0000742286 federate:S000009104Member 2021-01-31 2021-01-31 0000742286 federate:S000009104Member federate:C000024762Member 2021-01-31 2021-01-31 0000742286 federate:S000009104Member federate:C000024764Member 2021-01-31 2021-01-31 0000742286 federate:S000009104Member federate:C000176365Member 2021-01-31 2021-01-31 0000742286 federate:S000009104Member federate:ReturnAfterTaxesonDistributionsMember federate:C000024762Member 2021-01-31 2021-01-31 0000742286 federate:S000009104Member federate:ReturnAfterTaxesonDistributionsandSaleofFundSharesMember federate:C000024762Member 2021-01-31 2021-01-31 0000742286 federate:S000009104Member federate:BloombergBarclaysGlobalAggregateIndexMember 2021-01-31 2021-01-31 0000742286 2021-01-31 2021-01-31 pure iso4217:USD Federated Hermes Global Total Return Bond Fund – A Class 2020-11-30 FEDERATED HERMES INTERNATIONAL SERIES INC 2021-01-31 0000742286 false 2021-01-28 2021-01-28 N-1A 485BPOS FTIIX FTIBX FGTBX highest quarterly return 2016-03-31 lowest quarterly return 2016-12-31 1.4600 667 1119 1596 2909 377 850 1450 3070 177 548 944 2052 667 1119 1596 2909 277 850 1450 3070 177 548 944 2052 0.0346 0.0229 -0.0626 -0.0233 -0.0417 -0.0009 0.0609 -0.0261 0.0503 0.0885 0.0818 -0.1096 Federated Hermes Global Total Return Bond Fund (the “Fund”) RISK/RETURN SUMMARY: INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE The Fund’s investment objective is to obtain a total return on its assets. RISK/RETURN SUMMARY: FEES AND EXPENSES This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell Class A Shares (A), Class C Shares (C) and Institutional Shares (IS) of the Fund. You may qualify for certain sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $100,000 in certain classes (e.g., A class) of Federated Hermes funds. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional, in the “What Do Shares Cost?” section of the Prospectus on page 21 and in “Appendix B” to this Prospectus. If you purchase the Fund’s IS shares through a broker acting as an agent on behalf of its customers, you may be required to pay a commission to such broker; such commissions, if any, are not reflected in the Example below. You may qualify for certain sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $100,000 in certain classes (e.g., A class) of Federated Hermes funds. 100000 Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment) 0.0450 0 0 0.0000 0.0100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) 0.0070 0.0070 0.0070 0.0025 0.0075 0 0.0128 0.0128 0.0103 0.0001 0.0001 0.0001 0.0224 0.0274 0.0174 -0.0120 -0.0095 -0.0095 0.0104 0.0179 0.0079 up to but not including the later of (the “Termination Date”): (a) February 1, 2022; or (b) the date of the Fund’s next effective Prospectus. February 1, 2022 Example This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your Shares at the end of those periods. Expenses assuming no redemption are also shown. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that operating expenses (excluding any sale loads on reinvested dividends, fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements) are as shown in the table above and remain the same. Although your actual costs and returns may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be: Portfolio Turnover The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund Shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 146% of the average value of its portfolio. RISK/RETURN SUMMARY: INVESTMENTS, RISKS and PERFORMANCEWhat are the Fund’s Main Investment Strategies? The Fund pursues its investment objective by investing primarily in investment-grade, fixed-income securities, including U.S. and non-U.S. government, agency, inflation protected, mortgage-related, loan participation, asset-backed and corporate debt securities. The fixed income securities in which the Fund invests may be denominated and issued in U.S. dollars or any other currency. The Fund may invest in foreign currencies and may engage in other foreign currency transactions for investment or hedging purposes. The Fund may invest substantially in securities of issuers domiciled outside the United States, including issuers domiciled in developing countries. The Fund will generally allocate a substantial amount of its total assets (at least 40%–unless market conditions are not deemed favorable by Federated Investment Management Company (the “Adviser”), in which case the Fund would invest at least 30%) to non-U.S. investments. The Fund may allocate up to 100% of its total assets to non-U.S. dollar investments. The Fund will allocate its assets among various regions and countries, including the United States, but in no fewer than three different countries and may invest in both developed and developing markets.The Fund may invest up to 25% of its total assets in noninvestment-grade, fixed-income securities (otherwise