# FLA Return Due Date for FY 2025-26 (15 July 2026) and Late Filing

> Source: https://krystal7.com/insights/fla-return-due-date-fy-2025-26
> Publisher: Krystal7 Consultants (Krystal7 Innovations Private Limited), Gurugram, India
> Author: CA Nandini
> Published: 16 May 2026; updated 01 Oct 2026
> Summary: RBI's FLA FAQ, updated 1 July 2026, sets 15 July 2026 as the FY 2025-26 due date, and we found no RBI notice extending it to 31 July.

*Written by CA Nandini, Krystal7 Consultants. Last updated 1 October 2026.*

**The FLA return for FY 2025-26 was due on 15 July 2026. RBI updated its FAQ on the Annual Return on Foreign Liabilities and Assets on 1 July 2026. The FAQ says entities must file by 15 July of the reporting year, on audited or unaudited figures. We found no RBI notification, circular or press release extending that date to 31 July 2026. The FY 2026-27 return is due by 15 July 2027.**

This page covers the due date and the 31 July reports. It also covers late filing, who must file, and how to file on the FLAIR portal.

## What is the FLA return due date for FY 2025-26?

15 July 2026. Question 2 of RBI's FLA FAQ (updated 1 July 2026) sets the date. Entities must file the return "by July 15 of reporting year based on the entity's audited or unaudited financials". The reporting year for FY 2025-26 figures is 2026, so the date was 15 July 2026.

| Return | Balance sheet date | Due date | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| FLA for FY 2025-26 | 31 March 2026 | 15 July 2026 | RBI FLA FAQ, question 2, updated 1 July 2026 |
| FLA for FY 2026-27 | 31 March 2027 | 15 July 2027 | Same FAQ: 15 July of each reporting year |

The date is the same each year. Plan the FY 2026-27 return for 15 July 2027, on provisional figures if the audit is not finished.

## Was the FLA due date extended to 31 July 2026?

We found no extension on rbi.org.in. Some practitioner blogs and social media posts said RBI moved the FY 2025-26 date to 31 July 2026. They cited a notice on the FLAIR portal. On 1 October 2026 we searched rbi.org.in, including the FLA FAQ, press releases, FEMA notifications and A.P. (DIR Series) circulars. None of them sets 31 July.

The FLA FAQ, updated on 1 July 2026, still says 15 July. We could not open notices inside the FLAIR portal from outside, so we cannot rule out a portal message. Treat 15 July 2026 as the due date. If your entity received a written RBI or FLAIR message giving more time, keep it with the filing acknowledgement.

| Claim | What we found on rbi.org.in | Our reading |
|---|---|---|
| Due date of 15 July 2026 | FLA FAQ, question 2, updated 1 July 2026 | Official date |
| Extension to 31 July 2026 | No notification, circular, press release or FAQ change found | Not supported by a published RBI document |

## What should you do if you filed the FLA return after 15 July 2026?

Treat the return as late and regularise it with the RBI. Question 3 of the FAQ treats non filing by the due date as "a violation of FEMA". It adds that the "penalty clause may be invoked for such violation". Question 9 tells you to contact the Foreign Exchange Department (FED) of the RBI Regional Office to pay the Late Submission Fee (LSF).

The LSF for FLA returns sits in row 1 of the matrix in A.P. (DIR Series) Circular No. 16 dated 30 September 2022. It is a flat INR 7,500 for each late return. The circular makes the LSF option available up to three years from the due date.

| Situation | What RBI says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Return not filed by 15 July | Violation of FEMA; the penalty clause may be invoked | FLA FAQ, question 3 |
| Return filed late, within three years of the due date | LSF of INR 7,500 per return | Circular No. 16 of 2022, matrix row 1 |
| How to pay the LSF | Contact FED of the Regional Office with jurisdiction over the registered office | FLA FAQ, question 9 |
| Return for an earlier year never filed | File it after taking approval from the RBI | FLA FAQ, question 8 |
| Revised return after the audit | Request permission on FLAIR; no revision without approval | FLA FAQ, questions 6 and 10 |

If you filed between 16 and 31 July 2026 on the strength of the 31 July reports, the return is late against RBI's published date. Take these steps:

1. File the return on FLAIR now if you have not filed it yet.
2. Write to FED at the RBI Regional Office that covers your registered office, and ask how to pay the LSF.
3. Pay the LSF of INR 7,500 when FED confirms the amount.
4. Keep the FLAIR acknowledgement, the LSF payment record and any RBI letter on the entity's FEMA file.

Compounding under section 15 of FEMA is RBI's general process to settle a contravention. Our [FEMA compounding guide](/insights/fema-compounding-application-a-complete-guide-to-resolving-fema-contraventions-in-2026) explains how it works.

## Who must file the FLA return?

Indian companies, LLPs and other entities that have received foreign direct investment or made direct investment abroad. Question 1 of the FAQ names companies and LLPs, and also covers others such as SEBI registered AIFs and public private partnerships. The obligation follows the outstanding investment, not fresh money in the year.

Question 11 gives the exemption. An entity need not file if it has no outstanding inward or outward FDI as on end March "of reporting year and/or previous year". A subsidiary that received its share capital from a foreign parent years ago still files every July while that investment is outstanding.

If your entity received FDI during the year, the FLA return sits alongside the FC-GPR filing you made at allotment. Both feed the RBI's picture of your [FEMA compliance](/services/fema-compliances.html) position.

## Can you file the FLA return on unaudited figures?

Yes. Question 2 of the FAQ allows audited or unaudited financials, and question 6 lets you file on provisional figures within the due date. Waiting for the audit is not a reason to miss 15 July.

