Can a foreigner buy property in India?

Purchase by foreigners is closed or allowed only in narrow cases

India allows non-resident Indian citizens and Overseas Citizens of India to buy homes and commercial property, but not farmland. Other foreign nationals generally cannot buy property, though they may rent it.

Updated October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.

Rules change. This page describes the structure of the rule, not prices, taxes or quotas. Confirm the current position with the official source listed below, and with a lawyer in the country, before you pay anything. This is general information, not legal advice.

Land

Non-resident Indian citizens and Overseas Citizens of India cannot buy agricultural land, plantations or farmhouses, other than by inheritance.

Houses and flats

Non-resident Indians and Overseas Citizens of India may buy residential and commercial property. Foreign nationals who are not of Indian origin generally cannot, but a foreigner who lives in India under the law may have some rights.

Buying through a company

A foreign company that sets up an office in India under the central bank's rules may acquire property for its own business use.

Limits and closed zones

Foreign exchange rules control how money is paid and sent abroad on a sale.

What to watch for

The rules are in the foreign exchange law and the central bank's directions. Take advice from an Indian lawyer on your category before you make an offer.

Understand the legal system first

India belongs to the Common law family. Property is registered and transferred differently in different traditions, so it helps to know how the system works.

Read the India legal-system profile in the Legal Families Atlas →
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Official sources

Reserve Bank of India

TheLawToKnow Tools’s guide to foreign property ownership is an educational overview of general rules. It is not legal advice, and it does not replace the official source or a lawyer in the country. Report a mistake.