How to Download FIRA from ICICI? A Step-by-Step Guide

Contents

What Is a FIRA?

Why Do You Need a FIRA?

How to Download FIRA from ICICI Bank?

FIRA vs FIRC vs eBRC: What Is the Difference?

How Does Skydo Help Receive International Payments?

How to Download FIRA from ICICI? A Step-by-Step Guide

Q: Who can issue a FIRC certificate?

A FIRC is issued by an Authorised Dealer bank involved in processing the inward remittance. ICICI says the relevant bank may be the beneficiary bank or the converting/processing bank. An ICICI account credit alone does not establish that ICICI handled the foreign-exchange leg. Ask ICICI to identify the issuing bank if another bank or payment platform handled the remittance.

Q: How to download transaction details from ICICI?

Retail users can go to Payments & Transfers → My Transactions → Wire Transactions → select account → Track My Wire to view the wire's status. Keep the sender's SWIFT or payment reference handy. To download a bank statement, go to Bank Accounts → e-Statements → View Detailed Statement, select the date range, and download. A bank statement is not a remittance certificate.

Q: What is FIRC in banking?

A FIRC (Foreign Inward Remittance Certificate) is a bank-issued certificate recording an inward remittance. ICICI’s current trade-remittance guidance says it issues FIRC for FDI/FII receipts upon specific request, and a Bank Inward Remittance Certificate (BIRC) for export proceeds and other remittance scenarios. FIRA means Foreign Inward Remittance Advice. These names should not be treated as interchangeable or assumed to share one download process.

CA Abhilove Sharda

22 October 2026

CA Abhilove Sharda22 October 2026

Receive international payments seamlessly while Skydo handles your FIRA documentation automatically.

TL;DR - Summary

What is a FIRA and what does it contain? - A FIRA records an inward remittance, including the sender, amount, exchange rate, and payment purpose, depending on the issuer's format.
Why do Indian freelancers and exporters need a FIRA? - It supports payment reconciliation, bookkeeping, and audits. GST refund and export reporting requirements depend on the transaction.
How do you download a FIRA from ICICI Bank? - Corporate users can download transaction advices through Trade One View. For export proceeds, request a Bank Inward Remittance Certificate (BIRC) from your branch or relationship manager. Retail users can track the wire in net banking, then request the appropriate certificate or statement from their branch.
How is a FIRA different from a FIRC and an eBRC? - A FIRA is a remittance advice; a FIRC is a bank certificate used where applicable; an eBRC records export proceeds for DGFT purposes. An eBRC does not itself close an EDPMS entry.

What Is a FIRA?

A Foreign Inward Remittance Advice (FIRA) is a document issued by an Authorised Dealer (AD) bank or cross-border payment platform confirming that a foreign currency payment was received in India from an overseas client.

Indian freelancers, IT consultants, service exporters, and global marketplace sellers use it as the primary record of their foreign earnings.

Say a Bengaluru-based software consultant receives $3,000 from a UK client. The FIRA is the document their bank issues to confirm that the payment landed, showing the amount, exchange rate, and purpose code.

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Check that your FIRA shows the correct Reserve Bank of India (RBI) purpose code. An incorrect code can complicate Goods and Services Tax (GST) refund checks or Export Data Processing and Monitoring System (EDPMS) reconciliation.

Why Do You Need a FIRA?

A FIRA helps you keep a record of overseas receipts. Its role depends on the payment and the compliance process:

Regulatory compliance: keep the FIRA with invoices and bank records as evidence of the receipt. It does not, by itself, establish compliance with every Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) requirement.
GST refunds: service-export refund claims need payment evidence such as Bank Realisation Certificates (BRCs) or Foreign Inward Remittance Certificates (FIRCs). Receipt may be in foreign currency or in rupees where RBI permits. A FIRA is not universally mandatory for goods-export refunds, though Rule 96B can require repayment if proceeds are not realized within the allowed period.
Income tax audits: a FIRA supports the audit trail for export revenue when read with invoices, contracts, and bank statements; it does not determine the payment's tax treatment on its own.
EDPMS: a FIRA can support your AD bank's reconciliation, but the bank must update or close the relevant EDPMS entry.
Client, auditor, and bank requests: these parties may request a FIRA or other remittance evidence for audit trails, compliance checks, or credit applications.

