Buying property in Mangalore as an NRI

Mangalore has a long-standing population working in the Gulf and further afield, and a steady share of buyers here are doing it from abroad. The rules are more straightforward than most people expect, with a few specific edges.

Non-Resident Indians and Overseas Citizens of India are generally permitted to buy residential and commercial property in India under FEMA rules, and no special permission is needed for an ordinary flat or shop. The usual exceptions are agricultural land, plantation property and farmhouses, which cannot be bought the same way, although they can in some cases be inherited.

Payment has to move through normal banking channels: an inward remittance, or funds held in an NRE, NRO or FCNR account. It cannot be handed over in foreign currency, and it cannot be paid in cash. Keep the remittance records, because they matter later if you sell and want to repatriate the proceeds.

Home loans are available from Indian banks and housing finance companies for NRI buyers, serviced through your NRE or NRO account. Terms differ from resident loans, so compare more than one lender rather than taking the first offer.

If you cannot travel for registration, a Power of Attorney lets someone in India complete it for you. It has to be drawn up properly, executed at the Indian consulate where you live or notarised and then adjudicated in India, and it should be specific about what it authorises. This is the step where being slightly too careful costs nothing and being casual costs a great deal.

There are tax consequences on both sides: tax deducted at source when you eventually sell, and whatever your country of residence has to say about foreign property. A chartered accountant who handles NRI matters will set this out in one conversation.

Rules do change, and the details depend on your residency status and the country you are in, so confirm the current position with your bank or a lawyer before committing funds. What we can help with is the part on this side: the RERA filing, the approvals, the specification, and someone walking the site on your behalf and sending you honest photographs of it.