known as “junk bonds”). In addition, the Fund may invest up to 25% of its total assets in emerging markets fixed income securities. The Fund may use derivative contracts (such as, for example, futures contracts, option contracts and swap contracts) and/or hybrid instruments to implement its investment strategy and to hedge against potential losses. The Fund may also use both spot and forward currency trades and other derivatives to increase or decrease its exposure to foreign interest rate and/or currency markets. There can be no assurance that the Fund’s use of derivative contracts or hybrid instruments will work as intended. Derivative investments made by the Fund are included within the Fund’s 80% policy (as described below) and are calculated at market value. The Adviser does not target an average maturity for the Fund’s portfolio and may invest in bonds of any maturity.When selecting investments for the Fund, the Fund can invest in securities directly or in other investment companies, including, for example, funds advised by the Adviser or its affiliates (“Underlying Funds”). At times, the Fund’s investment in Underlying Funds may be a substantial portion of the Fund’s portfolio. The Fund is a non-diversified portfolio of Federated Hermes International Series, Inc.The Fund will invest its assets so that at least 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) are invested in fixed-income investments. The Fund will notify shareholders at least 60 days in advance of any change in its investment policy that would enable the Fund to invest, under normal circumstances, less than 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in fixed-income investments.Portfolio TurnoverThe Fund actively trades its portfolio securities in an attempt to achieve its investment objective. Active trading will cause the Fund to have an increased portfolio turnover rate and increase the Fund’s trading costs, which may have an adverse impact on the Fund’s performance. An active trading strategy will likely result in the Fund generating more short-term capital gains or losses. Short-term gains are generally taxed at a higher rate than long-term gains. Any short-term losses are used first to offset short-term gains. What are the Main Risks of Investing in the Fund? All mutual funds take investment risks. Therefore, it is possible to lose money by investing in the Fund. The primary factors that may reduce the Fund’s returns include:■ Underlying Fund Risk. The risk that the Fund’s performance is closely related to the risks associated with the securities and other investments held by underlying funds and that the ability of a Fund to achieve its investment objective will depend upon the ability of underlying funds to achieve their respective investment objectives. The Fund bears Underlying Fund fees and expenses indirectly.■ Currency Risk. Exchange rates for currencies fluctuate daily. As a result, the value of the Fund’s foreign investments and the value of its Shares may be affected favorably or unfavorably by changes in currency exchange rates relative to the U.S. dollar.■ European Union and Eurozone Related Risk. A number of countries in the European Union (EU), including certain countries within the EU that have adopted the euro (Eurozone), have experienced, and may continue to experience, severe economic and financial difficulties. Additional countries within the EU may also fall subject to such difficulties. These events could negatively affect the value and liquidity of the Fund’s investments in euro-denominated securities and derivatives contracts, securities of issuers located in the EU or with significant exposure to EU issuers or countries.■ Interest Rate Risk. Prices of fixed-income securities generally fall when interest rates rise. The longer the duration of a fixed-income security, the more susceptible it is to interest rate risk. Recent and potential future changes in monetary policy made by central banks and/or their governments are likely to affect the level of interest rates.■ Issuer Credit Risk. It is possible that interest or principal on securities will not be paid when due. Non-investment grade securities generally have a higher default risk than investment-grade securities. Such non-payment or default may reduce the value of the Fund’s portfolio holdings, its share price and its performance.■ Counterparty Credit Risk . Credit risk includes the possibility that a party to a transaction involving the Fund will fail to meet its obligations. This could cause the Fund to lose money or to lose the benefit of the transaction or prevent the Fund from selling or buying other securities to implement its investment strategy.■ Risk of Foreign Investing. Because the Fund may invest in securities issued by foreign companies and national governments, the Fund’s Share price may be more affected by foreign economic and political conditions, taxation policies and accounting and auditing standards than could otherwise be the case.