Forms FC-3A, FC-3B, FC-3BB and FC-3C under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Rules, 2011: registration, prior permission, instalments and renewal

Forms FC-3A explained: this guide covers what it means, who it applies to, the step-by-step process, documents required, fees, due dates and penalties in India — so you can stay compliant with confidence and avoid costly mistakes.

Form FC-3A is the application for registration, Form FC-3B the application for prior permission, Form FC-3BB the application for release of a second or later instalment, and Form FC-3C the application for renewal. Proforma 'AA' is the affidavit that goes with them. This article describes what each text prints, its parts, declarations and who signs, as amended up to S.O. 3272(E) dated 22 June 2026. The FC forms of the Companies Act are different forms and are not discussed.

The Forms were substituted by G.S.R. 695(E) of 10 November 2020, amended by G.S.R. 342(E) of 26 May 2025 and by S.O. 3272(E), which also inserted Form FC-3BB. This article is as per the Rules as amended by the notifications named; the latest consulted is S.O. 3272(E) dated 22 June 2026. Proforma 'AA' is held only in the third-party consolidation of 17 September 2019 plus the paragraph added in 2025; confirm it against the official text. Later amendments should be checked. This article gives no portal step. For help with affidavits and declarations, see our affidavit and declaration drafting service.

FC-3A (rule 9(1)(a)) is for registration under section 11(1); FC-3B (rule 9(1)(a)) for prior permission under section 11(2); FC-3BB (rule 9A) for the second or subsequent instalment; FC-3C (rule 12(2)) for renewal under section 16. Each is signed by the chief functionary with the seal. FC-3A, FC-3B and FC-3C carry a Declaration and Undertaking and rely on Proforma 'AA' affidavits; FC-3BB has its own declaration and a chartered accountant's certificate.

Form FC-3A: registration

Marked "(See clause (a) of sub-rule (1) of rule 9)" and addressed to the Secretary to the Government of India, Ministry of Home Affairs, Foreigners Division (FCRA Wing). The subject is the application for registration under section 11(1) for a person or association having a definite cultural, economic, educational, religious or social programme. It has a "Darpan ID" line. Its parts, as substituted in 2020:

Declaration and Undertaking: (a) the information is true and correct; (b) receipt and utilisation shall not be violative of the Act, rules, notifications or orders; (c) certification that the office bearers and key functionaries and members fulfil the eligibility criteria in section 12(4) and that an affidavit in Proforma 'AA' is uploaded. It is signed by the chief functionary (Chairperson, President, Secretary, CEO or MD) in block letters, with the seal.

Changes after 2020:

• G.S.R. 342(E), 2025: in serial 5 the words "relevant pages of" and "showing aims and objects" were omitted; the Note was replaced with a list of enclosures, (a) to (h), including financial statements and audit reports of the last three financial years, year-wise activity reports, an affidavit in Proforma 'AA' for each person in serial 6, and, where expenditure on aims and objects is less than 15 lakhs in the last three financial years, an affidavit on capital investments under rule 9(1)(f)(ii).
• S.O. 3272(E), 2026: serial 2(e) "if any" omitted and a social media entry (g) added; new serial 4A on scope of registration (purpose and States); new serial 5A, a table of activities in the last three financial years; serial 10 now speaks of "Another 'FCRA Account' and utilisation accounts, if any"; and a new serial 13 with three questions on government establishment, ownership and audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General.

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Form FC-3B: prior permission

Marked "(See clause (a) of sub-rule (1) of rule 9)", FC-3B is the application for prior permission under section 11(2). Items 1 to 11 parallel FC-3A, followed by item 12, "Details of commitment of foreign contribution from donor", and item 13, details of the foreign source(s), including, for an individual donor, nationality and passport number. The same Declaration and Undertaking and signature block apply.

• 2025: the same serial 4 wording changes; a Note lists four enclosures, including a commitment letter from the donor matching the amount in the Form and a project report with a declaration that administrative expenses shall not exceed 20% of the foreign contribution.
• 2026: a new serial 14, the same government-status questions as in FC-3A.

Form FC-3BB: second or subsequent instalment

Inserted by S.O. 3272(E), paragraph 15, marked "". The subject: "Application for release of second or subsequent instalment of foreign contribution permitted under prior permission granted under sub-section (2) of section 11". Its parts:

1. Details of person or association, including prior permission number and Darpan ID.
2. Details of prior permission, and of foreign contribution received and utilised (items 2 and 3).
3. The previous instalment, and whether seventy-five per cent. or more has been utilised (item 4), with activity-wise utilisation, assets created, five Yes/No questions and the amount sought in the next instalment (items 5 to 8).

