A UK-based NRI or OCI holder can buy or sell property in India through a specific power of attorney signed before a UK notary public and apostilled by the FCDO. The attorney holder completes registration in India. Sale proceeds can be remitted to the UK from your NRO account up to USD 1 million per financial year after tax, with Forms 15CA and 15CB, and the gain must also be reported to HMRC.
- Document route
- UK notary public, then FCDO apostille
- Time difference
- IST is 4h30 (BST) to 5h30 (GMT) ahead
- Rules
- FEMA (Non-Debt Instruments) Rules 2019
- Not allowed to buy
- Agricultural land, plantation, farmhouse
Buying & Selling Property from the UK: how it works
We verify title and draft a power of attorney tailored to the property and the acts required, avoiding wide general powers that banks and sub-registrars question. You sign before a notary in the UK, the FCDO adds the apostille, and the original is couriered to India for stamping within three months. On a purchase, funds should come from your NRE or NRO account or by transfer from the UK, so that the investment can later be repatriated.
We draft or check the agreement and sale deed, confirm stamp duty and attend registration with the attorney holder. For a sale, applying early for a lower deduction certificate stops the buyer withholding excess tax. After completion, we prepare the remittance file for your bank. HMRC taxes UK residents on foreign gains under the rules in force since April 2025, with credit for Indian tax under the India-UK treaty, so keep every document.
What clients in the UK should know
- UK tax treatment of foreign income and gains changed in April 2025 when the remittance basis was replaced; check your position with a UK adviser before selling.
- Indian stamp duty must be paid on the power of attorney once it arrives in India, usually within three months; an unstamped document is not accepted for registration.
- OCI holders can buy residential and commercial property but not agricultural land, plantations or farmhouses.
Step by step from the UK
Video consultation
A call at a time that suits the UK, after we have read your documents.
Documents signed in the UK
UK notary public, then FCDO apostille
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 the UK where needed.
The full guide
This page covers what changes when you are in the UK. 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 the UK and the NRI Property Law practice area.
Questions from clients in the UK
Can I sign the sale deed at the Indian High Commission in London?
Yes, documents can be attested there, but a power of attorney is usually simpler and lets someone attend registration in India for you.
How long does the power of attorney take to reach India?
Notarisation and the FCDO apostille take about a week to two weeks, and courier another few days.
Will I pay tax in both countries?
The gain is taxable in India and the UK, but the UK gives credit for Indian tax paid under the treaty.