Can I buy a property in India as a British citizen?

Yes, you can buy a property in India if you are either PIO or NRI. Foreign nationals of non-Indian origin resident in India (except AnyCitizens of Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, China, Iran, Nepal, Bhutan, Macau or Hong Kong) can acquire immovable property in India through legitimate bank transfer by NRE/FCNR(B)/NRO account but not by travellers cheque or foreign currency. Foreign nationals of non-Indian origin resident outside India can only lease out a property however, it should not exceed five years. Any other type of acquisitions/ transfers requires the prior permission of RBI. On the other hand, if you are a Person of India Origin (PIO) and Non Resident Indian (NRI), you can easily purchase any immovable property (other than agricultural land/ plantation property / farm house) in India. For this, you might need to refer to the master circular issued by RBI in compliance with the rules listed in FEMA act. Nevertheless, it is quite easy for a PIO or NRI to acquire property in India.

Hey,

Purchasing a property in India is a dream of many no matter whether they are from India or not. That’s the reason why my father’s friend who is a British citizen is looking to buy a property in India. He asked us “can a British citizen buy property in India?”. We did not know much about it, so we reached out to my lawyer cousin. This is what he told us:

Can British Citizen Buy Property in India

If you are planning to buy a property in India, then you should read about 3 categories of ‘foreign’ buyers:

• NRI (Non-Resident Indian)

• Foreign Nationals (without or with residency)

• OCI (Overseas Citizen of India). The former Person of Indian Origin (PoI) status has been merged with the OCI card scheme.

Note: Foreign individuals (even Indians staying abroad) aren’t allowed to buy any kind of agricultural property.

Foreign Nationals

It isn’t easy for a foreign national to purchase property in India. A non-resident can’t buy a property unless he/she is of Indian heritage. When a non-Indian is resident in India for 182 days or less each year, he/she will have to take permission from the Indian Reserve Bank to buy any property. This rule is applicable when co-purchasing with an Indian citizen or when purchases are made by an organisation owned by a foreign national. The regulations change often and the criteria are vague.

Note: Citizens of Nepal, Iran, China, Afghanistan, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, or Bangladesh, who’re residents in India are required to take permission from the RBI to purchase property no matter how many days they spend in India each year.

If you are a foreign potential buyer, then I advise you to secure Indian residency and consult an Indian lawyer before searching for a property to buy in India. If the transaction is deemed to be illegal (even in case the deal was made in good faith), then the money paid to buy an Indian property will be forfeited.

I hope now you know a person can buy property in India from UK.

OCI (Overseas Citizen of India) and NRI (Non-Resident Indian)

Even though there are several rumours about the difference in the purchase process between local Indians and their overseas counterparts, the process is exactly the same. Almost every bank will extend a mortgage to OCIs and NRIs using the property as collateral. If an OCI or NRI is purchasing property under general permissions, then they don’t have to seek permission from the RBI before the purchase.

If an OCI or NRI plans to purchase a property in India using funds from outside the country, then they’ll have to open an NRI Account. It’s a general term for 3 types of bank accounts:

• NRO (Rupee Non-Repatriable)

• FCNR (Euro, Dollar, Yen, Pound, Aus Dollars, and Can dollars)

• NRE (Rupee Repatriable)

Now you must have gotten an answer to your query on “can UK citizen buy property in India”

Avail NoBroker’s NRI Property Management Services if You are Looking to Buy a Property in India

Read more:

How can an NRI buy a property in India?

What kind of property can NRI buy in India?

What is the TDS on sale of property by NRI?

I hope now you will be able to answer if someone asks you “can a british citizen buy property in India”