Germany & India
Germany: tax, status and your return to India
Prepare your country-specific decisions before changing residence, moving assets or giving up a passport.
Sources checked 20 October 2026. Open each guide for evidence, exceptions and access limits. Not professionally reviewed.
Choose your next decision
Germany: Indian income, retained assets and exit taxation
Review worldwide income and departure gains before transferring investments or ending German residence.
Read the guide →Germany: settlement permits, EU long-term residence and citizenship
Review the legal permit category and departure purpose before a long absence.
Read the guide →Returning to India from Germany: Abmeldung, pension and retained investments
Close the administrative loop while preserving pension and tax records.
Read the guide →Keep three decisions separate
| Decision | What to check |
|---|---|
| Tax residence | Travel, homes, work, income sources and the relevant tax year. A PR card or passport does not settle tax residence. |
| Immigration permission | Your exact permit category, absence conditions, renewal and right to return. Do this before leaving. |
| Citizenship | Keeping a foreign passport while living in India is different from applying for Indian citizenship and renouncing another nationality. |
India-side routes: Indian passport, foreign passport with OCI, or citizenship application
Build your move file
Keep travel and residence records; tax returns and payment evidence; ownership, acquisition cost and income records for each asset; pension terms; permit and passport histories; and each family member’s identity documents. Separate salary, rent, interest, dividends, gains, business income, inheritance, gifts and pensions for the adviser review. Trusts, companies, cryptoassets and estates can need specialist treatment beyond these guides.
Indian bank account changes · Indian tax residence · Aadhaar for NRI and OCI applicants · Detailed return-from-Germany guide
Model a return budget · Retirement planner
Calculators model assumptions; they do not determine tax, treaty entitlement, pension transfer suitability or immigration eligibility.
Explore another country
All country guides · Search Germany guidance · Find your Indian mission