🇮🇳 Moving to India: tax, residency and cost of living

Key facts

Top income tax

39%

Corporate tax

30%

Capital gains

12.5%

Wealth tax

No

Inheritance tax

No

Cost of living index

30

Safety

5/10

Internet quality

6/10

Visa-free destinations

62

Foreigners can own property

No

Residency in

0 months

Citizenship in

0 years

Taxes

India taxes tax residents' worldwide income. Under the new regime (default) income tax is progressive from 0% to 30% across seven brackets, with a ₹4 lakh basic exemption; the §87A rebate makes income up to ₹12 lakh effectively tax-free for residents. On top of the tax comes a 4% health & education cess and, for high incomes, a surcharge up to 25%, so the effective top rate is around 39%. There is no wealth tax (abolished in 2015) and no inheritance or gift tax. Capital gains: LTCG 12.5%, STCG 20%, crypto a flat 30%. GST is 0-28% (usually 18%) and corporate tax 25%/30%.

Residency and visas

India is not a classic immigration country: there is no investment or digital-nomad route to citizenship, and naturalisation generally requires twelve years of residence. India also does not allow dual nationality. For people of Indian origin the OCI card is the usual route: a lifelong right to live, work and study without Indian citizenship. Returning and non-resident Indians enjoy, through the RNOR status, roughly two to three years of exemption for foreign income.

Property ownership

Non-resident foreigners generally cannot buy real estate in India without prior approval from the Reserve Bank of India; agricultural land, plantations and farmhouses are barred even for NRIs and OCI holders. NRIs (non-resident Indians) and OCI card holders may, however, freely acquire residential and commercial property. For a foreigner with no Indian roots the property market is practically closed, a clear negative for anyone wanting to settle.

Cost of living and quality of life

India offers vast geographic and cultural variety, a growing economy, a large English-speaking services sector and very low living costs. Against that are air pollution in the big cities, congested infrastructure and a variable level of safety and public services. For those living in euros or dollars, purchasing power is high, but the quality of care and services varies sharply by region and income class.

Passport and mobility

The Indian passport gives visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to around 60 destinations in 2026: relatively weak. India does not allow dual nationality; anyone naturalising elsewhere must surrender the Indian passport, though the OCI card exists as a lifelong residence and work status. Capital export falls under the LRS limit of USD 250,000 per person per year.

Residency and visas

• OCI-kaart (Overseas Citizen of India): levenslang recht om te wonen, werken en studeren voor personen van Indiase afkomst en hun partners; geen stemrecht of landbouwgrond, geen Indiaas staatsburgerschap
• Employment visa: verblijf op basis van een arbeidscontract met een Indiase werkgever, doorgaans boven een salarisdrempel; verlengbaar, geen directe route naar staatsburgerschap · €22,000/j
• Business visa: verblijf voor wie in India een onderneming opzet of erin investeert; verlengbaar, gekoppeld aan zakelijke activiteit
• Naturalisatie: staatsburgerschap na doorgaans twaalf jaar verblijf; India staat GEEN dubbele nationaliteit toe, het bestaande paspoort moet worden opgegeven

Why people move to India

• No wealth or inheritance tax

  India abolished the wealth tax in 2015 and levies no inheritance or gift tax. For anyone building or transferring wealth that is a real plus against many other large economies, though it is offset by a high income tax on worldwide income.

• High burden on worldwide income and capital controls

  Residents are taxed on worldwide income up to an effective 39% or so, and the LRS limit restricts capital export to USD 250,000 per person per year. Together with the ban on dual nationality, that explains why thousands of wealthy Indians relocate each year to places like Dubai, Singapore and the UK.