Q.859 Who can buy property in

Goa, India.

Question: Hello, I wondered if I would be able to buy property in Goa. My Grandparents were born in Amritsar and later moved to Kenya. My Father was born in Nairobi, Kenya and now has an Indian and British passport. I have a British passport only. As I had Indian born Grandparents(they are dead now) would it be possible I can buy in Goa? Thanks for your time, Regards, Melanie Hanspall [February 23, 2016] Answer: As per provisions in the Foreign Exchange Management Regulations regarding purchase and sale of immovable property in India, Persons of Indian Origin residing abroad can purchase immovable property in India other than agricultural land. This rule applies to all India including Goa which happens to be a part of India.

Who is considered to be a Person of

Indian Origin

Foreign Exchange Management Regulations give the following definition of a Person of Indian Origin: 'Person of Indian Origin' means a citizen of any country other than Bangladesh or Pakistan or Sri Lanka, if: a) he at any time held Indian passport; or b) he or either of his parents or any of his grand- parents was a citizen of India by virtue of the Constitution of India or the Citizenship Act, 1955 (57 of 1955); or c) the person is a spouse of an Indian citizen or a person referred to in sub clause ( a ) or (b); It would appear from your email that you may indeed be considered to be a person of Indian origin, provided of course you have documentation to back up the facts of your grandparents Indian status. As a person of Indian origin you could purchase property in Goa, India. You may consider applying for first for Overseas Citizen of India registration (OCI). This way your Indian origin questions would be put to rest and then when you do purchase property in India, you will have a lifetime visa to enjoy your property at your leisure. Information on how to apply for OCI are provided on this website in a separate article.