Specialised recovery services for Non-Resident Indians with shares, dividends, or IEPF assets in India. Fully remote process. Complete FEMA compliance. No India visit required in the vast majority of cases.
🔒 Strictly confidential. No charges for assessment. No obligation to proceed.
Recovering Indian shares, dividends, and financial assets is a multi-step process involving government portals, RTAs, company Nodal Officers, and the IEPF Authority — even for Indian residents. For Non-Resident Indians, this complexity is significantly amplified.
Distance is only the beginning. FEMA regulations govern how NRIs can hold and transact Indian securities. RBI compliance requirements apply to the repatriation of recovered dividend amounts. Documents executed abroad must be apostilled or notarised according to the requirements of both the country of residence and Indian regulations. IEPF portal submissions require an Indian address and coordinated DSC filing. RTAs require specific NRI-format documents that differ from resident Indian requirements.
Most general financial advisors and CA firms in India have limited experience with NRI-specific IEPF and share recovery. The result is that NRI clients receive advice that works for resident Indians — but fails at the regulatory compliance stage when the NRI dimension is introduced.
Expertvuw has built a dedicated NRI recovery infrastructure — with country-specific apostille guidance, FEMA compliance expertise, NRI demat account coordination, and a fully remote communication model. We have helped NRI clients in 20+ countries recover their Indian financial assets without a single visit to India.
NRIs must hold and transact Indian securities in compliance with the Foreign Exchange Management Act. Dividend repatriation requires FEMA declarations and NRO/NRE account routing.
All documents executed abroad — affidavits, power of attorney, indemnity bonds — must be apostilled or notarised according to both the country of residence requirements and Indian acceptance standards.
The MCA21 portal for IEPF-5 filing requires an Indian address and a valid DSC. For NRI claimants, DSC procurement and filing coordination require additional steps.
RTAs have specific formats and requirements for NRI shareholder documents that differ from resident Indian requirements — including OCI card or passport as identity proof, NRI demat account details, and overseas address proof.
Recovered dividend amounts must be credited to an NRO or NRE account — not a foreign bank account directly. FEMA compliance is required for repatriation of recovered amounts to a foreign account.
All Indian-side submissions, follow-ups, and government coordination happen during Indian business hours — regardless of the client’s time zone. Ground-level coordination in India is essential.
From IEPF-5 filing to share transmission after death — our services cover every dimension of investor wealth recovery under one specialist team.
IEPF-5 is the government-mandated form for claiming a refund of shares and dividends transferred to the IEPF Authority. Filing is done on the MCA21 portal and requires a Digital Signature Certificate (DSC) from the claimant. Errors in this form — wrong Nodal Officer details, PAN mismatch, incorrect share quantity, missing Indemnity Bond — result in outright rejection with no recourse except re-filing after six to eight months.
We cross-check the MCA IEPF portal, RTA records, and company websites to confirm which shares and dividend amounts have been transferred and in what quantities.
We prepare a tailored document checklist. We then perform critical KYC pre-alignment — verifying your current data matches RTA records exactly. This step prevents the most common cause of IEPF claim rejection.
We prepare the IEPF-5 form with complete accuracy, coordinate DSC procurement if required, and prepare the Indemnity Bond and Advance Receipt.
Submission is done under expert supervision. A Service Request Number (SRN) is generated as your unique claim reference. Physical document submission to the company’s Nodal Officer is coordinated simultaneously.
We track your claim through company verification, IEPF Authority verification, and MCA approval stages — providing regular status updates throughout.
6–12 months (govt. processing dependent)
KYC mismatch / incorrect Nodal Officer details
For cases where the original share certificate has been lost, damaged, or stolen — preventing dematerialisation or transfer. We manage the FIR filing, notarised affidavit, indemnity bond, newspaper publication, and complete RTA application process.
We cross-check the MCA IEPF portal, RTA records, and company websites to confirm which shares and dividend amounts have been transferred and in what quantities.
We prepare a tailored document checklist. We then perform critical KYC pre-alignment — verifying your current data matches RTA records exactly. This step prevents the most common cause of IEPF claim rejection.
