DreamDestination helps students in Kolkata who are going abroad to plan the money and travel side of departure: how to pay university fees from India, how to split funds between a forex card, cash and an account abroad, when to book flights, and what to carry on the day. The guidance is free. We do not sell forex or tickets — you buy those from an authorised dealer or airline.
Most first-time travellers from Kolkata carry too much cash and too little of everything else. A better plan splits money between a forex card, a small amount of currency and an account you can access abroad — so losing one does not leave you stranded.
Student forex and fee remittance guidance in Kolkata
Tuition is remitted through your bank or an RBI-authorised dealer under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme. Keep the university's bank details and payment reference, your fee or offer letter, PAN and KYC documents ready. Quote the reference exactly as given, and allow several working days for the money to arrive and be acknowledged before the deadline.
Tax collected at source can apply to foreign remittances, and the treatment differs when the fees are paid from an education loan. The rules are revised in the Union Budget, so we explain the position that applies when you remit.
In Kolkata there are many consultants, test centres and lender branches to choose from, which makes the real question whose advice is independent. Our pre-departure guidance costs nothing and we are paid nothing by any lender, so we have no reason to steer you. You can speak to a counsellor by video or phone, in the evening or at the weekend if you work.
This page is written for final-year students, recent graduates and working professionals in Kolkata, West Bengal planning a master's or another course abroad, and for the parents helping them decide. Kolkata is also searched as Calcutta. The same service is available to students in Bardhaman, Raiganj, Haldia and Darjeeling, and across the rest of West Bengal.
Split your money three ways before leaving Kolkata. Put day-to-day spending on a prepaid forex card that can be topped up from India, carry a small amount of local currency for the first few days, and open a bank account in the destination country after you arrive for rent and bills. When comparing forex cards, look at the exchange margin, reload fee and ATM charges, not the advertised rate.
Prepaid forex card
Local currency for arrival
International or local bank account
A backup card kept separately
Booking the Flight
Choose the flight by the date the university wants you there and the day your room is available, rather than by the lowest fare. Confirm the baggage allowance for students, the earliest date your visa lets you enter, and how you will travel from the airport.
Where to Buy Forex
Foreign exchange should be bought only from a bank or a dealer authorised by the RBI, and you should keep the receipt. We do not deal in forex or sell tickets and make nothing from what you buy; we help you compare what authorised providers serving Kolkata offer.