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How NRIs Can Invest in US Stocks: LRS, Brokers, and Tax

By Aayush Jain·Reviewed May 8, 2026·9 min read

For NRIs living in the US, UK, UAE, or Australia, investing in US stocks is typically done through local brokers (IBKR, Schwab, or Fidelity) using local income — no LRS involved. For NRIs who want to invest from India-held NRE funds in US stocks, the LRS route applies. This guide covers both scenarios.

Investing from your country of residence

If you're an NRI living in the US, UK, UAE, Singapore, or Australia, you can invest in US stocks through any local broker using your foreign income. This is the simplest route — there's no RBI/LRS involvement, and tax treatment follows your country of residence. IBKR is typically the lowest-cost option for non-US NRIs buying US stocks.

Investing from India under LRS

Indian residents (including NRIs temporarily residing in India) can invest up to $250,000/year in foreign securities under LRS. The process: open an account with an Indian bank's international investment arm (ICICI Direct International, HDFC Securities Global), or wire funds under LRS to a foreign broker like IBKR. The 20% TCS applies on remittances above ₹7 lakh/year for investment purposes.


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