When the audited accounts are ready, raise a request on FLAIR for permission to submit a revised return. Question 10 says an entity cannot file a revised FLA return without that approval.

| Stage | What you file | When |
|---|---|---|
| Accounts not audited by 15 July | FLA return on provisional figures | By 15 July |
| Audit finished and figures differ | Request permission on FLAIR, then the revised return | As soon as the audited accounts are ready |

## How do you file the FLA return on FLAIR?

FLAIR is the RBI's online system for the FLA return, at flair.rbi.org.in. Here is the routine we follow.

1. Register the entity if it has no FLAIR login. Use "Registration for New Entity Users" and upload the Verification Letter and the Authority Letter that the FLAIR FAQ describes.
2. Collect the balance sheet as at 31 March, audited or provisional, with foreign shareholding, any loans from the parent and any overseas investments.
3. Complete the return on FLAIR: entity profile, foreign liabilities (equity and debt owed to non residents), foreign assets and the year's movements.
4. Validate and submit the return, then save the acknowledgement.
5. Request permission on FLAIR to revise the return if the audited accounts change the numbers.

## How does the FLA return fit with other FEMA filings?

The FLA return is the annual leg of the FEMA calendar for a foreign owned entity. FC-GPR falls due within 30 days of any share allotment to a foreign investor, under regulation 4(1) of FEMA 395/2019-RB. FC-TRS falls due within 60 days of a transfer between a resident and a non resident, under regulation 4(3). The clock starts on the transfer or the receipt of funds, whichever is earlier. The FLA return follows every 15 July.

Entities that set up recently can see the full sequence in our [foreign subsidiary registration guide](/insights/foreign-subsidiary-registration-in-india). If the calendar keeps slipping internally, a managed [compliance retainer](/services/compliance-company.html) takes the FEMA dates off your team.

If your entity filed late or has not filed for FY 2025-26, [book a discovery call](/contact). We will file on FLAIR and handle the LSF request.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Has the FLA return due date been extended for 2026?

We found no extension on rbi.org.in. RBI's FLA FAQ, updated on 1 July 2026, gives 15 July 2026 for the FY 2025-26 return. Reports of a 31 July 2026 date cite the FLAIR portal, but no RBI notification, circular or press release confirms it.

### What is the FLA due date for FY 2025-26?

15 July 2026. Question 2 of RBI's FLA FAQ requires the return by 15 July of the reporting year, on audited or unaudited figures. A return filed on 16 July 2026 or later is late against that date.

### What is the FLA return due date for FY 2026-27?

15 July 2027. The FAQ fixes 15 July of each reporting year. So the return on the balance sheet as at 31 March 2027 falls due then. File on provisional figures if the audit is not complete.

### What should I do if I filed the FLA return after 15 July 2026?

Contact the Foreign Exchange Department of the RBI Regional Office that covers your registered office and pay the Late Submission Fee. Question 9 of the FLA FAQ gives that route. Keep the FLAIR acknowledgement and the fee receipt on file.

### What is the late submission fee for an FLA return?

INR 7,500 per late return. A.P. (DIR Series) Circular No. 16 of 30 September 2022 lists FLA returns in row 1 of its LSF matrix with a flat INR 7,500. The LSF option is available up to three years from the due date.

### Is late filing of the FLA return a FEMA violation?

Yes. Question 3 of RBI's FLA FAQ says non filing by the due date is a violation of FEMA and the penalty clause may be invoked. The Late Submission Fee under Circular No. 16 of 2022 is the route RBI gives for a delayed return.

### Can I file the FLA return with unaudited figures?

Yes. Questions 2 and 6 of the FLA FAQ allow provisional or unaudited figures within the due date. Once audited accounts are ready, request permission on FLAIR and file a revised return. Without that approval you cannot revise.

### Who has to file the FLA return?

Indian companies, LLPs and other entities such as SEBI registered AIFs that have received FDI or made direct investment abroad. The duty continues every year while the investment is outstanding, even with no fresh investment during the year.

### Who does not need to file the FLA return?

Question 11 of the FAQ gives the exemption. An entity with no outstanding inward or outward FDI at end March of the reporting year and/or the previous year need not file. An entity that still holds foreign equity on its books files every year.

### Can I file an FLA return for an earlier year I missed?

Yes. Question 8 of the FLA FAQ lets an entity file for previous years after taking approval from the RBI. Ask FED at your Regional Office about the Late Submission Fee for each late year.

## Sources

- Reserve Bank of India, FAQs on the Annual Return on Foreign Liabilities and Assets (FLA) under FEMA, 1999, updated 1 July 2026, read 1 October 2026, https://www.rbi.org.in/commonman/english/Scripts/FAQs.aspx?Id=1171
- Reserve Bank of India, FAQs on Foreign Liabilities and Assets Information Reporting (FLAIR), Online Web Based Reporting System, 25 March 2026, https://www.rbi.org.in/commonperson/english/scripts/FAQs.aspx?Id=3897
- Reserve Bank of India, A.P. (DIR Series) Circular No. 16, Late Submission Fee for reporting delays under FEMA, 30 September 2022, https://rbi.org.in/Scripts/NotificationUser.aspx?Id=12393&Mode=0
- Reserve Bank of India, site search for FLAIR and FLA notices, read 1 October 2026, https://rbi.org.in/scripts/SearchResults.aspx?search=FLAIR
- Reserve Bank of India, FLAIR portal, https://flair.rbi.org.in/

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