NRI Buyer Checklist

1. Before you shortlist

• Decide whose names go on the deed. Joint purchase with a resident Indian close relative (a parent, for example) is allowed — the payment must come from the NRI's own funds through banking channels.
• Property type check: NRIs can buy residential and commercial property, but not agricultural land, plantation property or farmhouses.
• Budget beyond the price: stamp duty (8%) and registration fee (2%) are charged on the higher of the sale price or the government fair value — see step 5.

2. Documents to verify on the property

• Title deed and the chain of prior deeds — no breaks in ownership.
• Encumbrance Certificate (EC) — at least 13 years, from the sub-registrar office.
• Latest land tax receipts — in the seller's name, paid up to date.
• Possession certificate — from the village office.
• Location sketch / FMB sketch — boundaries match the deed and the ground.
• For constructed property: approved building plan and occupancy certificate.
• For flats in projects: RERA registration — verify it yourself at rera.kerala.gov.in.

3. Your documents as the buyer

• Passport (and OCI card, if you hold one).
• PAN card.
• Overseas address proof and passport-size photographs.
• NRE / NRO bank account — payments should move through banking channels.
• If buying through a Power of Attorney: the POA original (see step 6) and the holder's ID and address proof.

4. The money trail

• Pay from your NRE, NRO or FCNR account through normal banking channels, and keep the SWIFT copies / FIRC safe — you will need them when you sell and repatriate.
• Record the payment schedule in the sale agreement; avoid cash components entirely.
• Buying from an NRI seller? Tax deducted at source (Section 195) applies to the buyer — take your chartered accountant's guidance before paying.

5. Fair value & registration costs

• Check the land's government fair value on the IGR Kerala portal (igr.kerala.gov.in) before you agree on a price — the deed cannot be registered below it.
• Stamp duty (8%) and registration fee (2%) are calculated on whichever is higher: the agreed sale price or the fair value.
• Registration happens at the Sub-Registrar Office for the area where the property sits.

6. If you are not travelling — the POA route

• Get a specific Power of Attorney drafted for this property and this transaction.
• Sign it before the Indian consulate, or have it apostilled if your country is a Hague Convention member.
• Send the original to Kerala and have it adjudicated before the District Registrar — this must be done within 3 months of the POA reaching India — and stamp duty paid.
• Only after adjudication can your POA holder sign and register the deed for you.

7. Registration day & after

• Deed executed and registered; collect your copy of the registered deed.
• Apply for a fresh EC after registration to confirm the entry.
• Mutation (pokkuvaravu): transfer the revenue records into your name at the village office, and start paying land tax in your name.
• For houses/flats: transfer building tax and the electricity/water connections.
• Scan and store every document — deed, EC, tax receipts, FIRC — in two places.

8. Selling later & repatriation

• Sale proceeds are credited to your NRO account.
• You can repatriate up to USD 1 million per financial year in total from NRO balances, after tax compliance and with your bank's documentation (including a chartered accountant's certificate).
• Keep the purchase deed, payment records and tax filings — repatriation paperwork asks for the full trail.