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How to Download FIRA from ICICI Bank?

To obtain inward remittance proof from ICICI Bank, first check which document you need. ICICI calls its certificate for export proceeds a Bank Inward Remittance Certificate (BIRC). Corporate users can download transaction advices and SWIFT copies through Trade One View; request a BIRC through your branch or relationship manager. Retail users can track the wire in net banking, then ask their branch for the appropriate certificate or statement. Follow the path that matches your banking access.

Path A: Business or Current Account Holders (Corporate Net Banking)

Go to the ICICI Bank homepage and log in via the Corporate banking portal (cibnext.icici.bank.in).
Log in using your Corporate ID, User ID, and Password, then open Trade Online. If it is not active, ICICI documents the activation path Corporate Internet Banking → Trade → Activate Trade Online. You can also ask your relationship manager to arrange registration.
Use Trade One View to download transaction advices and SWIFT copies. For the bank-issued certificate for export proceeds, contact your ICICI Bank branch or relationship manager and request a BIRC, quoting the remittance reference. Ask about charges and how the document will be delivered.

Path B: Freelancers and Savings Account Holders (Retail Net Banking)

Go to the ICICI Bank homepage and log in via the Personal and NRI portal (retailnetbanking.icici.bank.in/login-page).
Go to Payments & Transfers → My Transactions → Wire Transactions → select your account → Track My Wire to view the payment status or respond to a hold. Keep the sender's SWIFT or payment reference handy. Tracking a wire is separate from requesting a remittance certificate.
For the document itself, contact your ICICI Bank branch with the remittance reference and request the certificate or statement appropriate to your payment; for export proceeds, ask for a BIRC. ICICI publishes an Annexure-1 request form. Check with the branch whether it applies to your receipt, what charges apply, and how you will receive the document.

FIRA vs FIRC vs eBRC: What Is the Difference?

FIRA, FIRC, and eBRC are different records used for different purposes; exporters do not necessarily need all three. A FIRA records an inward remittance. Physical FIRCs are generally used for foreign direct investment (FDI) or foreign institutional investment (FII) receipts; electronic export-remittance records also exist. An electronic Bank Realisation Certificate (eBRC) links export proceeds to the relevant shipping bill or invoice on the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) portal. It does not itself close an EDPMS entry.

Document	Full Form	What It Proves	Who Issues It	Primary Use Case
FIRA	Foreign Inward Remittance Advice	That foreign money arrived in your account (amount, sender, purpose code, exchange rate)	Your AD Category-I bank or payment platform	General accounting, tax audits, and payment tracking for service exporters and freelancers
Physical FIRC	Foreign Inward Remittance Certificate	Legacy formal bank certificate for foreign receipts	Authorised Dealer (AD) Category-I bank (physical/legacy format)	Capital account transactions such as FDI or FII inflows - not routine export receipts
eBRC	Electronic Bank Realisation Certificate	Realised export proceeds linked to the relevant shipping bill or invoice, not EDPMS closure	Generated by the exporter on the DGFT Portal against bank-reported IRMs	Evidence of export realisation for applicable export benefits and tax claims

FIRA

What it is: a credit or advice slip confirming an international payment was credited, showing sender details, amount, exchange rate, and purpose code.
Post-2016 shift: RBI expanded EDPMS reporting in 2016. The Foreign Exchange Dealers' Association of India (FEDAI) discontinued physical FIRCs for export payments in favor of electronic remittance reporting; this did not make FIRA issuance automatic at every bank.
Who it suits: freelancers, IT consultants, and other exporters who need a record of inward remittances for audits and bookkeeping. Exporters may also need separate documents for DGFT benefits.

