The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has recently simplified the re-KYC process for Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) by eliminating the requirement for their physical presence in India during digital verification. This change aims to improve accessibility and streamline the re-KYC process for NRIs.
In a circular issued on Wednesday, SEBI stated that it has adjusted existing provisions to facilitate easier re-KYC access for NRIs following requests from various stakeholders. The modification allows existing clients to undergo re-KYC from abroad, without needing to be physically located in India during digital onboarding.
Re-KYC, which stands for “Re-Know Your Customer,” involves updating or revalidating a customer’s KYC information with financial institutions. While digital onboarding for new clients still mandates that they be located in India, existing NRI clients can now complete re-KYC processes remotely.
The digital KYC applications must employ security measures such as random prompts, time-stamping, and geo-tagging to ensure genuine interaction. Furthermore, the app is required to verify that the GPS location corresponds to the country indicated in the client’s address proof and must block any connections that could be identified as spoofed IPs.
This initiative is part of SEBI’s broader effort to adapt regulatory processes in response to the needs of stakeholders and improve the efficiency of customer verification procedures.
The announcement was made public on December 10, 2025.
