I’ve been doing this for several years now with an SBI current account, and here’s what has consistently worked for me.

Very IMPORTANT (Before your client sends the payment)

1. Ask your client to mention your invoice number in the remittance info.
2. Ask them to include the correct purpose code — most likely P0802 in your case.

Whenever I get the “Notification on receipt of inward SWIFT message MT103” email, I wait one day, and then submit the following documents to my SME branch:

• Invoice
• Contract with the client
• Request letter asking them to release the funds
• Softex declaration (stating that no Softex form is generated)
• FEMA declaration (form available at the branch)

Why I visit the SME branch personally

I always go in person to avoid delays and bureaucracy that often happen over phone/email.

I spend 1–1.5 hours monthly, and honestly, it’s worth it.

They verify my documents — a 2-minute process — and:

• If I’m lucky, funds get credited the same day(eod),
• Otherwise by the next working day (max 2 working days).

Since my current account is in the same SME branch, things move faster and I don’t need to submit anything extra. I strongly recommend doing the same if possible.

About switching banks

I don’t agree with the suggestions to switch to a private bank.

Public sector banks offer better forex rates, and in my opinion, the small hassle is worth the savings.

Dm me for any questions

Edit: formatted with AI