For decades, India’s legal market was effectively closed to foreign law firms. UK firms advised on India-related deals from London, Singapore or Dubai, worked through “best friend” relationships with Indian firms, and flew in for meetings with care. That model is changing.
In May 2025, the Bar Council of India amended its rules to allow regulated entry for foreign lawyers and law firms. This guide explains what UK law firms in India can and can’t do under the rules, how registration and reciprocity work, the “fly-in, fly-out” route, the limits on Indian law, and the practical options for UK firms. The UK regulatory points (SRA and others) should be checked with UK advisers.
The 2025 rules in brief
The Bar Council of India notified amendments to its Rules for Registration and Regulation of Foreign Lawyers and Foreign Law Firms in India, 2022, originally gazetted on 10 March 2023. The amended rules were notified on 14 May 2025, paving the way for regulated entry of foreign lawyers and firms.
The scope is deliberately narrow. Foreign lawyers’ work is strictly confined to non-litigious areas involving foreign law, international law and arbitration, particularly cross-border transactions and international disputes. They can advise on matters such as contract drafting, mergers and due diligence, provided they don’t advise on Indian law, and restrictions remain on practising Indian law or appearing in Indian courts.
It’s worth noting that legal services weren’t opened up through the UK-India trade deal itself. The Bar Council’s rule changes have opened doors that the trade deal did not, so UK law firms in India operate under the Bar Council’s framework rather than any CETA commitment; see our UK-India trade deal checklist.
Registration and reciprocity
Registration is mandatory. No foreign lawyer or foreign law firm may practise law in India unless registered with the Bar Council under the rules. Applicants must provide their legal qualifications, no-objection certificates and detailed declarations of compliance with Indian regulations. Additional fees are reported to apply for each extra foreign jurisdiction (reported as US$5,000 per jurisdiction for individual lawyers and US$10,000 for firms); confirm the base fees and the amounts in the Gazette text before relying on them.
Reciprocity is the foundation. Registration is permitted only for lawyers and firms from jurisdictions that offer comparable rights to Indian lawyers, and the Bar Council may refuse to renew registrations if the number of foreign lawyers registered in India becomes disproportionate to the number of Indian lawyers permitted to practise in the corresponding foreign country. For UK law firms in India, the openness of England and Wales to Indian lawyers is therefore directly relevant.
The rules also create a new category of “Indian-Foreign law firms”, which may engage in cross-border consultancy, international arbitration and advice on foreign laws. And Indian advocates and firms may register as foreign lawyers or foreign law firms without giving up their right to practise Indian law.
Fly-in, fly-out and what UK lawyers can’t do
For UK lawyers who only visit India occasionally, the “fly-in, fly-out” route matters most. The rules allow foreign lawyers to advise clients in India temporarily under specific conditions. The advice must be limited to foreign law, the lawyer’s own legal system or international legal issues, and no office, infrastructure or regular presence may be established in India. Foreign lawyers must also inform the Bar Council before arriving and provide details of the work and the duration of their stay. Check the day limits and conditions in the Gazette text.
The limits are firm. UK lawyers can’t advise on Indian law, appear before Indian courts, tribunals or regulatory authorities, or hold themselves out as Indian advocates. Foreign law firms may employ Indian lawyers for advisory support, but those lawyers can’t appear in courts on behalf of the foreign firm.
There’s also a marketing asymmetry. Indian lawyers remain bound by Rule 36 of the Bar Council’s rules, which bars them from advertising and soliciting work, and commentators have noted that this leaves Indian firms at a disadvantage against foreign firms that market actively. UK law firms in India should expect that issue to remain part of the debate.
| Allowed (registered, or fly-in, fly-out) | Not allowed |
|---|---|
| Advice on English law, other foreign law and international law | Advice on Indian law |
| Cross-border transactions: drafting, mergers, due diligence on foreign law | Appearing before Indian courts, tribunals or regulators |
| International arbitration involving foreign law | Holding out as an Indian advocate |
| Temporary advice with notice to the Bar Council (fly-in, fly-out) | Setting up an office or regular presence without registration |
Practical options for UK law firms
UK law firms in India have several realistic models. The first is registration as a foreign law firm, opening an India presence for English law, international law and arbitration work on India-related matters. The second is fly-in, fly-out advice for specific transactions or arbitrations, without a permanent presence. The third, and still the most common, is collaboration with Indian firms: referral relationships, co-counsel arrangements on cross-border deals, and joint work on arbitrations.
Arbitration is a particular opportunity. Foreign lawyers can participate in international arbitration involving foreign law, and India’s arbitration framework allows foreign-seated and India-seated international commercial arbitrations with foreign counsel. UK firms with strong arbitration practices can work alongside Indian counsel who handle Indian-law issues and court applications; see our guide to enforcing a UK judgment or arbitration award in India.
Indian clients are also a market for UK law firms in India: Indian companies expanding into the UK, raising money in London or litigating in English courts need English law advice, and registered UK firms can provide it from India within the scope of the rules. Support work is another area. UK firms increasingly use Indian teams for legal research, document review and IP administration, under their own solicitors’ supervision. That’s distinct from practising in India, and it remains governed by the SRA’s rules on outsourcing in the UK; see our guides to what the SRA expects and reserved legal activities.
Risks, remedies and quick answers
Data and confidentiality also need attention. UK firms working in India will hold client data there, so UK GDPR transfer rules apply to data sent from the UK, and India’s DPDP Act may apply to data about individuals in India; see our guides to UK GDPR transfers to India and India’s DPDP Act for UK businesses. Professional indemnity insurance should be checked for work carried out in India.
The main risks for UK law firms in India are practising without registration, straying into Indian law, and failing to meet reciprocity and renewal conditions. The Bar Council can refuse or cancel registration, and practising Indian law without enrolment can raise questions under the Advocates Act, 1961. Some Indian lawyers have argued that changing the legal framework without amending the Advocates Act risks confusion, so further legal challenges or amendments are possible; check for developments since mid-2025. UK firms should take Indian advice before registering, structure India-facing work so that Indian law advice comes from Indian advocates, and keep their engagement letters clear about which firm advises on which law.
Quick answers
Can UK law firms open offices in India?
Registered foreign law firms can practise foreign law, international law and arbitration in India, on a reciprocity basis, but can’t advise on Indian law or appear in Indian courts.
What is fly-in, fly-out practice?
Temporary advice in India on foreign or international law without registration, provided no office or regular presence is established and the Bar Council is informed.
Did the UK-India trade deal open India’s legal market?
No. Legal services weren’t opened through the trade deal; the Bar Council’s own rules provide the framework.
Final word
Halverton & Co. is an Indian law firm that advises on Indian law, including Indian law advice on cross-border matters and the Bar Council of India rules. We practise in Jharkhand, Maharashtra and before the Supreme Court of India, and we work alongside your UK solicitors, who advise on English law. Halverton & Co.: Where tech needs law! If you have a question about Indian law, write to us at office@halvertonandco.com, or get in touch.
This article reflects developments reported up to early October 2026. It is for general information only, is not legal advice, and does not create a solicitor-client relationship. Halverton & Co. is an Indian law firm, is not authorised or regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, and does not advise on English law or UK tax.
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