■ Liquidity Risk. Trading opportunities are more limited for fixed-income securities that have not received any credit ratings, have received any credit ratings below investment grade or are not widely held.■ Leverage Risk. Leverage risk is created when an investment, which includes, for example, an investment in a derivative contract, exposes the Fund to a level of risk that exceeds the amount invested. Changes in the value of such an investment magnify the Fund’s risk of loss and potential for gain.■ Risk of Investing in Emerging Market Countries. Securities issued or traded in emerging markets generally entail greater risks than securities issued or traded in developed markets. Emerging market countries may have relatively unstable governments and may present the risk of nationalization of businesses, expropriation, confiscatory taxation or, in certain instances, reversion to closed market, centrally planned economics.■ Risk Associated with Noninvestment-Grade Securities. Securities rated below investment grade may be subject to greater interest rate, credit and liquidity risks than investment-grade securities. These securities are considered speculative with respect to the issuer’s ability to pay interest and repay principal.■ Risk Related to the Economy. The value of the Fund’s portfolio may decline in tandem with a drop in the overall value of the markets in which the Fund invests and/or other markets. Economic, political and financial conditions, industry or economic trends and developments or public health risks, such as epidemics or pandemics, may, from time to time, and for varying periods of time, cause the Fund to experience volatility, illiquidity, shareholder redemptions, or other potentially adverse effects. Among other investments, lower-grade bonds and loans may be particularly sensitive to changes in the economy.■ Risk of Investing in Derivative Contracts and Hybrid Instruments. Derivative contracts and hybrid instruments involve risks different from, or possibly greater than, risks associated with investing directly in securities and other traditional investments. Specific risk issues related to the use of such contracts and instruments include valuation and tax issues, increased potential for losses and/or costs to the Fund and a potential reduction in gains to the Fund. Each of these issues is described in greater detail in this Prospectus. Derivative contracts and hybrid instruments may also involve other risks described in this Prospectus, such as interest rate, credit, currency, liquidity and leverage risks.■ Custodial Services and Related Investment Costs. Custodial services and other costs relating to investment in international securities markets generally are more expensive than in the United States. Such markets have settlement and clearance procedures that differ from those in the United States. In certain markets there have been times when settlements have been unable to keep pace with the volume of securities transactions, making it difficult to conduct such transactions. The inability of the Fund to make intended securities purchases due to settlement problems could cause the Fund to miss attractive investment opportunities. Inability to dispose of a portfolio security caused by settlement problems could result in losses to the Fund due to a subsequent decline in value of the portfolio security. In addition, security settlement and clearance procedures in some emerging countries may not fully protect the Fund against loss of its assets.■ Mortgage-Backed Securities (MBS) Risk. MBS have unique risks. A rise in interest rates may cause the value of MBS held by the Fund to decline. The mortgage loans underlying MBS generally are subject to a greater rate of principal prepayments in a declining interest rate environment and to a lesser rate of principal prepayments in an increasing interest rate environment.■ Prepayment and Extension Risk. When homeowners prepay their mortgages in response to lower interest rates, the Fund will be required to reinvest the proceeds at the lower interest rates available. Also, when interest rates fall, the price of mortgage-backed securities may not rise to as great an extent as that of other fixed-income securities. When interest rates rise, homeowners are less likely to prepay their mortgages. A decreased rate of prepayments lengthens the expected maturity of a mortgage-backed security, and the price of mortgage-backed securities may decrease more than the price of other fixed-income securities when interest rates rise.