1. Proper registration through Form FC-3A
2. Prior permission through Form FC-3B

1. FCRA Registration/ prior permission from central government
2. It must be for a purpose of cultural, educational, religious and other social benefits.
3. It should not be under prohibited category mentioned under FCRA which includes:
   1. Candidate for election
   2. Correspondent, columnist, cartoonist, editor, owner of a company or printer and publisher of a registered newspaper.
   3. Public servant, Judge, government servant or employee of any Corporation or any other body controlled on owned by the Government.
   4. Member of any Legislature
   5. Political party or its office-bearer
   6. Organisation of a political nature
   7. Association or company engaged in the production or broadcast of audio news or audio-visual news or current affairs Programme through any electronic mode.
   8. Individuals or associations who have been prohibited from receiving foreign contribution.

• Individual
• Hindu Undivided Family
• Trust
• Society
• Company registered under Section 8 of Companies Act, 2013

Registration under FCRA is subjected to following criteria:

The certificate of FCRA Registration is issued by the government authority and it is mandatory to obtain the FCRA registration certificate before acquiring or receiving any foreign contribution grants by any registered trust, social institutions, and NGOs.

1. An association with minimum three years of existence
2. An association must have spent a minimum amount of rupees fifteen lakhs on its core activities for the benefit of society during the last three financial years.
3. An organisation registered under any of the following legislations:
   1.  Charitable and Religious Trusts Act,1920
   2.  Indian Trusts Act, 1882
   3. Indian Societies Registration Act, 1860

Registration and prior permission both are subjected to following criteria:

1. The person making an application for registration, has undertaken reasonable activity in its chosen field for the benefit of the society for which the foreign contribution is proposed to be utilized.
2. The person making an application for giving prior permission, has prepared a reasonable project for the benefit of the society for which the foreign contribution is proposed to be utilized.
3. In case the person being an individual, such individual has neither been convicted under any law for the time being in force nor any prosecution for any offence pending against him
4. In case the person being other than an individual, any of its directors or office bearers has neither been convicted under any law for the time being in force nor any prosecution for any offence is pending against him.
5. The acceptance of foreign contribution by the person referred to in point A is not likely to affect prejudicially either of the following:
   
   1. Sovereignty and integrity of India
   2. Security, strategic, scientific or economic interest of the State
   3. Public interest
   4. Freedom or fairness of election to any Legislature
   5. Friendly relation with any foreign State
   6. Harmony between religious, racial, social, linguistic, regional groups, castes or communities
6. The acceptance of foreign contribution, —
   
   1. shall not lead to incitement of an offence;
   2. shall not endanger the life or physical safety of any person.
7. The person making an application for registration or grant of prior permission:
8. Is not fictitious or benami
9. Has not been prosecuted or convicted for indulging in activities aimed at conversion through inducement or force, either directly or indirectly, from one religious’ faith to another 
   
   1. Has not been prosecuted or convicted for creating communal tension or disharmony in any specified district or any other part of the country
   2. Has not been found guilty of diversion or mis-utilization of its funds
   3. Is not engaged or likely to engage in propagation of sedition or advocate violent methods to achieve its ends
   4. Is not likely to use the foreign contribution for personal gains or divert it for undesirable purposes
   5. Has not contravened any of the provisions of this Act
   6. Has not been prohibited from accepting foreign contribution

• Donation from personal savings of an NRI (Non-Resident Indian) through normal banking channels
• Donation received by any Indian government department.
• Foreign remittances from relatives amounting less than one lakh in a financial year.

Note: Any remittance of more than one lakh is required to inform the Central government through Form FC-1 within 30 days of the date of receipt.

The fee is to be paid while filling online form through payment gateway. No Bank draft/cheque is accepted.

• For registration, the association is required to pay a fee of Rs. 10,000/-
• For prior permission, the fee is Rs. 5,000/- and for renewal, the fee is Rs 5000/- only.

An association may surrender the certificate of registration for its own reasons through the application form FC-7 by uploading it on the web portal. Government will only permit such surrender of registration only after satisfying from the inquiry being made that such association has not contravened any of the provisions of this Act and the management of foreign contribution and asset, if any, created out of such contribution has been vested in the authority.

Assets derived from foreign contributions may be required to be vested in the relevant government authority if the FCRA registration is revoked.