Buying from abroad is simpler than selling from abroad. There is no tax to withhold on your own money, no certificate to apply for, and no repatriation to arrange — yet. What matters is four things: whether you are allowed to buy, how the money comes in, what you pay at registration, and how you complete without being in Delhi.
Who can buy
If you hold an Indian passport and live abroad, or you hold an OCI card, you can buy residential property in India. You do not need permission for it. The one thing you cannot buy is agricultural land, a plantation, or a farmhouse — so a South Delhi builder floor or independent house is fine, and a farmhouse in Chhatarpur is not. Your CA confirms your own position before you commit.
How the money comes in
Every rupee comes through a bank. Either you send it from abroad into the transaction, or you pay from your NRE, NRO or FCNR account in India. No cash, no foreign currency notes, no informal arrangement of any kind. This is the law, and it is also how Grey Beard works on every deal — we only show properties where the seller has agreed to a full-cheque sale.
Keep the bank records. When you sell one day, the record of how you paid decides how much of the money can leave India again.
Whether you need to be in India
Most of the process happens without you: shortlisting, visits by someone you trust or by us on video, negotiation, the agreement to sell, the paperwork. Registration is the one step that needs either you in the room or a power of attorney. If you use a power of attorney, it is signed at the consulate where you live, then stamped in Delhi before it can be used. Allow up to twelve weeks; start it early.
What you pay at registration
The same as anyone else. Stamp duty in Delhi is 7% for a man and 5% for a woman on anything above ₹25 lakh — that is 3% or 2% stamp duty plus MCD transfer duty of 4% or 3%, raised by one point in 2022. Registration is 1%. Many websites still show the old 6% and 4%; our calculator uses the current figures.
One thing is different when the buyer is an NRI: the tax you deduct from the seller.
- If the seller lives in India, you deduct 1% of the price under section 393(1) of the Income-tax Act 2025 (the old 194-IA) and pay it to the government on the seller's behalf.
- If the seller is also a non-resident, you deduct 12.5% plus surcharge and cess under section 393(2) (the old section 195), unless the seller has a certificate under section 395(1) (Form 128, the old Form 13) allowing a lower rate. You will need a TAN for this — the 1 October 2026 relief from TAN applies only to buyers who are resident in India.
Your CA handles the deposit and the forms. Grey Beard makes sure it happens before registration, not after.
Selling later
When you eventually sell, the money you brought in from abroad can normally go back out, for up to two residential properties. Anything above that — the gain, or a third property — goes out through your NRO account under the USD 1 million a year facility, with Forms 145 and 146 (the old 15CA and 15CB). Your bank and CA confirm which route applies. The paperwork you keep today is what makes this easy then.
What you actually want. A conversation about colony, floor, size, and what the property is for — living in it, family, or holding. We tell you what ₹10 crore and above buys in each colony today, from transacted prices, not asking prices.
A short list, not a long one. We show only properties we have already checked: title chain, mutation, building plan, and a seller who has agreed to full cheque. Twenty-five options and one right one is a real case.
Diligence before you commit. Ownership from allotment to today, sanctioned plan, completion certificate, land share and parking as written in the deed, and any loan on the property — all confirmed before token money moves.
Negotiation and agreement. Ashutosh negotiates directly. The agreement to sell records the real price, the payment schedule through banking channels, and the date for registration.
Registration. In person, or through the power of attorney you set up in step one. Stamp duty, registration fee and the seller's TDS all paid and filed before the sub-registrar. You get the registered deed and the complete file.
Can an NRI buy property in South Delhi?
Yes. NRIs and OCIs can buy residential and commercial property in India without special permission. Not agricultural land or farmhouses.
Can an OCI card holder buy?
Yes, on the same terms as an NRI.
Can I buy a farmhouse?
No. Farmhouses, plantations and agricultural land are not open to NRIs or OCIs.
How do I pay from abroad?
By sending money from abroad through a bank, or from your NRE, NRO or FCNR account in India. No cash, no foreign currency notes. Every payment through banking channels.
Do I need to be in India to register?
Either you, or someone holding your power of attorney. The power of attorney is signed at the consulate and stamped in Delhi before use. Allow up to twelve weeks.
What tax do I pay when I buy?
Stamp duty of 7% (men) or 5% (women) plus 1% registration, the same as a resident. Separately, you deduct tax from the seller's payment — 1% if the seller is resident, 12.5% plus surcharge and cess if the seller is a non-resident — and pay it to the government on their behalf.
Can I take the money out if I sell later?
The amount you brought in from abroad can normally be repatriated, for up to two residential properties. The rest goes through your NRO account under the USD 1 million a year facility. Your bank and CA confirm the route.
Does Grey Beard show me every property on the market?
No. Only properties we have checked and where the seller has agreed to a full-cheque sale.
This page explains the process. It is not legal or tax advice. Eligibility, tax and remittance depend on your own facts — confirm them with your CA and lawyer before you commit.