NRIs and OCI cardholders can freely acquire residential and commercial immovable property in India under FEMA's general permission route, without RBI approval, and can own multiple such properties with no cap on count or value. However, they are barred from acquiring agricultural land, plantation property, and tea/coffee/rubber/cardamom estates (inheritance of any property type, including agricultural land, is treated separately and remains permitted). Foreign nationals who are not NRIs/OCIs face tighter restrictions and generally need special RBI approval to buy property. Purchase funds must flow through inward remittance, NRE, NRO, or FCNR(B) accounts — cash, traveller's cheques, and third-party remittances are not permitted.
NRIs and OCIs can buy residential/commercial property in India under FEMA's general permission route — no RBI approval or cap on number/value of properties.
Agricultural land, plantations, and tea/coffee/rubber/cardamom estates cannot be purchased by NRIs/OCIs, though inheriting such property (from an Indian resident) is permitted.
Non-NRI/OCI foreign nationals face tighter restrictions and generally need special RBI approval to purchase property.
Purchase funds must be paid via inward remittance, NRE, NRO, or FCNR(B) accounts — cash and third-party remittances are not allowed.
FEMA violations carry penalties up to three times the contravention amount, or ₹2 lakh for non-quantifiable violations.
Required Documents
PAN card
OCI/NRI status proof
Bank account (NRE/NRO/FCNR) for payment routing
Common Mistakes
Attempting to buy agricultural land as an NRI/OCI — this is barred outright, regardless of intended use.
Paying for property in cash or via third-party remittance — FEMA requires payment through specific banking channels only.
Assuming full foreign-national status carries the same purchase rights as NRI/OCI status — non-NRI foreigners face materially tighter restrictions.