Buying a villa at Embassy Riverine from abroad: an NRI checklist

NRIs can buy a villa at Embassy Riverine without flying to Bengaluru. No permission from the Reserve Bank of India is needed to buy a home. You check the RERA registration online, pay in rupees by remittance or from your NRE, NRO or FCNR account, deduct 1% TDS on each payment, see the site on a live video call, and have a family member sign at registration under a power of attorney.

This checklist walks through each step for a buyer abroad, using Riverine as the example.

1. Check the project from where you are

Embassy Riverine is registered with Karnataka RERA under PRM/KA/RERA/1251/309/PR/090926/008924. You can open the registration on rera.karnataka.gov.in from any country and download the certificate. Our Riverine RERA guide explains what to look for, including the completion date Embassy filed.

2. Understand what you are buying

Indian rules let NRIs buy residential property but not agricultural land, plantations or farm houses. A home in a RERA registered housing project is residential. What you still need to know is the legal form of the villa. Embassy says "villa home" is a marketing expression, so ask whether you will own a plot with a house or a home with an undivided share of land. Our guide to what a villa home is lists the questions.

3. Choose the layout and budget

Embassy's price sheet lists a 4 BHK from 4,251 sq.ft. at ₹14.10 Cr to ₹14.97 Cr, and a 4.5 BHK from 5,265 sq.ft. at ₹17.43 Cr to ₹19.87 Cr. Floor plans have not been released yet. Our Embassy Riverine price guide explains what the sheet does and does not include.

4. See it on video

We do live video site visits in your time zone. We show the approach roads, the site, the clubhouse area and the drive from the airport. Embassy puts the airport at around 20 minutes, which helps when you visit a few times a year.

5. Move the money the right way

Payments must be in rupees, through banking channels. Never cash, and never in foreign currency. Keep every remittance advice and bank statement. They are what let you take the money back out if you sell.

6. Deduct 1% TDS

When you buy a home worth ₹50 lakh or more from a resident seller, including a developer, the buyer must deduct 1% TDS from each payment and deposit it with the tax department. You will need a PAN. It is not an extra cost: you pay 99% to Embassy and 1% to the government. On a ₹14.10 Cr villa, the TDS adds up to about ₹14.1 lakh across all payments.

7. A home loan, if you want one

Most Indian banks lend to NRIs, usually up to 75% of the value for homes above ₹75 lakh, with EMIs paid from your NRE or NRO account. At Riverine's prices, that is a large loan, so start early and speak to more than one bank. Expect to show overseas income proof, your passport and your visa or residence permit.

8. Registration by power of attorney

You do not need to be present to register. Execute a power of attorney abroad, have it attested at the Indian embassy or consulate, then stamp it in Karnataka after it arrives. Ask Embassy's legal team for their preferred format before you draft one. Stamp duty and registration in Karnataka come to about 6.6% of the value, roughly ₹93 lakh on a ₹14.10 Cr villa.

The hub's NRI guide to buying property in Bangalore covers repatriation and tax in more depth. Rules change, so confirm the current position with your bank and a chartered accountant before you remit.

9. Looking after the villa while you are away

A villa needs more care than a flat: gardens, terraces and three levels of rooms. Ask what the association will maintain and what falls to you. If you let the home, the rent is taxable in India, and your tenant may need to deduct tax before paying you. Pay maintenance from your NRO account, and give one family member written authority to deal with the association.

If you plan to return within a few years, check the completion date on the RERA filing against that plan.

Next step

Pick your country code on our form and tell us your time zone. We send the current price sheet, and book a video visit at a time that suits you.

General information, not tax or legal advice.