We prepare the IEPF-5 form with complete accuracy, coordinate DSC procurement if required, and prepare the Indemnity Bond and Advance Receipt.
Submission is done under expert supervision. A Service Request Number (SRN) is generated as your unique claim reference. Physical document submission to the company’s Nodal Officer is coordinated simultaneously.
We track your claim through company verification, IEPF Authority verification, and MCA approval stages — providing regular status updates throughout.
45–90 days
Dematerialisation after certificate issuance
For families managing the estate of a deceased shareholder. We assess whether a nominee is registered, whether a will exists, and whether shares are physical or in demat — and determine the correct legal pathway for your specific situation.
We cross-check the MCA IEPF portal, RTA records, and company websites to confirm which shares and dividend amounts have been transferred and in what quantities.
We prepare a tailored document checklist. We then perform critical KYC pre-alignment — verifying your current data matches RTA records exactly. This step prevents the most common cause of IEPF claim rejection.
We prepare the IEPF-5 form with complete accuracy, coordinate DSC procurement if required, and prepare the Indemnity Bond and Advance Receipt.
Submission is done under expert supervision. A Service Request Number (SRN) is generated as your unique claim reference. Physical document submission to the company’s Nodal Officer is coordinated simultaneously.
We track your claim through company verification, IEPF Authority verification, and MCA approval stages — providing regular status updates throughout.
2–4 months with complete documentation
IEPF claim if shares have also been transferred to IEPF
For shareholders whose dividends have stopped arriving or were never received. We trace dividend status across all major companies, identify whether amounts are still held by the company or already transferred to IEPF, and manage the appropriate recovery process.
We cross-check the MCA IEPF portal, RTA records, and company websites to confirm which shares and dividend amounts have been transferred and in what quantities.
We prepare a tailored document checklist. We then perform critical KYC pre-alignment — verifying your current data matches RTA records exactly. This step prevents the most common cause of IEPF claim rejection.
We prepare the IEPF-5 form with complete accuracy, coordinate DSC procurement if required, and prepare the Indemnity Bond and Advance Receipt.
Submission is done under expert supervision. A Service Request Number (SRN) is generated as your unique claim reference. Physical document submission to the company’s Nodal Officer is coordinated simultaneously.
We track your claim through company verification, IEPF Authority verification, and MCA approval stages — providing regular status updates throughout.
3–9 months depending on whether IEPF transfer has occurred
KYC mismatch / incorrect Nodal Officer details
For legal heirs of deceased shareholders whose assets have been transferred to IEPF. This requires both the transmission documentation and the IEPF-5 filing — a combined process we manage end to end.
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We cross-check the MCA IEPF portal, RTA records, and company websites to confirm which shares and dividend amounts have been transferred and in what quantities.
We prepare a tailored document checklist. We then perform critical KYC pre-alignment — verifying your current data matches RTA records exactly. This step prevents the most common cause of IEPF claim rejection.
We prepare the IEPF-5 form with complete accuracy, coordinate DSC procurement if required, and prepare the Indemnity Bond and Advance Receipt.
Submission is done under expert supervision. A Service Request Number (SRN) is generated as your unique claim reference. Physical document submission to the company’s Nodal Officer is coordinated simultaneously.
We track your claim through company verification, IEPF Authority verification, and MCA approval stages — providing regular status updates throughout.
8–14 months for complex heir cases
Legal heir certificate or succession certificate
NRI share and investment recovery covers a wide range of situations. Identify your scenario below to understand the specific process and documentation that applies to your case.
You purchased shares in Indian companies before or after moving abroad — during an IPO, through a broker, or through an NRI investment account. Dividends have stopped arriving. You have been unable to update your bank mandate or address with the RTA from abroad. Some or all of the shares may have been transferred to IEPF.
What you need:
Typical Timeline: 6–12 months for IEPF recovery component
Your parent or grandparent held shares in India — purchased during the 1980s or 1990s IPO era — and has since passed away. You have discovered the shareholding during estate settlement. The shares may be in physical certificate form. Dividends may have been transferred to IEPF. You are the legal heir but have no idea how to proceed from abroad.
