Q.1. Who can purchase immovable property in India ? Ans. Under the general permission available, the following categories can purchase immovable property in India: i) Non-Resident Indian ii) Person of Indian Origin The general permission, however, covers only purchase of residential and commercial property and is not available for purchase of agricultural land / plantation property / farm house in India. Q.2. Are any documents required to be filed with the Reserve Bank after the purchase? Ans. No. An NRI / PIO who has purchased residential / commercial property under general permission, is not required to file any documents/reports with the Reserve Bank. Q.3. How many residential / commercial properties can NRI / PIO purchase under the general permission? Ans. There are no restrictions on the number of residential / commercial properties that can be purchased. Q.4. Can a foreign national of non-Indian origin be a second holder to immovable property purchased by NRI / PIO? Ans. No. Q.5. Can a foreign national of non-Indian origin resident outside India purchase immovable property in India? Ans. No. A foreign national of non-Indian origin, resident outside India cannot purchase any immovable property in India unless such property is acquired by way of inheritance from a person who was resident in India. However, he / she can acquire or transfer immovable property in India, on lease, not exceeding five years. In such cases, there is no requirement of taking any permission of /or reporting to the Reserve Bank. Q.6. Can a foreign national who is a person resident in India purchase immovable property in India? Ans. Yes, a foreign national who is a ‘person resident in India’ within the meaning of Section 2(v) of FEMA, 1999 can purchase immovable property in India, but the person concerned would have to obtain the approvals and fulfil the requirements, if any, prescribed by other authorities, such as, the State Government concerned, etc. The onus to prove his/her residential status is on the individual as per the extant FEMA provisions, if required by any authority. However, a foreign national resident in India who is a citizen of Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, China, Iran, Nepal and Bhutan would require prior approval of the Reserve Bank. Q.7. Can the branch / liaison office of a foreign company purchase immovable property in India? Ans. A foreign company which has established a Branch Office or other place of business in India, in accordance with the Foreign Exchange Management (Establishment in India of Branch or Office or other Place of Business) Regulations, 2000, can acquire any immovable property in India, which is necessary for or incidental to carrying on such activity. The payment for acquiring such a property should be made by way of foreign inward remittance through the proper banking channels. A declaration in form IPI should be filed with the Reserve Bank within ninety days from the date of acquiring the property. Such a property can also be mortgaged with an Authorised Dealer as a security for the purpose of borrowings. On winding up of the business, the sale proceeds of such property can be repatriated only with the prior approval of the Reserve Bank. Further, acquisition of immovable property by entities incorporated in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, China, Iran, Nepal and Bhutan and who have set up Branch Offices in India and would require prior approval of the Reserve Bank. However, if the foreign company has established a Liaison Office in India, it cannot acquire immovable property. In such cases, Liaison Offices can acquire property by way of lease not exceeding 5 years. Q.8. Can an NRI/ PIO/foreign national sell his residential / commercial property? Ans. (a) NRI can sell property in India to i) a person resident in India; or ii) an NRI; or iii) a PIO. (b) PIO can sell property in India to i) a person resident in India; or ii) an NRI; or iii) a PIO – with the prior approval of the Reserve Bank (c) Foreign national of non-Indian origin including a citizen of Pakistan or Bangladesh or Sri Lanka or Afghanistan or China or Iran or Nepal or Bhutan can sell property in India with prior approval of the Reserve Bank to i) a person resident in India ii) an NRI iii) a PIO Q.9. Can residential / commercial property be mortgaged by NRI/ PIO? Ans. i) NRI / PIO can mortgage a residential / commercial property to: (a) an Authorised Dealer / the housing finance institution in India without the approval of Reserve Bank (b) a bank abroad, with the prior approval of the Reserve Bank. ii) A foreign national of non-Indian origin can mortgage a residential / commercial property only with prior approval of the Reserve Bank. iii) A foreign company which has established a Branch Office or other place of business in accordance with FERA/FEMA regulations has general permission to mortgage the property with an Authorised Dealer in India. Q.10. How can an NRI / PIO make payment for purchase of residential / commercial property in India? Ans. Payment can be made by NRI / PIO out of: (a) funds remitted to India through normal banking channels or (b) funds held in NRE / FCNR (B) / NRO account maintained in India No payment can be made either by traveller’s