Malayalis working in the US, UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and the Gulf ask us the same first question: what am I actually allowed to buy back home? Here is the short answer under India’s FEMA rules, and how we check it on every listing.
What NRIs and OCI card holders can buy
- Flats and apartments
- Houses and villas
- Residential plots
- Shops, offices and other commercial property
There is no limit on how many residential or commercial properties you can own.
What you cannot buy
- Agricultural land
- Plantation property
- Farmhouses
You can keep agricultural land you inherited, or land you owned before you became an NRI. If you want to buy it, you would need special permission from the Reserve Bank of India.
Why the land classification matters in Kerala
Many plots in Kerala are still recorded as agricultural land (often paddy or wetland) in the revenue records, even when they look like ordinary house plots. A sale of agricultural land to an NRI is not valid. That is why we check the classification in the records before we show any land to an NRI buyer, and we mark every eligible listing as “NRI eligible”.
How you pay
Payment must come through normal banking channels, usually from your NRE or NRO account in India, or by inward remittance. Never in cash. If you need a home loan, our finance partner works with 30+ banks that offer NRI home loans.
Budget for the extra costs
In Kerala, stamp duty is 8% and the registration fee is 2%, charged on the higher of the sale price or the government’s fair value of the land. Add these to your budget from the start.
Want us to shortlist NRI-eligible, verified properties for you? Book a live video tour at a time that suits you, and we’ll walk you through each one.