The NRI Guide to Buying Plotted Land in Bangalore: FEMA Rules, Power of Attorney & Remote Registration

### Can NRIs Legally Buy Land in India? The Short Answer is YES.

Every month, MVK receives hundreds of inquiries from Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) and Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) based in San Francisco, London, Dubai, and Singapore.

The most common misconception is: *"Can an NRI legally buy land in India without flying to Bengaluru?"*

**Under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), 1999:** - NRIs and OCIs can freely purchase **any residential or commercial property, including residential plotted land**. - **The Only Restriction**: NRIs cannot purchase *agricultural land, plantation property, or farm houses* unless inherited from a resident Indian. - Because all MVK layouts are **100% DC converted to non-agricultural residential use** with BIAAPA/BMRDA approvals, NRIs can legally purchase, register, and repatriate funds with complete statutory safety.

Step 1: Banking Channels (NRE vs NRO Accounts) To comply with Reserve Bank of India (RBI) regulations, all property purchase transactions must be conducted through approved banking channels: - **NRE (Non-Resident External) Account**: Used when funds are remitted from abroad in foreign currency. Inward remittances through NRE accounts allow full repatriation of sale proceeds (principal + capital gains) back to your overseas account. - **NRO (Non-Resident Ordinary) Account**: Used if you are funding the purchase from income generated inside India (rental yields, dividends, prior investments). Repatriation is permitted up to USD 1 million per financial year under RBI guidelines. - **Important**: Payments can never be made in cash, traveler’s checks, or third-party foreign credit cards.

Step 2: Executing a Specific Power of Attorney (PoA) If you cannot fly to Bengaluru for the physical registration at the Sub-Registrar Office, you can execute a **Special Power of Attorney (PoA)**: 1. Draft a Specific PoA that restricts the agent's powers strictly to executing the purchase deed for the specific plot number. 2. Sign the PoA in the presence of the Indian Consulate or Embassy in your country of residence (or get it notarized and apostilled in Hague Apostille member countries). 3. Send the original PoA to India, where it must be adjudicated and stamped within 90 days at the jurisdictional District Registrar Office. 4. Your trusted family member or designated representative can then sign the deed and collect the original sale papers on your behalf.

Step 3: Remote Video KYC & Kaveri 2.0 Digital Verification Under Karnataka’s newly launched **Kaveri 2.0 digital registration system**, property verification has become radically transparent: - Pre-registration deed submission, stamp duty payment, and encumbrance tracking can be verified online. - MVK provides 4K drone videography and live GIS coordinate verification so you can inspect your exact boundary stones from anywhere in the world.