cheque or by foreign currency notes or by other mode except those specifically mentioned above. Q.11 Is repatriation of application money for booking of flat / payment made to the builder by NRI/ PIO allowed when the flat or plot is not allotted or the booking / contract is cancelled? Ans. The Authorised Dealers can allow NRIs / PIOs to credit refund of application/ earnest money/ purchase consideration made by the house building agencies/ seller on account of non-allotment of flat/ plot/ cancellation of bookings/ deals for purchase of residential, commercial property, together with interest, if any, net of income tax payable thereon, to NRE/FCNR account, provided, the original payment was made out of NRE/FCNR account of the account holder or remittance from outside India through normal banking channels and the Authorised Dealer is satisfied about the genuineness of the transaction. Q.12. Can NRI / PIO avail of loan from an authorised dealer for acquiring flat / house in India for his own residential use against the security of funds held in his NRE Fixed Deposit account / FCNR (B) account? How the loan can be repaid? Ans. Yes, such loans are permitted subject to the terms and conditions laid down in Schedules 1 and 2 to the Notification No. FEMA 5/2000-RB dated May 3, 2000 viz. Foreign Exchange Management (Deposit) Regulations, 2000, as amended from time to time. Banks cannot grant fresh loans or renew existing loans in excess of Rs. 100 lakhs against NRE and FCNR (B) deposits, either to the depositors or to third parties. The banks should also not undertake artificial slicing of the loan amount to circumvent the ceiling of Rs. 100 lakh. Such loans can be repaid in the following manner: (a) by way of inward remittance through normal banking channel or (b) by debit to the NRE / FCNR (B) / NRO account of the NRI/ PIO or (c) out of rental income from such property (d) by the borrower's close relatives, as defined in section 6 of the Companies Act, 1956, through their account in India by crediting the borrower's loan account. Q.13. Can NRI / PIO, avail of housing loan in Rupees from an Authorised Dealer or a Housing Finance Institution in India approved by the National Housing Bank for purchase of residential accommodation or for the purpose of repairs / renovation / improvement of residential accommodation ? How can such loan be repaid? Ans. Yes, NRI/PIO can avail of housing loan in Rupees from an Authorised Dealer or a Housing Finance Institution subject to certain terms and conditions laid down in Regulation 8 of Notification No. FEMA 4/2000-RB dated May 3, 2000 viz. Foreign Exchange Management (Borrowing and lending in rupees) Regulations, 2000, as amended from time to time. Authorised Dealers/ Housing Finance Institutions can also lend to the NRIs/ PIOs for the purpose of repairs/renovation/ improvement of residential accommodation owned by them in India. Such a loan can be repaid (a) by way of inward remittance through normal banking channel or (b) by debit to the NRE / FCNR (B) / NRO account of the NRI / PIO or (c) out of rental income from such property; or (d) by the borrower's close relatives, as defined in section 6 of the Companies Act, 1956, through their account in India by crediting the borrower's loan account. Q.14. Can NRI/PIO avail of housing loan in Rupees from his employer in India? Ans. Yes, subject to certain terms and conditions given in Regulation 8A of Notification No. FEMA 4/2000-RB dated May 3, 2000 and A.P. (DIR Series) Circular No.27 dated October 10, 2003, i.e., (i) The loan shall be granted only for personal purposes including purchase of housing property in India; (ii) The loan shall be granted in accordance with the lender’s Staff Welfare Scheme/Staff Housing Loan Scheme and subject to other terms and conditions applicable to its staff resident in India; (iii) The lender shall ensure that the loan amount is not used for the purposes specified in sub-clauses (i) to (iv) of clause (1) and in clause (2) of Regulation 6 of Notification No.FEMA.4/2000-RB dated May 3, 2000. (iv) The lender shall credit the loan amount to the borrower’s NRO account in India or shall ensure credit to such account by specific indication on the payment instrument; (v) The loan agreement shall specify that the repayment of loan shall be by way of remittance from outside India or by debit to NRE/NRO/FCNR Account of the borrower and the lender shall not accept repayment by any other means. Q.15. Can NRI / PIO repatriate outside India the sale proceeds of immovable property held in India? Ans. (a) In the event of sale of immovable property other than agricultural land / farm house / plantation property in India by a NRI / PIO, the Authorised Dealer may allow repatriation of the sale proceeds outside India, provided the following conditions are satisfied, namely: (i) the immovable property was acquired by the seller in accordance with the provisions of the foreign exchange law in force at the time of acquisition by him or the provisions of these Regulations; (ii) the amount to be repatriated does not exceed: • the amount paid for acquisition of the immovable property in foreign exchange received through normal banking channels, or • the amount paid out of funds held in Foreign Currency