authorised and paid up capital before and after the allotment
- Foreign Inward Remittance Certificate (FIRC) from the AD bank for each remittance
- KYC report on the foreign investor, obtained by the AD bank from the remitting bank
- For a corporate investor, its certificate of incorporation and the authorised signatory details; for an individual, passport and address proof

### Share issue documents

- Board resolution approving the allotment, with the date, the number and class of shares, the price and the allottees
- List of allottees with the shares issued to each non resident
- Pre and post allotment shareholding pattern
- Share subscription or shareholders' agreement where one governs the investment

### The certificates the form asks for

Two certificates cause most of the questions, and the search phrases for them are common enough that they deserve their own section.

## The CS certificate and the valuation certificate

### Company Secretary certificate

Form FC-GPR carries a certificate from a practising Company Secretary confirming that the company has complied with the Companies Act procedure for the issue, that the investment falls within the sectoral cap and the entry route for the sector, that the pricing guidelines are met, and that the company is eligible to issue the instruments. The AD bank will not forward the form without it. Where the company has no Company Secretary on retainer, a practising CS signs it for a fee after reviewing the allotment file.

### Valuation certificate

Shares issued to a non resident must be priced at or above the fair value under the FEMA pricing guidelines. A Chartered Accountant, a merchant banker registered with SEBI or a practising cost accountant certifies the fair value on an internationally accepted pricing method. For a new subsidiary issuing shares at face value to its parent at incorporation, the certificate still goes on file; the AD bank reads the face value against it. Where the issue is a rights issue to existing shareholders at a price that meets the rules, the certificate may not be needed. Confirm each case.

### Declaration by the authorised representative

The form ends with a declaration by the company's authorised representative that the particulars are true and that the investment complies with the FEMA regulations. The same person usually holds the Business User login.

## How to file FC-GPR on FIRMS, step by step

1. Register the Entity Master on FIRMS through the AD bank (one time).
2. Create the Business User login mapped to the AD bank branch and wait for approval.
3. Collect the FIRC and the investor KYC from the AD bank.
4. Hold the board meeting, allot the shares and issue the allotment resolution.
5. Obtain the valuation certificate and the Company Secretary certificate.
6. Log in as the Business User, open the Single Master Form and select FC-GPR.
7. Enter the investor, instrument, price, date of receipt and date of allotment details.
8. Upload the FIRC, KYC, board resolution, valuation certificate, CS certificate, declaration and shareholding pattern.
9. Submit to the AD bank.
10. Answer the bank's queries inside the portal. The bank forwards the accepted filing to the RBI and the status changes to approved.

### Preparing the filing details

Before logging in, have the investor's name exactly as it appears on the KYC, the number and class of instruments, the face value and issue price, the amount in foreign currency and in rupees at the FIRC rate, the date of receipt and the date of allotment. Mismatches between these fields and the attachments are the top reason for a query.

### Uploading documents

The portal accepts PDF attachments within a size limit. Scan at a resolution that keeps the certificate stamps legible. Name the files by content so the bank reviewer can find each one.

### The AD bank review

The bank checks the form for completeness, sectoral compliance and consistency with the FIRC and KYC, then forwards it to the RBI. Build a week of buffer for this review into the 30 day window. A query raised on day 28 and answered on day 31 is a late filing.

## Common FC-GPR mistakes

| Mistake | What goes wrong | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Counting 30 days from receipt of funds | Filing looks early or late by the gap between receipt and allotment | Count from the board resolution date |
| Amount in the form differs from the FIRC | AD bank query, resubmission | Use the FIRC rupee amount and the FIRC rate |
| Shares in the resolution differ from shares in the form | AD bank query | Copy the resolution figures into the form |
| No Entity Master | Nothing can be filed | Register the day the bank account opens |
| Wrong sector or entry route | RBI rejection | Confirm the NIC activity and the FDI policy sector before allotment |
| Investor name spelt differently across KYC and form | AD bank query | Use the KYC spelling everywhere |

## Late FC-GPR filing and the late submission fee

A late FC-GPR is regularised through the RBI's late submission fee (LSF) route, available for three years from the due date. Beyond three years, or where the RBI declines LSF, the company files a compounding application.