■ Asset-Backed Securities (ABS) Risk. The value of asset-backed securities (ABS) may be affected by certain factors such as interest rate risk, credit risk, prepayment risk and the availability of information concerning the pool of underlying assets and its structure. Under certain market conditions, ABS may be less liquid and may be difficult to value. Movements in interest rates (both increases and decreases) may quickly and significantly reduce the value of certain types of ABS. ABS can also be subject to the risk of default on the underlying assets.■ Risk of Inflation-Protected Securities. The value of inflation-protected securities is subject to the effects of changes in market interest rates caused by factors other than inflation (“real interest rates”). If interest rates rise due to reasons other than inflation, the Fund’s investment in these securities may not be protected to the extent that the increase is not reflected in the security’s inflation measure.■ Risk of Investing in Loans. In addition to the risks generally associated with debt instruments such as credit, market, interest rate, liquidity and derivatives risks, bank loans are also subject to the risk that the value of the collateral securing a loan may decline, be insufficient to meet the obligations of the borrower or be difficult to liquidate. The Fund’s access to the collateral may be limited by bankruptcy, other insolvency laws or by the type of loan the Fund has purchased. For example, if the Fund purchases a participation instead of an assignment, it would not have direct access to collateral of the borrower. As a result, a floating rate loan may not be fully collateralized and can decline significantly in value. Additionally, collateral on loan instruments may not be readily liquidated, and there is no assurance that the liquidation of such assets will satisfy a borrower’s obligations under the investment. Loans generally are subject to legal or contractual restrictions on resale.Loans and other forms of indebtedness may be structured such that they are not securities under securities laws. As such, it is unclear whether loans and other forms of direct indebtedness offer securities law protections, such as those against fraud and misrepresentation. In the absence of definitive regulatory guidance, while there can be no assurance that fraud or misrepresentation will not occur with respect to the loans and other investments in which the Fund invests, the Fund relies on the Adviser’s research in an attempt to seek to avoid situations where fraud or misrepresentation could adversely affect the Fund.■ Loan Liquidity Risk. Loans generally are subject to legal or contractual restrictions on resale. The liquidity of loans, including the volume and frequency of secondary market trading in such loans, varies significantly over time and among individual loans. For example, if the credit quality of a loan unexpectedly declines significantly, secondary market trading in that loan can also decline for a period of time. During periods of infrequent trading, valuing a loan can be more difficult and buying and selling a loan at an acceptable price can be more difficult and delayed. Difficulty in selling a loan can result in a loss. Loan instruments may not be readily marketable and may be subject to restrictions on resale. In some cases, negotiations involved in disposing of loans may require weeks to complete. Thus, transactions in loan instruments may take longer than seven days to settle. This could pose a liquidity risk to the Fund and, if the Fund’s exposure to such investments is substantial, could impair the Fund’s ability to meet shareholder redemptions in a timely manner.■ Risk of Non-Diversified Fund . The Fund is non-diversified. Compared to diversified mutual funds, it may invest a higher percentage of its assets among fewer issuers of portfolio securities. In certain situations, being non-diversified may reduce the Fund’s credit risk by enabling it to avoid investing in certain countries, regions or sectors that exhibit above average credit risk. However, being non-diversified may also increase the Fund’s risk by magnifying the impact (positively or negatively) that only one issuer has on the Fund’s share price and performance.■ Technology Risk. The Adviser uses various technologies in managing the Fund, consistent with its investment objective(s) and strategy described in this prospectus. For example, proprietary and third-party data and systems are utilized to support decision making for the Fund. Data imprecision, software or other technology malfunctions, programming inaccuracies and similar circumstances may impair the performance of these systems, which may negatively affect Fund performance.The Shares offered by this Prospectus are not deposits or obligations of any bank, are not endorsed or guaranteed by any bank and are not insured or guaranteed by the U.S. government, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Federal Reserve Board or any other government agency. All mutual