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Sending Money to India from a Chinese Bank

The bank-counter procedure for transferring money from China to India, the documents to bring, and the checks that stop a rejected application.

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No published figure yet. The authority does not publish this cost in a form we could verify and quote, so this guide covers the procedure only: what to bring, in what order, and where it goes wrong. We will add the figures the moment there is a source for them.

In order

  1. Confirm your bank sends money to India — Call your bank and ask which branch handles outward remittances to India before you travel to one.
  2. Collect the beneficiary details in writing — Get the exact account name, account number, branch and SWIFT code from the recipient in India.
  3. Check your own documents — Make sure your passport and residence permit are valid and that the names match your bank account.
  4. Ask the bank what it wants as proof of purpose — Find out in advance which document the branch will accept for your kind of transfer.
  5. Attend the branch with everything — Bring your passport, residence permit, bank card or passbook, beneficiary details and the purpose document.
  6. Read the application form before signing — Check the beneficiary name, account number, SWIFT code and currency, then sign.
  7. Keep the receipt — The receipt holds the reference you will need for any follow-up.
  8. Answer any query from the bank promptly — An unanswered question leaves the transfer unfinished, so respond when the branch contacts you.

A bank transfer from China to India is handled at the counter of your Chinese bank, not online, and it is judged on paperwork before it is judged on anything else. The steps below are the order a branch normally works in. Nothing here is legal, tax or immigration advice, and no figure in this guide is quoted because none could be verified against a source.

Before you go to the branch

Confirm with your own bank that it handles outward remittances to India and which of its branches does. Not every branch processes foreign currency sends, and being sent to another branch wastes a trip. Ask what the receiving bank in India needs on its side: the exact account name, account number, the bank’s branch details and its SWIFT code. A single mismatch in the beneficiary name is a common reason a transfer is returned. Check that your passport and your Chinese residence permit are both valid and that the names on them match the name on your bank account. If you have changed address or employer since the account was opened, update the bank record first.

Documents to carry

Bring your passport, your residence permit and the bank card or passbook for the account you are sending from. Bring the beneficiary details written out, not stored only on your phone. Bring the document that explains why the money is moving. For a family transfer that is normally a relationship document; for a payment for goods or services it is the contract or invoice. The bank decides what it will accept, so ask before the visit rather than argue at the counter. If the money is yours and already in the account, say so plainly and be ready to show where it came from. Banks ask about the source of funds, and a vague answer stalls the application.

At the counter

Tell the clerk you want an outward remittance to India and hand over the documents together. The clerk will complete the application form with you and will ask you to sign it. Read the form before signing. Check the beneficiary name, the account number, the SWIFT code and the currency. Once signed, corrections usually mean starting again. Ask for the receipt and keep it. It carries the reference you will need for every later question.

After you leave the branch

The transfer is not finished when you walk out. It passes through checks at your bank and then through the receiving bank, and either can come back with a question. Watch for calls from the branch and answer them. An unanswered query is treated as an unfinished application, and the money sits where it is until you respond. Tell the recipient in India to expect the funds and to check with their own bank if nothing appears. Ask them to confirm the amount that actually arrives, because charges taken along the route are deducted before the money lands.

If the transfer is refused or returned

Ask the branch which document or which detail caused the problem, and write the answer down. The same application can usually be resubmitted once that point is fixed. If the money is returned, confirm with the branch that it has reached your account again and check the amount, since charges may still have been taken. Keep every receipt and form from the failed attempt. They are what you show when you resubmit.

Confirm before you act

Fees and processing times change. This page was checked on 2026-10-31; confirm the current rule with the authority named in each source above before you rely on a deadline.

Last checked 2026-10-31, next review 2027-04-29. Every figure above names its source and the date it was read. This page is a guide, not legal, tax or immigration advice — confirm with the authority before acting on a deadline.

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