| Situation | What applies | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| FC-GPR filed after 30 days, inside three years | Late submission fee under the RBI matrix in force since September 2022 | ₹7,500 plus 0.025 percent of the amount involved for every year of delay, with a part year counted as a full year |
| More than three years late, or LSF refused | Compounding application to the RBI | Compounding fee set by the RBI on the facts, recorded against the company |
| LSF not paid within the period the AD bank allows | The filing is treated as not made | Compounding becomes the only route |

The fee is the smaller cost. An unresolved FC-GPR appears in every due diligence, holds a funding round or a remittance until it is fixed, and can block a later FC-TRS on the same shares. The annual FLA return runs on the same LSF matrix, covered in the [FLA return guide](/insights/fla-return-due-date-fy-2025-26), and the compounding route is covered in [FC-GPR compounding with the RBI](/insights/fc-gpr-compounding-with-rbi-a-2026-guide-to-fema-compliance-for-founders).

## FC-GPR, FC-TRS and FLA in one table

| | FC-GPR | FC-TRS | FLA return |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trigger | Fresh allotment of shares to a non resident | Transfer of existing shares between a resident and a non resident | Foreign assets or liabilities on the balance sheet at 31 March |
| Deadline | 30 days from allotment | 60 days from transfer or receipt of funds | 15 July every year |
| Filed on | FIRMS, Single Master Form | FIRMS, Single Master Form | FLAIR portal |
| Frequency | Per event | Per event | Annual |

FC-GPR and FC-TRS are event forms tied to one allotment or one transfer. FLA is an annual return that exists whether or not anything happened in the year, as long as the company holds foreign investment. Using the wrong form does not satisfy the obligation and still has to be corrected.

## How Krystal7 handles FC-GPR

The [FEMA compliance service](/services/fema-compliances.html) covers this filing from Entity Master to approval: a readiness review of the transaction, the dates and the documents before anything goes near the portal; the Business User and Entity Master setup; the Company Secretary certificate and the valuation certificate through the associated practice; the SMF filing and the AD bank queries handled through to approval; and a FEMA calendar with the FLA return and any future FC-TRS already on it. One fixed fee agreed in writing, government charges at cost.

## Frequently asked questions

### What is the full form of FC-GPR?

FC-GPR stands for Foreign Currency Gross Provisional Return. It is the RBI reporting form filed when an Indian company issues shares or other eligible capital instruments to a person resident outside India.

### Is FCGPR the same as FC-GPR?

Yes. FCGPR without the hyphen is how the form is written in most bank and portal correspondence. The regulations use FC-GPR. The filing, the deadline and the portal are the same.

### What is FC-GPR filing in simple terms?

It is the filing an Indian company makes to tell the RBI that it has issued shares to a foreign investor against foreign direct investment. It is submitted through the Single Master Form on the FIRMS portal and reviewed by the company's AD bank before it reaches the RBI.

### What is the FC-GPR due date?

Thirty days from the date of allotment of the shares. The date the money arrived does not start the clock, but shares must be allotted within 60 days of that date.

### Where is FC-GPR filed?

On the RBI FIRMS portal, inside the Single Master Form, by a registered Business User of the company, after the Entity Master has been registered. The AD bank reviews the form before the RBI sees it.

### Does FC-GPR apply to every foreign investment?

It applies whenever new equity shares or compulsorily convertible instruments are issued to a non resident against foreign investment, including bonus and rights issues to non resident holders. It does not apply to a transfer of existing shares, which is FC-TRS.

### Is a valuation certificate always required?

For most issues to a non resident, yes, because the price must meet the FEMA pricing guidelines. A rights issue at a compliant price can be an exception. Confirm each transaction rather than assuming.

### What is the CS certificate for FC-GPR?

A certificate from a practising Company Secretary that the company followed the Companies Act procedure for the issue, that the investment is within the sectoral cap and entry route, and that the pricing rules were met. The AD bank will not forward FC-GPR without it.

### What happens if FC-GPR is filed late?

The company pays a late submission fee of ₹7,500 plus 0.025 percent of the amount for every year of delay, provided the filing is made within three years of the due date. After three years, or if the RBI declines the LSF route, the company must apply for compounding.

### Can a foreign founder file FC-GPR without an Indian bank?

No. Every FC-GPR on the FIRMS portal routes through the company's AD bank, which reviews the submission before it reaches the RBI. Coordination with the bank is part of the filing.

### Is FC-GPR filed through the Single Master Form?

Yes. FC-GPR is one of the reports consolidated into the Single Master Form on FIRMS. Entity Master and Business User registration must be complete before the SMF can be filed, so set both up the day the bank account opens.