Not sure of the ship's zone? Enter the time on the ship's clock right now:
⚓ On board--:--
🏠 At home--:--
Convert a time
Best time to call home
good time at home early / late night at home you're on watch
Will I keep NRI status this financial year?
Add each time you left India to join a ship, and when you came back. Leave “back in India” empty if you're still on board — we'll tell you the earliest date you can sign off and stay a non-resident.
How it's counted
- The rule: an Indian citizen who leaves India for employment on a ship is a non-resident for a financial year (1 April – 31 March) if they spend 181 days or fewer in India — in other words at least 184 days outside India (185 in a leap year).
- Our main count is the conservative one: the day you leave and the day you return both count as days in India; only the days in between count as outside.
- CDC count (Rule 126): for voyages to or from India, the Income Tax Rules exclude the period from your CDC sign-on date to your sign-off date from your stay in India. That can add a couple of days — keep your CDC entries if you rely on it.
- Days in Indian territorial waters (coastal voyages, waiting at anchorage off an Indian port) count as days in India.
- As a non-resident, salary for work on a foreign-going ship credited to your NRE account is generally not taxable in India.
- If your income from Indian sources (not counting foreign salary) is over ₹15 lakh and you are not liable to tax in any other country, you may be treated as a resident (RNOR) anyway.
This is a planning aid, not tax advice. Residential status depends on your exact circumstances — confirm with a chartered accountant before you file. Your dates stay on your device; nothing is sent to us.