A Hong Kong resident can sell or buy property in India through a specific power of attorney signed before a Hong Kong notary and apostilled by the High Court registry. The attorney holder signs the deed and appears before the sub-registrar. On a sale by a non-resident, the buyer deducts tax at source, and proceeds go to your NRO account. They can then be repatriated up to USD 1 million per financial year, after Forms 15CA and 15CB.
- Document route
- Hong Kong notary, then apostille from the High Court
- Time difference
- IST is 2h30 behind Hong Kong all year (no daylight saving)
- Rules
- FEMA (Non-Debt Instruments) Rules 2019
- Not allowed to buy
- Agricultural land, plantation, farmhouse
Buying & Selling Property from Hong Kong: how it works
We check the title, the chain of documents and any society or authority approvals before you commit. We then draft a power of attorney limited to the specific property and transaction, naming the person in India who will sign, receive payment and hand over possession. You sign before a Hong Kong notary, the High Court registry apostilles it, and you courier it to us. Some North Indian sub-registrars ask for the original apostilled document and proof of stamping, so we adjudicate and stamp it soon after arrival.
In India we draft or review the agreement to sell and the sale deed, and our team accompanies the attorney holder for registration. Because sellers who are non-residents suffer tax deduction at higher rates, we usually apply early for a lower deduction certificate based on the actual capital gain. Proceeds are paid by banking channels into your NRO or NRE account. For purchases, payment must come from your NRE or NRO account or by inward remittance, and an NRI may not buy agricultural land, a plantation or a farmhouse.
What clients in Hong Kong should know
- Hong Kong permanent residents who are not Indian citizens and do not hold an OCI card generally need RBI permission to acquire Indian immovable property.
- Hong Kong does not tax the capital gain, so Indian tax is usually the only tax on the sale, and planning the Indian deduction matters more.
- If title came through a parent's estate, mutation and succession papers must be complete before a buyer's bank will release a loan.
Step by step from Hong Kong
Video consultation
A call at a time that suits Hong Kong, after we have read your documents.
Documents signed in Hong Kong
Hong Kong notary, then apostille from the High Court
Work in India
Our team files, appears and follows up in India, and shares scans of everything filed.
Result and handover
Certified copies and originals are couriered to you in Hong Kong where needed.
The full guide
This page covers what changes when you are in Hong Kong. For the law, the documents and the step-by-step procedure, read our main page on Buying & Selling Property, or see all services for clients in Hong Kong and the NRI Property Law practice area.
Questions from clients in Hong Kong
Can I sign the sale deed at the Consulate in Hong Kong?
It is possible in principle, but registration still has to happen in India in time. A specific power of attorney is usually simpler.
How long will a sale take?
With clear title and an agreed buyer, often six to ten weeks, allowing for the courier, stamping and the lower deduction certificate.
Can the sale money be sent to my Hong Kong account?
Yes, within FEMA limits and after tax, with Forms 15CA and 15CB through your Indian bank.