SecondmentIndia
AMLEGALS / Services / Secondment
Secondment

India employee secondment and deputation for foreign companies

Secondment agreement structuring, employment visa and work permit, PE risk management, tax equalisation, social security totalisation and Indian employment law compliance for foreign companies deputing personnel to India.

Counsel that connects the technical, the commercial, and the legal, across ten offices in India.
FRRO
Registration
PE Risk
Mitigation
SSA
Totalisation
10
India Offices
01

Secondment structure and documentation

  • Secondment agreement: defining employer of record, reporting lines, cost recharge and repatriation terms.
  • Employment visa (E visa) and work permit requirements for foreign nationals working in India.
  • FRRO (Foreigners Regional Registration Office) registration within 14 days of arrival for stays exceeding 180 days.
  • Salary structure: India payroll component versus home country retention for tax efficiency.
02

Tax and PE risk management

  • Income tax liability: secondee taxable in India on India sourced salary from Day 1 (no minimum day threshold for employment income).
  • PE risk: cost recharge arrangement should not create a service PE or fixed place PE for the foreign employer.
  • Tax equalisation and tax protection policies for expatriate compensation.
  • DTAA relief: treaty provisions for employment income, short stay exemption conditions and tax credit mechanisms.
03

Social security and employment law

  • Social Security Agreement (SSA) totalisation: certificate of coverage to avoid dual contribution.
  • India has SSAs with 20 countries including Germany, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Australia, Japan and South Korea.
  • Provident fund (EPF) applicability: foreign employees in international worker category if no SSA exemption.
  • Indian employment law compliance: leave, working hours, POSH training and gratuity for secondees.
04

How AMLEGALS assists

  • Secondment agreement drafting and structuring advisory.
  • Employment visa and FRRO registration compliance.
  • PE risk assessment and cost recharge arrangement review.
  • Social security totalisation advisory and certificate of coverage assistance.
Answers

What clients ask before they commit.

Short, direct, on the record.

01Does sending an employee to India create a permanent establishment?

Not necessarily, but it can. If the secondment arrangement is structured as the foreign employer providing services to the Indian entity through the secondee (rather than a genuine employment transfer), it may create a service PE. The cost recharge arrangement, control and supervision, and economic employer test are key factors in the PE analysis.

02What visa does a foreign employee need to work in India?

Foreign nationals working in India require an Employment visa (E visa). The E visa requires a minimum annual salary of USD 25,000 (with exceptions for certain nationalities and categories). The visa is typically granted for 1 to 5 years and requires FRRO registration within 14 days if the stay exceeds 180 days.

03Can social security contributions be avoided for seconded employees?

If India has a Social Security Agreement with the home country, the secondee can obtain a Certificate of Coverage from the home country to be exempt from Indian EPF contributions. India has SSAs with 20 countries. Without an SSA, the foreign employee is treated as an international worker and must contribute to EPF from Day 1.

04How is the salary of a seconded employee taxed in India?

The entire salary attributable to services rendered in India is taxable from Day 1, regardless of who pays the salary or where it is paid. If the secondee qualifies as a resident (182 days or more in India), global income becomes taxable. DTAA relief can prevent double taxation through foreign tax credit in the home country.

Engage AMLEGALS

Discuss employee secondment or deputation to India

Share the home country, number of personnel, proposed duration and the role for a preliminary assessment.

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