Its Declaration and Undertaking has four limbs, including a certification that not less than seventy-five per cent. of the previous instalment has been utilised. A Note lists enclosures: a chartered accountant's utilisation statement, bank statements, a brief report with photographs, and such other documents as the Central Government requires. A Certificate to be given by Chartered Accountant follows, and ends with the certificate that, as far as I know and believe, the association has or has not violated the Act, with the accountant's name, membership number, address, e-mail address and date. See the article on rules 9 and 9A.

Form FC-3C: renewal

Marked "(See sub-rule (2) of rule 12)"; subject: application for renewal under section 16. Its parts parallel FC-3A, with extra entries: the registration number and date (item 2(d)); foreign contribution received in the last three financial years (item 2(e)); changed key functionaries since the original application (item 5(c)); the "FCRA Account" table (item 9(a)), with a line on any change in the bank details to be intimated in Form FC-6C; and all utilisation bank accounts (item 9(b)).

• 2025: serial 4 wording changes; a Note requiring an affidavit in Proforma 'AA' for each person in serial 5, and, where registration has ceased, an affidavit on receipt and utilisation after expiry with certified bank statements.
• 2026: a new serial 12 (government-status questions), and clause (c) added to the Note: a year-wise detailed activity report of the last three financial years.

See the article on rule 12.

Proforma 'AA'

As the copy consulted prints it, Proforma 'AA' is marked "(See rules 9, 12, Forms FC-3A, FC-3B and FC-3C)" and is "to be executed by each office bearer and key functionary and member individually on non-judicial stamp paper of Rs.10/- and attested by a Notary Public or 1st Class Magistrate". In it the deponent confirms that the conditions in section 12(4) are fulfilled (paragraph 1), undertakes to report any violation of section 12(4) that comes to his knowledge (paragraph 2), and acknowledges that false or misleading information is punishable (paragraph 3), followed by a verification. G.S.R. 342(E) inserted paragraph 1A: an affirmation on oath on citizenship (of India, or of another country with an Overseas Citizen of India card), conviction and pending prosecution.

Two inconsistencies to note

• The Declaration and Undertaking in Forms FC-3A, FC-3B and FC-3C (2020 text) still speaks of "office bearers and key functionaries and members", while rules 9(1)(a) and 12(2) now require an affidavit of "each key functionary". No later notification held changes the Forms' wording. Both are stated as printed.
• The 2026 notification inserts serial 13 in FC-3A and serial 14 in FC-3B with items lettered (iv) to (vi) and no (i) to (iii); the new serial 12 in FC-3C is lettered (i) to (iii). They are quoted as printed.

Example (invented). The Arogya Seva Samiti, applying for registration, completes Form FC-3A with an affidavit in Proforma 'AA' for each key functionary; its chief functionary signs the Declaration and Undertaking with the seal.

Need help with the affidavits and declarations?

Each Form depends on correct declarations and a Proforma 'AA' affidavit for every key functionary. Our affidavit and declaration drafting team can prepare the affidavits and check them against the Form's text.

Key takeaways

• FC-3A, FC-3B, FC-3BB and FC-3C serve registration, prior permission, instalments and renewal.
• Each is signed by the chief functionary with the seal and carries a declaration; Proforma 'AA' affidavits accompany FC-3A, FC-3B and FC-3C.
• The 2025 Notes list enclosures; the 2026 notification added scope, activity tables and government-status questions.
• FC-3BB has a chartered accountant's certificate and a seventy-five per cent. utilisation test.
• Proforma 'AA' rests on the third-party copy plus the 2025 paragraph.

Read next

• Rule 9: application for registration, conditions and scope
• Rules 9 and 9A: prior permission and receipt in instalments
• Rule 12: renewal of certificate of registration
• Forms FC-1, FC-2 and FC-4

Disclaimer: Based on the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010 as enacted, read with the Amendment Act, 2020 and the other amendments named in this article, and on the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Rules, 2011 as amended by the notifications named (latest consulted: S.O. 3272(E) dated 22 June 2026), as consulted on 2 October 2026. No consolidated official text was available; some provisions rest on a third-party copy and are identified as such. Later amendments, notifications and Ministry of Home Affairs orders should be checked. This article is general information, not legal advice; check the official text before acting.