A Saudi Arabia-based NRI can buy or sell property in India through a specific power of attorney. Since December 2022, a document notarised in Saudi Arabia, including through Najiz e-notarisation, can be apostilled by the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs for use in India, or you can sign at the Indian Embassy in Riyadh or the Consulate in Jeddah. Your attorney holder completes registration in India, and sale proceeds can be remitted to Saudi Arabia from your NRO account within the annual limit.
- Document route
- Saudi notary (including Najiz e-notarisation), then apostille from the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, or signing at the Indian mission
- Time difference
- IST is 2h30 ahead of Saudi time all year (no daylight saving)
- Rules
- FEMA (Non-Debt Instruments) Rules 2019
- Not allowed to buy
- Agricultural land, plantation, farmhouse
Buying & Selling Property from Saudi Arabia: how it works
We verify the title, then draft a power of attorney limited to the property and the acts needed: signing the agreement and deed, receiving payment into your own account and handing over possession. You sign it in the Kingdom by whichever route is quickest for you, and the original is couriered to India for stamping within three months of arrival. For a purchase, payment must come from your NRE or NRO account or by remittance from Saudi Arabia through a bank or licensed exchange, never by informal hawala, which leaves you without proof of payment and breaches FEMA.
We check the agreement and sale deed, confirm stamp duty and attend registration with the attorney holder, whose photograph and biometrics are taken at the sub-registrar's office. On a sale, the buyer must deduct tax at source at non-resident rates; we apply early for a lower deduction certificate so less money is held back. After completion, we prepare the file for remitting the proceeds. Saudi Arabia does not tax personal income, so the Indian tax position is the one that matters, and an Indian return may bring back excess tax withheld.
What clients in Saudi Arabia should know
- Exit and re-entry visa rules make short trips home costly for many Saudi-based workers, which is why a well-drafted power of attorney is usually the practical route.
- Never pay any part of the price through informal transfer channels; banks and courts in India look for a clean payment trail.
- An attorney holder should be someone you trust fully; the power of attorney can be limited to one property and a minimum price to reduce risk.
Step by step from Saudi Arabia
Video consultation
A call at a time that suits Saudi Arabia, after we have read your documents.
Documents signed in Saudi Arabia
Saudi notary (including Najiz e-notarisation), then apostille from the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, or signing at the Indian mission
Work in India
Our team files, appears and follows up in India, and shares scans of everything filed.
Result and handover
Certified copies and originals are couriered to you in Saudi Arabia where needed.
The full guide
This page covers what changes when you are in Saudi Arabia. For the law, the documents and the step-by-step procedure, read our main page on Buying & Selling Property, or see all services for clients in Saudi Arabia and the NRI Property Law practice area.
Questions from clients in Saudi Arabia
Can I use Najiz e-notarisation for an Indian power of attorney?
Yes, a document notarised through Najiz can be apostilled by the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs. We confirm the format with you before you sign.
Is signing at the Indian Embassy in Riyadh an option?
Yes. The Embassy and the Consulate in Jeddah attest documents, often through an outsourced service centre.
Will Saudi Arabia tax my Indian sale?
Saudi Arabia does not levy personal income tax on individuals. Indian capital gains tax applies, collected partly through the buyer's deduction.