What you need:
Typical Timeline: 9–18 months depending on complexity
A more complex scenario where both the original shareholder and the claiming heir are or were NRIs. Additional FEMA compliance requirements apply, and documents from multiple overseas jurisdictions may be involved.
What you need:
Typical Timeline: 12–18 months
You have physical share certificates in India — in your name or inherited — that need to be dematerialised before they can be sold or transferred. You are unable to coordinate with the RTA from abroad.
What you need:
Typical Timeline: 3–6 months
You attempted to file an IEPF-5 claim independently — or through a non-specialist CA — and received a rejection notice. The rejection may be due to KYC mismatch, incorrect Nodal Officer details, FEMA compliance errors, or documentation issues specific to NRI claims.
What you need:
Typical Timeline: 7–12 months from corrected refiling
You hold an OCI (Overseas Citizen of India) card and are uncertain whether your OCI status affects your right to hold or recover Indian shares. The answer is that OCI holders have the same rights as NRIs for most investment purposes — but specific documentation requirements differ.
What you need:
Typical Timeline: Same as standard NRI recovery based on case type
All documents executed abroad for use in Indian legal and regulatory proceedings must be authenticated. The method of authentication depends on the country where the document is executed. Here is a reference for the most common countries we serve.
Authentication method: Apostille
Apostille authority: Secretary of State of the relevant US state
Notarisation required: Yes — before apostille
Documents commonly apostilled: Affidavit, indemnity bond, power of attorney, succession documents
Additional notes:
NRI bank account: NRO or NRE account with an Indian bank
Repatriation: Permitted via NRO account with FEMA compliance
Authentication method: Apostille
Apostille authority: Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO)
Notarisation required: Yes — before apostille
Documents commonly apostilled: Affidavit, power of attorney, succession documents
Additional notes:
NRI bank account: NRO or NRE account with an Indian bank
Authentication method: Apostille
Apostille authority: Global Affairs Canada (federal documents) or provincial authority
Notarisation required: Yes — before apostille
Documents commonly apostilled: Affidavit, power of attorney, indemnity bond
Additional notes:
NRI bank account: NRO or NRE account with an Indian bank
Authentication method: Attestation (UAE is an apostille member since 2021)
Authority: UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MOFAIC)
Notarisation required: Yes — before attestation
Documents commonly attested: Affidavit, power of attorney, succession documents
Additional notes:
NRI bank account: NRO or NRE account with an Indian bank
Authentication method: Apostille
Apostille authority: Singapore Academy of Law
Notarisation required: Yes — by a Singapore notary public before apostille
Documents commonly apostilled: Affidavit, power of attorney, indemnity bond
Additional notes:
NRI bank account: NRO or NRE account with an Indian bank
Authentication method: Apostille
Apostille authority: Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT)
Notarisation required: Yes — by a Justice of the Peace or notary public before apostille
Documents commonly apostilled: Affidavit, power of attorney, indemnity bond
Additional notes:
NRI bank account: NRO or NRE account with an Indian bank
We serve NRI clients in 20+ countries. For countries not listed above — including Gulf countries, European Union member states, New Zealand, Malaysia, and others — contact us for country-specific apostille and authentication guidance.
The Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) governs all cross-border financial transactions involving India — including the holding, transfer, and repatriation of Indian securities by Non-Resident Indians. Understanding the FEMA framework is essential for NRI share recovery — particularly for dividend repatriation after recovery.
NRIs are permitted to hold Indian securities — shares, debentures, and other listed instruments — subject to applicable regulations under FEMA and the RBI's Master Directions on Foreign Investment. Shares acquired as a resident Indian before becoming an NRI can generally continue to be held on a non-repatriable basis through an NRO account.
NRO Account (Non-Resident Ordinary):
For income earned in India — including dividends, rental income, and other Indian-source income. Dividend recovery amounts are credited to NRO accounts. Repatriation from NRO accounts is permitted up to USD 1 million per financial year subject to applicable taxes.
NRE Account (Non-Resident External):
For income earned abroad — remittances from overseas. NRE accounts are freely repatriable. Dividends from shares held on a repatriable basis can be credited to NRE accounts — subject to the original investment having been made on a repatriable basis.