Non-Resident Account, or • the foreign currency equivalent (as on the date of payment) of the amount paid where such payment was made from the funds held in Non-Resident External account for acquisition of the property; and (iii) in the case of residential property, the repatriation of sale proceeds is restricted to not more than two such properties. For this purpose, repatriation outside India means the buying or drawing of foreign exchange from an authorised dealer in India and remitting it outside India through normal banking channels or crediting it to an account denominated in foreign currency or to an account in Indian currency maintained with an authorised dealer from which it can be converted in foreign currency. (b) in case the property is acquired out of Rupee resources and/or the loan is repaid by close relatives in India (as defined in Section 6 of the Companies Act, 1956), the amount can be credited to the NRO account of the NRI/PIO. The amount of capital gains, if any, arising out of sale of the property can also be credited to the NRO account. NRI/PIO are also allowed by the Authorised Dealers to repatriate an amount up to USD 1 million per financial year out of the balance in the NRO account / sale proceeds of assets by way of purchase / the assets in India acquired by him by way of inheritance / legacy. This is subject to production of documentary evidence in support of acquisition, inheritance or legacy of assets by the remitter, and a tax clearance / no objection certificate from the Income Tax Authority for the remittance. Remittances exceeding US $ 1,000,000 (US Dollar One million only) in any financial year requires prior permission of the Reserve Bank. (c) A person referred to in sub-section (5) of Section 6 of the Foreign Exchange Management Act 3[3][3], or his successor shall not, except with the prior permission of the Reserve Bank, repatriate outside India the sale proceeds of any immovable property referred to in that sub-section. Q.16. Can an NRI/PIO repatriate the proceeds in case the sale proceeds were deposited in the NRO account? Ans. Please refer to the answer at Q.22 above. NRI/PIO may repatriate up to USD one million per financial year (April-March) from their NRO account which would also include the sale proceeds of immovable property. There is no lock in period for sale of immovable property and repatriation of sale proceeds outside India. Q.17. If a Rupee loan was taken by the NRI/ PIO from an Authorised Dealer or a Housing Finance Institution for purchase of residential property can the NRI / PIO repatriate the sale proceeds of such property? Ans. Yes, Authorised Dealers have been authorised to allow repatriation of sale proceeds of residential accommodation purchased by NRIs/ PIOs out of funds raised by them by way of loans from the authorised dealers/ housing finance institutions to the extent such loan/s repaid by them are out of the foreign inward remittances received through normal banking channel or by debit to their NRE/FCNR accounts. The balance amount, if any, can be credited to their NRO account and the NRI/PIO may repatriate up to USD one million per financial year (April-March) subject to payment of applicable taxes from their NRO account balances which would also include the sale proceeds of the immovable property. Q.18. Can NRI / PIO rent out the residential / commercial property purchased out of foreign exchange / rupee funds? Ans. Yes, NRI/PIO can rent out the property without the approval of the Reserve Bank. The rent received can be credited to NRO / NRE account or remitted abroad. Powers have been delegated to the Authorised Dealers to allow repatriation of current income like rent, dividend, pension, interest, etc. of NRIs/PIO who do not maintain an NRO account in India based on an appropriate certification by a Chartered Accountant, certifying that the amount proposed to be remitted is eligible for remittance and that applicable taxes have been paid/provided for. Q.19. Can a person who had bought immovable property, when he was a resident, continue to hold such property even after becoming an NRI/PIO? In which account can the sale proceeds of such immovable property be credited? Ans. Yes, a person who had bought the residential / commercial property / agricultural land/ plantation property / farm house in India when he was a resident, continue to hold the immovable property without the approval of the Reserve Bank even after becoming an NRI/PIO. The sale proceeds may be credited to NRO account of the NRI /PIO. Q.20. Can the sale proceeds of the immovable property referred to in Q.No. 29 be remitted abroad ? Ans. Yes, From the balance in the NRO account, NRI/PIO may remit up to USD one million, per financial year, subject to the satisfaction of Authorised Dealer and payment of applicable taxes. Q.21. Can foreign nationals of non-Indian origin resident in India or outside India who had earlier acquired immovable property under FERA with specific approval of the Reserve Bank continue to hold the same? Can they transfer such property? Ans. Yes, they may continue to hold the immovable property under holding license obtained from the Reserve Bank. However, they can transfer the property only with the prior approval of the Reserve Bank.