An NRI living in Kuwait can buy or sell property in India through a specific power of attorney notarised at the Kuwaiti Ministry of Justice and attested by Kuwait's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Embassy of India, or signed at the Embassy. The attorney holder completes registration in India, and sale proceeds can be remitted to Kuwait from your NRO account within the annual limit after tax.
- Document route
- Kuwaiti Ministry of Justice notarisation, Kuwait Ministry of Foreign Affairs attestation, then Embassy of India attestation
- Time difference
- IST is 2h30 ahead of Kuwait time all year (no daylight saving)
- Rules
- FEMA (Non-Debt Instruments) Rules 2019
- Not allowed to buy
- Agricultural land, plantation, farmhouse
Buying & Selling Property from Kuwait: how it works
Title is checked first, then we draft a power of attorney naming the property and limiting the attorney holder to the acts needed, such as signing the deed and receiving payment into your own account. After attestation in Kuwait, the original is couriered to India and stamped within three months of arrival. For a purchase, payment should come from your NRE or NRO account or by remittance from Kuwait through a bank or licensed exchange company, creating a clear trail for future repatriation.
Our team prepares or reviews the agreement and sale deed, checks stamp duty and accompanies the attorney holder to the sub-registrar. On a sale, the buyer deducts tax at non-resident rates, so we apply early for a lower deduction certificate where your actual gain is smaller. Kuwait does not tax personal income, so an Indian return is the place to recover any excess deduction. We then complete mutation for a purchase, or the remittance paperwork for a sale.
What clients in Kuwait should know
- Goa has particular rules on succession and property under the Goa Civil Code; inherited Goan property needs careful checking before sale.
- Pay the entire price through banks; cash or informal transfers leave you without proof and can breach FEMA.
- A power of attorney limited to one property and a minimum price reduces the risk of misuse.
Step by step from Kuwait
Video consultation
A call at a time that suits Kuwait, after we have read your documents.
Documents signed in Kuwait
Kuwaiti Ministry of Justice notarisation, Kuwait Ministry of Foreign Affairs attestation, then Embassy of India attestation
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 Kuwait where needed.
The full guide
This page covers what changes when you are in Kuwait. 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 Kuwait and the NRI Property Law practice area.
Questions from clients in Kuwait
How long does attestation in Kuwait take?
Usually several working days through the Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Embassy.
Can the sale money come to Kuwait?
Yes, from your NRO account within the annual limit, with Forms 15CA and 15CB.
Is the sale taxed in Kuwait?
No. Kuwait does not levy personal income tax; Indian capital gains tax applies.