For most NRI share recovery cases — particularly inheritance cases — an NRO account is the appropriate account for dividend credit. We advise on the correct account structure for your specific case.
When recovered dividend amounts are to be repatriated from an NRO account to a foreign bank account, a FEMA declaration must be submitted to the bank — confirming the source of the funds and their eligibility for repatriation. We prepare the FEMA declaration as part of our standard NRI recovery process.
Dividends credited to NRI shareholders are subject to Tax Deducted at Source (TDS) under the Income Tax Act — at a rate that depends on whether the NRI's country of residence has a Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) with India. We advise on applicable TDS rates and DTAA benefits for your country of residence — and guide you on the tax implications of recovered dividend amounts.
A clear, structured process managed entirely by our team — from certificate verification to demat account credit.
We conduct the initial consultation via WhatsApp, email, or video call — at a time convenient for your time zone. We check the MCA IEPF portal, RTA records, and company-level databases to identify all recoverable assets. We give you a complete picture of what is recoverable, the documentation required, and the realistic timeline — at no charge.
Communication channels: WhatsApp · Email · Video Call (Zoom / Google Meet)
Time zones served: All international time zones
We prepare a consolidated recovery plan covering all identified assets. We provide country-specific guidance on apostille requirements for your documents — including the exact apostille authority, the notarisation requirements, and the sequence in which documents should be executed and authenticated.
We issue a complete document checklist — with clear instructions on which documents must be executed in your country of residence, which must be apostilled, and which can be provided in simple copy form.
You execute the required documents — affidavit, power of attorney, indemnity bond — with a local notary public and obtain apostille from the relevant authority in your country. We provide the exact text and format for all documents to ensure they meet Indian requirements precisely.
We are available throughout this stage to answer queries and review document drafts before they are executed — preventing costly re-execution due to format errors.
Executed and apostilled documents are dispatched to our Delhi office via international courier — DHL, FedEx, or equivalent. We advise on correct addressing, customs declarations, and any courier-specific requirements for document shipment to India.
We acknowledge receipt of all documents and verify their completeness and authenticity before proceeding.
All Indian-side processing — KYC corrections with RTA, IEPF-5 filing on MCA21, physical submission to Nodal Officer, RTA transmission submission, court coordination for succession certificates — is managed entirely by our team in India. You receive regular updates at each milestone via WhatsApp or email.
Recovered shares are credited to your NRI demat account. Recovered dividend amounts are credited to your NRO account. We verify all credits, provide complete documentation, and advise on the FEMA declaration process for repatriation of dividend amounts to your overseas bank account.
| Process Stage | Estimated Timeline |
|---|---|
| Remote Consultation & Asset Tracing | 3–5 days |
| Document Guidance & Checklist | 3–7 days |
| Document Execution & Apostille (NRI) | 2–6 weeks (country-dependent) |
| Document Dispatch to India | 3–7 days (international courier) |
| KYC Correction with RTA (if required) | 7–21 working days |
| IEPF-5 Filing to Nodal Officer | 1–2 weeks after KYC clearance |
| Nodal Officer Verification | 30–120 days |
| IEPF Authority Review | 60–90 days |
| Credit After Approval | 2–4 weeks |
| Direct NRI Claimant (IEPF) | 8–14 months |
| NRI Legal Heir (with succession) | 12–18 months |
| Physical Share Demat Only | 3–5 months |
The exact documents depend on your specific case type and country of residence. Your case manager will provide a personalised, country-specific checklist after the free consultation.
All Cases
Additional Documents
Our NRI recovery process is not a resident Indian process with some additional steps added. It is designed from the ground up for remote delivery — with country-specific apostille guidance, remote document review, international courier coordination, and time-zone-aware communication built in as standard. Every step works without an India visit.
Apostille and document authentication requirements vary significantly by country. UAE, USA, UK, Canada, Singapore, and Australia all have different authorities, different processes, and different timelines. We provide country-specific guidance — not generic advice — so your documents are executed and authenticated correctly the first time.
Many NRI clients discover FEMA compliance requirements only after their recovery is complete — and then face difficulty repatriating their recovered dividend amounts. We address FEMA compliance upfront — advising on the correct account structure, preparing FEMA declarations, and guiding you on TDS and DTAA implications — before recovery begins.
