Property in Pakistan for Overseas Pakistanis in the UK

Buying, building and managing property in Pakistan from the UK

This guide is for British Pakistanis and Pakistanis living in the UK who want to buy a plot or house in Lahore, build on land they already own, rent out a family home, or sell an inherited property.

The hurdles are familiar: distance, paperwork signed in the UK that must be accepted in Pakistan, fraud aimed at people who cannot visit, and a four- or five-hour time gap.

Houseplot's Lahore team handles the ground work for you: shortlisting, site visits and videos, title checks, paperwork, construction oversight and tenant management. You decide from the UK; we act in Lahore and report back.

Our services for Pakistanis in the UK

Step-by-step: buying property in Lahore from the UK

1. Set your budget and goal. Home for the family, rental income, or a plot to hold. This decides the area and property type.
2. Shortlist. We send verified options with photos, documents and location details.
3. Verify remotely. We visit, record a video walk-through and check the title and the society or authority status before you commit.
4. Choose how you will sign. Either appoint a trusted attorney in Pakistan (see the power of attorney section) or use a bank-led Roshan Digital Account purchase.
5. Pay through banking channels. Send funds from the UK into your Roshan Digital Account or another proper banking route, and keep every receipt.
6. Arrange tax. With a NICOP or POC and less than 183 days a year in Pakistan, you can ask for the filer rate on advance tax (see Taxes).
7. Complete the transfer. Your attorney, or the bank under a Roshan Digital purchase, completes the transfer with the registrar, society or development authority.
8. Store the documents. Scans of the deed or transfer letter, tax challans and payment proofs; originals kept safe.

Documents you need

The State Bank of Pakistan lists CNIC, NICOP or POC, passport, proof of non-resident status and proof of income for opening a Roshan Digital Account.

Power of attorney from the UK

Most UK buyers appoint a family member or trusted person in Pakistan as attorney. There are three routes.

1. NADRA online power of attorney. NADRA's portal, poa.nadra.gov.pk, lets overseas Pakistanis with a NICOP, CNIC or POC appoint someone in Pakistan without visiting a mission, ProPakistani reported. You need two witnesses with valid ID, four-finger biometrics for yourself and both witnesses, a scan of the signed document and a card for the fee. A consular officer then interviews you by video before final consent is emailed, according to the Embassy of Pakistan in Denmark's description of the service. That page also says the in-person system runs in parallel.

2. Attestation at a Pakistan mission in the UK. You sign in front of a consular officer with two witnesses. Pakistan's missions in the UK are, per the list of Pakistan's diplomatic missions:

• High Commission in London
• Consulate-General in Manchester
• Consulates in Birmingham, Bradford and Glasgow

Check which office covers your area.

3. UK notary plus apostille. Pakistan joined the Hague Apostille Convention, which entered into force for Pakistan on 9 March 2023; the UK has been a party since 1965, per the HCCH status table. The UK did not object to Pakistan's accession (the objecting states are listed in the Dutch treaty database), so an apostille from the UK should replace embassy legalisation.

In the UK, a power of attorney must first be certified by a notary or solicitor and is then apostilled by the FCDO's Legalisation Office, either on paper or as an e-Apostille, GOV.UK says. Before you choose this route, ask the registrar, society or development authority in Lahore whether they accept an apostilled foreign POA; some offices still expect a mission-attested or NADRA document.

Once the POA reaches Pakistan. For a mission-attested POA, Pakistan's embassy in Madrid states the document must be attested by Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs within 90 days and registered with the Registrar within 120 days, per MOFA's Madrid page. Confirm the current steps with the High Commission and the registrar before you sign.

Sending money for property

• Roshan Digital Account (RDA). An SBP initiative that lets non-resident Pakistanis, including POC holders, open an account in Pakistan online. Funds can be sent back abroad without approval from the bank or SBP, and RDA money can be invested in residential and commercial property, per SBP.
• Roshan Apna Ghar. Under SBP's scheme you pick a property through a participating bank, deposit title copies and nominate a person in Pakistan; the bank values the property and screens the seller before paying, SBP explains. Financing is available for 3 to 25 years in conventional and Shariah-compliant forms, and self-financed transfers need no physical presence.
• Regular banking channels. If you do not use an RDA, send money only through proper bank transfers or licensed remittance services, in your own name.
• Keep proof. Save bank statements and inward remittance proofs. You may need them for the transfer, for tax, or to send sale money back later.
• Avoid hawala/hundi. Informal transfers leave no paper trail, carry legal risk, and make it hard to prove where the money came from.