FIRC

Traditional format: the physical Foreign Inward Remittance Certificate (FIRC) is the formal paper certificate issued by AD Category-I banks.
Everyday usage: everyday speech still merges FIRA and FIRC, but physical trade FIRCs are rarely issued today for routine service or goods exports.
Physical certificates: physical FIRCs are generally issued for FDI/FII remittances. Export-remittance records may instead be electronic.
Proof of foreign currency receipt: a FIRC is a crucial document proving that money was received in a foreign currency. It is not a universal requirement for foreign-currency salaries or online-store receipts; the document available depends on the payment type and bank process.
Request contents: follow the bank's current request form. ICICI's Annexure-1 asks for beneficiary and remitter details, the credited account, transaction reference, amounts, purpose, and demand-draft details where applicable. Check with the bank whether that form applies to your receipt.
Issuer: contact the AD bank that processed the foreign remittance; it may not be the bank where your rupee account is held.

eBRC

What it is: a statutory digital certificate proving export proceeds have been received and linked to the relevant shipping bill, invoice, or software-export record.
How it's generated: your AD bank reports the incoming payment to the system as an Inward Remittance Message (IRM). You then log into the DGFT Portal to self-certify and generate the eBRC.
Revised format: from January 13, 2026, the eBRC format includes GST identification number (GSTIN), GST invoice number, and GST invoice date fields, and supports QR-code validation. GST invoice fields are conditional on the GST benefit selected.
Who needs it: goods exporters, physical product sellers, and service exporters who need evidence of realized export proceeds for applicable export benefits or tax claims. EDPMS closure is handled separately by the AD bank.

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How Does Skydo Help Receive International Payments?

Skydo reduces the manual effort of obtaining a FIRA by making it available automatically after your payment reaches your Indian bank account.

Automatic FIRA: Skydo automatically provides a free FIRA for each settled international payment, available from the dashboard without a separate request.
Free virtual accounts: Skydo offers virtual receiving accounts in currencies including USD, EUR, GBP, SGD, AUD and CAD, with no setup or monthly fee. Sign-up takes about five minutes with the required documents ready; manual verification can take longer.
Predictable pricing: Skydo advertises zero forex markup. For Global Bank Account payments, its published tiers are $19 up to $2,000, $29 from $2,001 to $10,000, and 0.3% above $10,000, plus 18% GST on the fee. InstaLinks and Amazon Global Selling have different pricing.
Settlement: Skydo's terms target T+1 to T+3 business days on a commercially reasonable efforts basis. T is the business day the payment clears Skydo's screening and compliance checks. Collection time is additional, and currency, bank checks, and holidays can affect timing.
eBRC generation assistance: For goods exporters, Skydo's published workflow lets you link your DGFT account once, bulk-upload shipping bills and auto-map IRMs to generate eBRCs in a click.
EDPMS closure assistance: Skydo also offers help with EDPMS closure. Your AD bank must receive and match the remittance and close the entry; this assistance does not guarantee closure or prevent overdue flags.
India-based support: Contact the team via WhatsApp, phone, email or the online support form. Published support hours are Monday to Friday, 10 AM to 7 PM IST.
No subscription: Skydo has no subscription or monthly charges; transaction fees apply when you receive a payment.

Save 50% on every international transfer

Receive from 150+ countries

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Frequently asked questions

Can we download a FIRC certificate online?

ICICI lets corporate users download transaction advices and SWIFT copies through Trade One View. For the certificate covering export proceeds, request a BIRC through your branch or relationship manager and ask how it will be delivered. Retail Track My Wire is for tracking the payment; ask your branch which certificate request form applies.

Who can issue a FIRC certificate?

How to download transaction details from ICICI?

What is FIRC in banking?

About the author

CA Abhilove Sharda

Head of Finance

Leading finance across controllership, FP&A, tax, compliance, and business finance, with a focus on building scalable processes and driving data-backed decisions.Reading & Stock Investing