Most families who move smoothly start planning 12–18 months out. Working backwards from a target date, you typically sequence when to exit your US job around the tax year, what happens to 401(k)s, IRAs and bank accounts, which schools in India to target since admissions cycles close early, and where to live — renting first is the safer route for most. Closer to the date comes the practical layer: school transcripts and vaccination records, shipping under transfer-of-residence rules, insurance transitions, and the long list of move-out tasks people consistently underestimate. A phased checklist works far better than treating it as one giant decision.

The structure is similar to any return to India — timeline, finances, schools, housing — with a few UK-specific layers. The UK tax year ends on 5 April, so your departure date affects what you owe on both sides; you'll also want to decide what to do with workplace pensions, whether to keep paying voluntary National Insurance, and which UK bank account to keep open for refunds and straggling payments. On the India side, the priorities are universal: school admission timelines, renting before buying, and paperwork such as PAN, Aadhaar and school leaving certificates.

Since Canada's tax year matches the calendar year, many families wrap up employment and tax matters between January and April and time the move so children start the Indian school year on schedule. Understand what happens to RRSPs, TFSAs and brokerage accounts when you become a non-resident of Canada, and keep a Canadian account open for a year or so. Collect transcripts, birth certificates and immunisation records early, because Indian school applications ask for all three. The biggest regrets usually come from rushing the financial and schooling decisions, not the packing.

NRI status isn't something you apply for — it follows from the number of days you spend in India. Broadly, for income tax purposes you are a non-resident if you stay in India for fewer than 182 days in a financial year, with additional conditions for people with higher Indian income. Banking rules assess residency a bit differently, so the term can mean slightly different things in taxation versus banking. Your status decides which accounts you can hold and how your income is taxed, so it's best understood before the move rather than after.

An NRI — Non-Resident Indian — is an Indian citizen who lives abroad for an extended period for work, business or study. NRIs remain Indian citizens on Indian passports, which makes them different from OCI cardholders, who are foreign citizens of Indian origin. For families planning a return, the label matters practically because it determines your banking, investment and tax treatment in India right up until the day you move back for good.

Once you qualify as an NRI, resident savings accounts must be converted — typically into an NRO account for income earned in India such as rent or dividends, and an NRE account for earnings abroad, which is fully repatriable with tax-free interest in India. Fixed deposits can be held as FCNR deposits in foreign currency. Running a resident account while non-resident creates compliance trouble, and the conversions when you return permanently have their own sequence, so it helps to plan account changes around the move rather than mid-year.

NRI investing in India generally runs through your NRE and NRO accounts: fixed deposits, mutual funds, and stocks, which usually require a PIS-enabled trading account. You can buy residential or commercial property, but not agricultural land, plantations or farmhouses. One thing that surprises families in the US and Canada: some Indian mutual funds and brokers restrict investors living there because of local regulations, so check eligibility before building a plan around specific products. Your options also widen once you return and become a resident, so treat the NRI-phase portfolio as transitional.

"NRI tax" isn't a separate tax — it's simply how India's income tax rules apply to people classified as non-resident. As an NRI you're taxed in India on income earned or received here: rent from property, interest, capital gains from selling Indian shares or property, and salary for work done in India. Money earned and held abroad generally isn't taxable in India while you remain non-resident. Since tax is often deducted at source on NRI income, filing a return to claim refunds is very common.

There's no separate slab structure for non-residents — the same slab rates that apply to residents apply to NRIs on their taxable income in India. What differs is what gets included: while you're an NRI, only India-sourced income enters those slabs, and a few deductions and elections available to residents don't apply to non-residents. The year of return is the exception to plan for, because residential status is determined day-wise and many returning NRIs get a transition window before foreign income becomes taxable in India.

You may need to file a return in India even while filing abroad — rent, capital gains and NRI interest usually attract tax deducted at source, and claiming refunds is one of the most common reasons non-residents file. The correct form depends on your residency status and income heads, and non-residents face specific reporting requirements. Deadlines follow India's assessment-year calendar, and the split-status year of return is the one that trips people up most, so having a chartered accountant familiar with returning NRIs review at least that first year is a sensible move.

Double taxation is the single biggest worry in NRI taxation in India, and the honest answer is: usually not, but the year of return needs care. India taxes residents on global income while non-residents are taxed only on India-linked income, and many long-term NRIs qualify for a transition window after returning — known as RNOR status — during which foreign income stays outside Indian taxation. Where both countries could claim the same income, the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement between India and your previous country decides who taxes it. Mapping your dates against the financial year is worth doing before you pick a move date.

There's no single definition — in practice it means schools offering internationally recognised curricula such as the IB (PYP through Diploma Programme) or Cambridge (IGCSE and A Levels), sometimes alongside CBSE or ICSE. Many others simply use "international" in the name while teaching a national syllabus. Before shortlisting, check which board the school is actually affiliated to, how long it has run that curriculum, and teacher retention — those three tell you more than the word "international" ever will.

Most schools using the label follow one of three routes: the IB continuum (PYP, MYP and Diploma Programme), the Cambridge pathway (IGCSE followed by A Levels), or a national board such as CBSE or ICSE delivered in an international style. When parents search for the international school syllabus in India, what they usually need to compare is the board behind it — because that decides how easily a child transitions from a US, UK or Canadian school, and whether a later switch to a national board is smooth. Always confirm the exact affiliation rather than going by the school's name.

Fees vary enormously by city and board — from roughly ₹1–3 lakh a year at mid-tier schools in smaller cities to ₹10 lakh and above at premium international schools in Mumbai, Bengaluru and Delhi NCR, before one-time admission fees, transport, meals and activity charges. Compare the total annual cost rather than the headline tuition, and assume fees will rise each year. Schooling is one of the biggest line items in a return budget, so price the shortlisted schools in your target neighbourhoods before locking in housing.

Yes — the market has tiered considerably. Beyond the premium brand-name schools, most large cities now have mid-priced schools offering IB or Cambridge curricula that middle-class families can realistically plan for, and strong CBSE and ICSE schools often deliver better value depending on your child's long-term path. Because "international" is used loosely as a marketing term, judge each school on its actual board, faculty stability and total fees. This trade-off — international curriculum versus a strong national board — is one of the most common decisions returning parents work through.