RTA submissions, KYC corrections, IEPF portal filing, physical document dispatch to Nodal Officers, succession certificate court coordination, follow-up with government authorities — all managed by our team in India. Your involvement is limited to executing documents at your end and receiving updates from us.
Many NRI clients come to us knowing about one certificate or one company. We check the MCA IEPF portal by PAN, cross-reference RTA records, and identify all recoverable assets across all companies — including assets the client was not aware of. We recover everything that is recoverable — not just what was initially identified.
Our case managers are available via WhatsApp, email, and scheduled video call. For NRI clients in time zones significantly different from India — USA, Canada, Australia — we schedule consultations and update calls at times convenient for the client. You are never required to be available during Indian business hours for consultations.
Yes. In the vast majority of cases, NRI share and investment recovery can be completed entirely remotely. We manage all Indian-side processes — RTA submissions, IEPF filings, government coordination, and court proceedings for succession certificates — on your behalf. Your involvement is limited to executing documents at your end and dispatching them to us by international courier.
Yes. As a legal heir, you have the right to claim your deceased parent’s Indian shares — whether they are in physical certificate form, in a demat account, or have been transferred to IEPF. The process requires succession documentation establishing your legal right, share transmission, and an IEPF-5 claim where applicable. We manage the entire process remotely.
Yes. OCI card holders have the same rights as NRIs for most investment and inheritance purposes under Indian law. Your OCI card is accepted as identity proof for RTA submissions, IEPF claims, and court proceedings. We have extensive experience with OCI card holder cases and can guide you through the specific requirements.
An apostille is an official authentication stamp or certificate that verifies the authenticity of a document — such as an affidavit or power of attorney — so that it can be legally recognised in another country. Under the Hague Apostille Convention, documents apostilled in one member country are accepted by all other member countries without further authentication. India is a member of this convention. Documents you execute abroad — for use in Indian legal and regulatory proceedings — must be apostilled by the relevant authority in your country of residence.
A Power of Attorney (POA) is required in many NRI cases — particularly for IEPF filings where the portal requires the claimant’s personal involvement, or for court proceedings where a representative must appear on your behalf. We advise whether a POA is required for your specific case and provide the exact POA text that meets Indian legal requirements. The POA must be executed before a notary and apostilled in your country of residence.
Recovered dividend amounts are credited to your NRO (Non-Resident Ordinary) bank account with an Indian bank. From the NRO account, funds can be repatriated to your overseas bank account — up to USD 1 million per financial year — subject to applicable TDS and FEMA compliance requirements. We advise on the NRO account setup and FEMA declaration process as part of our standard NRI recovery service.
Yes. Dividends credited to NRI shareholders are subject to Tax Deducted at Source (TDS) at rates that depend on whether your country of residence has a Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) with India. The standard TDS rate for NRIs is 20% — but DTAA rates may be lower depending on the country. We advise on applicable DTAA benefits and the process for claiming lower TDS rates where applicable.
For a direct NRI claimant with an IEPF component: 8 to 14 months. For an NRI legal heir case with succession documentation: 12 to 18 months. For physical share dematerialisation without an IEPF component: 3 to 5 months. Timelines depend on apostille processing times in the country of residence, RTA processing timelines, and government processing timelines in India.
Yes. We review the rejection reason in detail — whether it is a KYC mismatch, FEMA compliance error, incorrect Nodal Officer details, or NRI-specific documentation issue — correct all errors, and refile with our full pre-submission checklist applied. Refiling for cases rejected due to errors within our control is at no additional charge.
Our fees are case-specific and depend on the complexity, the number of assets involved, and whether succession documentation is required. For many cases we operate on a success-fee model — you pay only when recovery is completed. All fees are disclosed in writing before we begin any work. International courier and apostille costs are borne by the client as direct government and courier charges — separate from our professional fees.
Distance is not a barrier to recovering what belongs to you. Our NRI recovery specialists manage the entire process in India on your behalf — from asset tracing to final credit confirmation. Start with a free remote consultation and get a complete recovery plan within 2 business hours.