India urges nomads to cut non-essential travel while LRS limits stay at $250,000

India keeps foreign-travel curbs voluntary for now

Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged Indians on May 10 to cut back on non-essential overseas trips, gold buys and fuel use to conserve foreign exchange reserves, but the government hasn't imposed any formal limits. Officials later said the appeal was about "wise spending," not austerity and no changes were proposed for international card use or the Liberalized Remittance Scheme.

Who the appeal affects

The message is aimed mainly at Indian residents who send money abroad, book discretionary trips or use foreign exchange for travel and investments. That includes digital nomads funding living costs overseas, expats using the remittance route and travelers who rely on forex cards.

The Liberalized Remittance Scheme still allows up to $250,000 per person each fiscal year, with the same reporting rules in place. RBI data shows outward remittances under the scheme fell 2.3% year over year to $26.4 billion in the April 2025 to February 2026 period, though travel wasn't the main driver.

What travelers and remitters should do now

There’s no new filing step or fee change and no ban on foreign travel. Still, Indians planning non-essential trips or large overseas transfers may want to keep an eye on bank guidance, since the government has asked households to trim discretionary spending for about a year.

For now, forex rules for travel and remittances stay in place, including the usual PAN and purpose checks and existing tax collection at source rules on some overseas spending. Read our full India guide for the complete picture.