NRI process
Remote property valuation, day by day
Most NRI valuations complete within a week including inspection; document-based visa reports within three days. Here is exactly what happens and what goes wrong.
- Day 0: brief Purpose, country, deadline, address, co-owners. WhatsApp is fastest; email works.
- Day 0–1: shortlist Two or three registered valuers for that purpose and city with registration numbers, fee, turnaround and a sample report.
- Day 1: documents Title deed, tax receipt, utility bill, society or land record, ID; scans to a shared folder. Valuer confirms sufficiency.
- Day 2–4: inspection Valuer or associate visits; a relative, tenant or society office opens the door. For document-based visa reports, a live video walkthrough with geotagged photographs replaces the visit and the report says so.
- Day 3–5: draft You check names (as in passport), survey numbers, areas, dates. One correction round free.
- Day 3–6: final Signed and stamped PDF; dual currency; original couriered (3–10 days by destination).
- After: hand-offs CA for net-worth certificate, lower-deduction certificate (Section 397, Form 13) or Forms 145/146; review request.
Failure modes and how to avoid them
| Criterion | What happens | How to avoid it |
|---|---|---|
| Report without inspection | Challenged by assessing officer | Choose a valuer with inspectors in the city; confirm the inspection date |
| Guideline value used as FMV 2001 | Understates cost; overstates tax | Insist on a registered valuer's reconstruction from registrar data |
| CA-only certificate where embassy wanted a valuer | Query or refusal | Order the valuation first; the CA builds on it |
| Missing dual currency | Officer cannot read the value | Ask for INR plus your currency at the RBI rate |
| Report older than validity window | Stale evidence | Time the report to the filing date; ask for a fresh one if delayed |
| Co-owner missing | Ownership mismatch | List every owner as in the deed and passports |
| Unregistered POA | Sale deed refused | Execute before the consulate or notarise and apostille, then adjudicate in India |
| Valuer not registered for asset class | Agricultural land report rejected | Match the registration category to the property |
Payment from abroad
International card, PayPal or Wise to the valuer's Indian account, or UPI through a relative. Valuers issue GST invoices; keep them for your foreign tax filing where the cost is deductible against the gain.
Frequently asked questions
What if nobody can open the property?
Society offices, neighbours with keys, or a local property manager can provide access; for vacant plots the valuer inspects from the boundary with survey records.
Is a video inspection acceptable for tax reports?
No. Income-tax and bank reports need a physical inspection; visa reports can be document-based.
How do I verify the valuer from abroad?
Ask for the registration certificate and Form 169 acknowledgement; search IBBI registrations online; verify CA UDINs on the ICAI portal. See the verification guide.
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.