From New Zealand you can sell or buy property in India through an attorney holder under a notarised power of attorney apostilled by the Department of Internal Affairs. Indian tax is deducted by the buyer at non-resident rates. New Zealand has no general capital gains tax, and transitional residents are exempt on most foreign income, so Indian tax is often the only tax on the sale.
- Document route
- Notary + DIA apostille, or Indian mission
- Time difference
- 6.5 to 7.5 hours ahead of IST
- Handled in India at
- Sub-registrar office and tax portal
- Travel to India
- None with a power of attorney
How it works from New Zealand
We prepare title and tax papers, apply for a lower deduction certificate and coordinate with the buyer. Your attorney holder signs and registers the deed; payment is made into your NRO account. Courier between New Zealand and India takes about a week each way, so documents are planned in one batch.
After the sale we file your Indian return and prepare the accountant's certificate for remittance. Your New Zealand adviser should confirm whether any specific rule, such as the bright-line test, which concerns New Zealand land, or the financial arrangement rules, touches your situation.
What is different for NRIs in New Zealand
- Timing a sale within the transitional resident period can matter.
- Never take cash; it cannot be remitted.
- Buying: residential and commercial only.
Step by step from New Zealand
Free review call
Calls are held in your late afternoon or evening, when the Indian day begins. We read your papers on a property purchase or sale in India first, so the call is about your options and not a repeat of the facts.
Authority from New Zealand
Where a representative must act for you in India on a property purchase or sale in India, you sign before a New Zealand notary public and obtain the apostille of the Department of Internal Affairs, or attend the High Commission in Wellington or the Consulate in Auckland. We draft the document and send signing instructions.
Work in India
In India, we verify title, settle the agreement and sale deed, handle the tax deduction paperwork and attend registration with your attorney holder. Updates for clients in New Zealand go by email and WhatsApp with scans of whatever is filed.
Result and handover
At the end you receive the registered deed, tax certificates and, on a sale, the bank papers for repatriation. Originals are couriered to your address in New Zealand if you need them.
The law in full
This page covers what changes when you handle a property purchase or sale in India from New Zealand. For the Indian law, the complete document checklist, common mistakes and more questions, read our main page on Buying & Selling Property. For other matters, see all legal services for NRIs in New Zealand or the Property & Real Estate practice area.
Questions from NRIs in New Zealand
Can I sell property in India from New Zealand without travelling?
Yes, through a registered special power of attorney.
Is the gain taxed in New Zealand?
Usually not as a capital gain, but confirm with a New Zealand tax adviser.
How do I remit the proceeds?
From the NRO account by bank transfer after Indian tax, up to one million US dollars a year.