Comparison
Inspected vs Document-Based Valuation
Registered valuers can prepare a report from title documents, municipal records and photographs, or after a physical inspection. Both are legitimate if the report states its basis. What changes is acceptance: income-tax assessing officers routinely disregard uninspected reports, banks require inspection, and embassies accept document-based reports for most visa files. NRIs can have either, because inspection access is arranged through a relative, tenant or society.
| Criterion | With inspection | Document-based |
|---|---|---|
| Capital gains, FMV 2001, gifts (income tax) | Expected | Frequently rejected in assessment |
| Bank loan | Required | Not accepted |
| Visa and immigration | Accepted; strengthens high-value files | Accepted for most files |
| Court and partition | Required (often joint) | Not accepted |
| Cost | Includes travel; Rule 248 scale for tax | Flat ₹6,000–₹10,000 |
| Turnaround | 3–7 working days | 24–72 hours |
| NRI feasibility | Yes, with local access | Yes |
Verdict
Choose document-based for straightforward visa files with a deadline. Choose inspection for anything touching tax, lenders or courts, and for high-value visa files where the embassy has queried before. Either way, the report must say which basis was used.
Frequently asked questions
Will the embassy know if the property was not inspected?
The report states its basis. Officers accept document-based reports for most files; a photograph set and video call note reduce queries.
How does inspection work if I live abroad?
A relative, tenant or society office gives access; the valuer photographs and measures; you review the draft remotely.
Related comparisons
Last reviewed 6 September 2026 by ValuerDekho editorial team. Regulatory references are to the Income-tax Act 2025 and Income-tax Rules 2026 (in force from 1 April 2026) with the former 1961-Act section numbers in brackets. This is general information, not tax or legal advice.