Before an NRI pays for property in Andhra Pradesh, 12 records should be checked: the ownership chain, the encumbrance certificate, the land records, the approvals and the seller’s identity. Most can be found on AP government portals. A few need a visit to the site or the sub-registrar’s office, which is where a local check helps.
Why do NRIs need a stricter check?
From abroad you can’t walk the boundary, meet the neighbours or sit in the sub-registrar’s office. Deals are often handled through a relative or a power of attorney, and payments are made before the buyer has seen the land. A dispute is far harder to fix from overseas than to prevent.
There is also a rule many buyers forget. Under India’s foreign exchange rules, NRIs and OCI cardholders can buy residential and commercial property, but not agricultural land, plantation property or a farmhouse without special permission. So the first question is always: what type of land is this on paper?
The 12 records
| # | Record | Where to get it | What to look for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Current sale deed | Seller; certified copy from the sub-registrar (IGRS AP) | Seller’s name, survey number, extent and boundaries match every other record |
| 2 | Link documents (usually the last 30 years) | Seller; IGRS AP | An unbroken chain of registered transfers, no gaps |
| 3 | Encumbrance certificate (EC) | IGRS AP portal | No unpaid mortgage, loan or other recorded claim |
| 4 | Prohibited property check (Section 22A list) | IGRS AP portal | The land is not government, assigned, endowment or other prohibited land |
| 5 | Adangal and 1B | Meebhoomi portal | For land: the owner’s name and the extent match the deed |
| 6 | Survey sketch (FMB) | Survey and land records department | The boundaries on paper match the land on the ground |
| 7 | Land-use conversion order | Revenue department | Farmland used for housing has been converted where required |
| 8 | Layout approval | APCRDA, or the municipality or panchayat | The plot is in an approved layout, not an unapproved one |
| 9 | Building plan approval | Municipal corporation or planning authority | The building matches the approved plan |
| 10 | AP RERA registration | AP RERA portal | For flats and new projects: registered, with a completion date and any complaints |
| 11 | Property tax and utility receipts | Municipality; seller | No unpaid dues that would pass to you |
| 12 | Seller identity and any power of attorney | Seller; sub-registrar | The person signing is the owner, or holds a valid, registered power of attorney |
What does each group of records tell you?
Records 1 to 3 answer “who owns it, and is it free?” The sale deed and link documents show how the property reached the seller. The EC shows registered sales, mortgages and other transactions on that survey or door number for the years you ask for. A gap in the chain, or an EC that shows a mortgage with no release, needs an answer before any money moves.
Records 4 to 8 answer “can this land legally be sold and used this way?” The 22A list catches government, assigned and endowment land that cannot be sold. Adangal and 1B show what the revenue department believes about the land. The survey sketch, conversion order and layout approval confirm that a “house plot” is really a house plot.
Records 9 to 12 answer “is the building and the deal clean?” Approvals, RERA, tax receipts and the seller’s identity close the last gaps, especially when someone signs on the owner’s behalf.
Red flags that should stop the deal
- The name or extent differs between the deed, the EC and Meebhoomi.
- The property appears on the prohibited (22A) list.
- The seller pushes for a quick advance before you have seen the documents.
- The deal depends on an old or unregistered power of attorney.
- The plot sits in a layout with no approval number.
- The EC shows a mortgage, and no release deed has been registered.
Can you do this yourself from abroad?
You can check records 3, 4, 5 and 10 online. The rest need certified copies, an office visit or a site visit. That is the work a local due diligence firm does for you. A lawyer then gives the legal title opinion.
One more caution: an EC lists only registered documents. A loan given against a deposit of title deeds, an unregistered agreement or a pending court case may not appear on it. That is why a court case search and a talk with the neighbours still matter.
How Ameya Artha helps
Our Title & Seller Assurance covers the title chain, the EC, approvals and RERA, a court case and background check on the seller, and a site visit with dated photos, with a panel lawyer’s title opinion. It costs ₹14,999 plus GST per property, and the verdict comes in 7 working days. See the Property & Seller Check