funds take investment risks. Therefore, it is possible to lose money by investing in the Fund. The Shares offered by this Prospectus are not deposits or obligations of any bank, are not endorsed or guaranteed by any bank and are not insured or guaranteed by the U.S. government, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Federal Reserve Board or any other government agency. Performance: Bar Chart and TableRisk/Return Bar Chart The bar chart and performance table below reflect historical performance data for the Fund and are intended to help you analyze the Fund’s investment risks in light of its historical returns. The bar chart shows the variability of the Fund’s A class total returns on a calendar year-by-year basis. The Average Annual Total Return Table shows returns for each class averaged over the stated periods, and includes comparative performance information. The Fund’s performance will fluctuate, and past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of future results.Updated performance information for the Fund is available under the “Products” section at FederatedInvestors.com or by calling 1-800-341-7400. The bar chart and performance table below reflect historical performance data for the Fund and are intended to help you analyze the Fund’s investment risks in light of its historical returns. The bar chart shows the variability of the Fund’s A class total returns on a calendar year-by-year basis. The Fund’s performance will fluctuate, and past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of future results. FederatedInvestors.com 1-800-341-7400 The total returns shown in the bar chart do not reflect the payment of any sales charges or recurring shareholder account fees. If these charges or fees had been included, the returns shown would have been lower.Within the periods shown in the bar chart, the Fund’s A class highest quarterly return was 8.18% (quarter ended March 31, 2016). Its lowest quarterly return was (10.96)% (quarter ended December 31, 2016). The total returns shown in the bar chart do not reflect the payment of any sales charges or recurring shareholder account fees. If these charges or fees had been included, the returns shown would have been lower. Average Annual Total Return Table In addition to Return Before Taxes, Return After Taxes is shown for the Fund’s A class to illustrate the effect of federal taxes on Fund returns. After-tax returns are shown only for A class and after-tax returns for C and IS classes will differ from those shown below for A class.Actual after-tax returns depend on each investor’s personal tax situation, and are likely to differ from those shown.After-tax returns are calculated using a standard set of assumptions. The stated returns assume the highest historical federal income and capital gains tax rates. These after-tax returns do not reflect the effect of any applicable state and local taxes.After-tax returns are not relevant to investors holding Shares through a 401(k) plan, Individual Retirement Account or other tax-advantaged investment plans.(For the Period Ended December 31, 2020) After-tax returns are shown only for A class and after-tax returns for C and IS classes will differ from those shown below for A class. After-tax returns are calculated using a standard set of assumptions. The stated returns assume the highest historical federal income and capital gains tax rates. These after-tax returns do not reflect the effect of any applicable state and local taxes. After-tax returns are not relevant to investors holding Shares through a 401(k) plan, Individual Retirement Account or other tax-advantaged investment plans. 0.0391 0.0241 0.0045 0.0326 0.0179 -0.0017 0.0231 0.0156 0.0009 0.0704 0.0259 0.0016 2016-12-16 0.0910 0.0471 0.0920 0.0479 0.0283 The Adviser and certain of its affiliates on their own initiative have agreed to waive certain amounts of their respective fees and/or reimburse expenses. Total annual fund operating expenses (excluding Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses, interest expense, extraordinary expenses and proxy-related expenses paid by the Fund, if any) paid by the Fund’s A, C and IS classes (after the voluntary waivers and/or reimbursements) will not exceed 1.02%, 1.77% and 0.77% (the “Fee Limit”), respectively, up to but not including the later of (the “Termination Date”): (a) February 1, 2022; or (b) the date of the Fund’s next effective Prospectus.While the Adviser and its affiliates currently do not anticipate terminating or increasing these arrangements prior to the Termination Date, these arrangements may only be terminated or the Fee Limit increased prior to the Termination Date with the agreement of the Fund’s Board of Directors. The Bloomberg Barclays Global Aggregate Index provides a broad-based measure of the global investment-grade, fixed-income markets.