01 Eligibility
Residential property (apartments, villas, plots) held in your personal name. Not agricultural land, not commercial property, not property in prohibited zones (typically within 50 km of borders). You can own one property or many.
Agricultural land, forest land, plantation property, or any property within the prohibited border zones. You also cannot buy property in the names of a company or partnership, and you cannot use a Power of Attorney (POA) to buy property for an NRI — the NRI must sign the sale deed themselves (though they can do it abroad via notarized documents).
02 Documents you'll need
Copy of your passport with visa page. Proof of foreign residency (any stamped page from the last 2 years).
Your Indian PAN (or apply for one). Aadhaar if you have it; if not, apply during the purchase process.
Proof of funds from your foreign bank: bank statement (last 3–6 months showing balance) or a banker's reference letter.
If you have an Indian income, IT return (last 2 years) and form 16/16A. If no Indian income, you may skip this, but some banks ask for a tax residency certificate from your country.
You must sign the sale deed in person. You can do this abroad through a notary; the seller's attorney will arrange the coordination.
03 Home loans for NRIs
Most banks offer loans to NRIs. The LTV (loan-to-value) is usually 50–70%, so plan to bring 30–50% down. Interest rates may be 0.2–0.5% higher than for residents. You'll need:
04 Power of Attorney (POA)
You cannot use a POA for the initial purchase. The sale deed must be signed by you personally. However, you can use a POA for everything after — managing the property, renting it out, renewing documents, collecting rent, paying taxes, dealing with the society. This is the standard practice for absentee NRI landlords.
How to set up POA: Execute a registered POA in India (through any lawyer; the seller's lawyer can recommend one). The registered POA is the legally binding version. Copies from India's notary are acceptable for most transactions.