FIRA vs FIRC: what is the difference, and where does the e-BRC fit?

What is the difference between FIRA and FIRC?

Both show that foreign currency reached your Indian account. A FIRA is an advice — the document a bank or payment aggregator sends when it credits a foreign remittance, usually electronically. A FIRC (Foreign Inward Remittance Certificate) is a formal certificate. Since 20 June 2016, banks have not issued physical FIRCs for export-related remittances: for export proceeds (other than advance payments) a bank issues an electronic FIRC in EDPMS on request, and the physical certificate is now kept for inflows such as foreign direct investment. For a freelancer or service exporter, the remittance advice — or an e-FIRC if someone asks for one — is what you need.

Where does the e-BRC fit?

DGFT’s own FAQ describes the e-BRC as issued by DGFT to confirm that the exporter has received payment against an export of goods or services. Banks send DGFT an Inward Remittance Message (IRM) for each foreign remittance credited; the exporter then views those IRMs against their PAN on the DGFT portal and self-certifies an e-BRC against one or more of them. You cannot generate one without an IRM, and you need an IEC on the portal. Goods exporters need it for incentive claims; service exporters can generate one too when a scheme or buyer asks for it.

What does a FIRA show?

• Who sent the money, and from which country.
• The foreign-currency amount and the date it was credited.
• The exchange rate and the INR value.
• The RBI purpose code the payment was received under.
• A reference you can quote to the bank if anything needs correcting.

When will your CA ask for it?

• GST: each remittance advice backs the zero-rated export turnover in your returns, and supports a refund claim if you paid IGST. See GST on export of services.
• EDF and EDPMS: the bank matches the remittance to your Export Declaration Form and closes the export entry.
• Realisation: it is the evidence that the full invoice value arrived inside the 9-month realisation period.
• Audit and income tax: it shows the receipt was an export, paid in foreign exchange.

How do you get one?

1. Make sure the client pays under the right purpose code — the code on the advice should match the work on your invoice.
2. After the credit, download the advice from your bank’s or provider’s portal. Most issue it automatically.
3. If someone needs a certificate, ask your AD bank for an e-FIRC against that remittance.
4. If you need an e-BRC, log in to the DGFT portal with your IEC, find the bank’s IRM for that payment, and self-certify the e-BRC.
5. File the advice with the invoice it belongs to. One invoice, one advice — part-payments get one each.

What if your CA asks for a "FIRC"?

For export receipts since 2016, the remittance advice or an e-FIRC usually satisfies the request. Ask what they need it for — a GST refund, an audit file and an incentive claim want different documents, and the purpose decides which one fits.

On Payzoplus

For each settlement you get the bank’s payment advice (the FIRA) exactly as it was issued, and our own remittance advice, which ties the payment to its invoice, remitter, purpose code and exchange rate. We do not issue e-BRCs: those are generated on the DGFT platform from the data banks report. Both download from the settlement in your dashboard. See how a collection works, or the complete guide to receiving international payments in India.