Taxes to know

Pakistan side. The buyer pays advance tax under section 236K and the seller under section 236C before transfer. FBR lets NICOP or POC holders who stay less than 183 days in Pakistan in a financial year pay the filer rate even if they are not on the Active Taxpayer List, per FBR's FAQs. The registrar or society creates a PSID through the "Overseas Pakistanis" link on FBR's portal; you upload your NICOP or POC and status documents, and the Commissioner must approve it. FBR made this Commissioner approval a requirement in December 2024, Aaj News reported.

From 1 July 2026, the reported filer rates are 1.25% for buyers (on fair market value) and 2.75% for sellers, according to ProPakistani. Check FBR's current rate card before you pay, as rates change with each budget.

UK side. UK residents normally pay UK tax on income from abroad, including rent from overseas property, and on foreign gains; land and buildings abroad can be taxed in both countries, with relief claimed in the UK, HMRC's guidance says. You usually need a Self Assessment return and can often claim Foreign Tax Credit Relief for Pakistani tax already paid. The rules for people whose permanent home is outside the UK have been changing, so confirm your position with HMRC or a qualified UK tax adviser.

Building or renovating from the UK

Remote construction works when someone you trust is on site and every payment is tied to visible progress.

1. Design. An architect prepares plans to your brief; you review drawings and 3D views on video calls.
2. Approvals. The building plan is submitted to the relevant authority or society. No work starts before approval.
3. Contractor. We compare quotes and agree a written contract with a clear scope, materials list and timeline.
4. Staged payments. Money is released in stages (foundation, grey structure, finishing) only after we inspect each stage.
5. Photo and video updates. Regular site updates so you see what your money bought.
6. Quality checks. Materials, structure and finishing are checked against the contract before final payment.

Roshan Apna Ghar financing can also cover building or renovating, per SBP.

Renting out and property management

• Tenant finding and screening. Identity checks, references and a clear look at who will live there.
• Rent agreement. A written agreement covering rent, deposit, duration, maintenance and notice.
• Police registration. The Punjab Information of Temporary Residents Act 2015 requires owners, tenants and property dealers to register tenant details with the police, online at trs.punjabpolice.gov.pk or at a police station or Khidmat Markaz, using both CNICs, photos and the rent agreement, per Punjab Police.
• Rent collection. Rent paid into your bank account with monthly statements.
• Maintenance and inspections. Repairs handled and periodic visits with photos.
• Utility bills. Bills checked and paid on time so arrears do not build up.

Selling and sending the money back

To sell from the UK, your attorney (or you, on a visit) signs the sale. We handle valuation, buyer screening and the transfer. As seller you pay 236C advance tax, at the filer rate if your NICOP or POC overseas claim is approved.

If the property was bought with money from a Roshan Digital Account, SBP says RDA funds can be remitted abroad without approval from the bank or SBP, per the RDA brochure. For property bought another way, ask your bank what proofs it needs before you transfer sale money to the UK. A UK tax return may also need to report the gain.

Avoiding fraud from abroad

• A "relative" or caretaker who wants a general power of attorney. Give only a specific POA for one property and one task.
• Pressure to pay a token fast. Never pay before title and society or authority status are checked.
• Payment to a third party's account. Pay the registered owner, or through the bank under Roshan Apna Ghar.
• Prices well below the area rate. Often a disputed, double-sold or unapproved plot.
• Files in unapproved schemes. Check the society's approval before booking.
• Seller who will not do a video call or show originals. Walk away.
• Empty property with no one checking it. Vacant plots and houses are open to illegal occupation; arrange regular visits.

Disputes, inheritance and help

OPC Punjab has helped return occupied properties to expatriates, including a Rs 300 million plaza and farmhouse case, according to the Punjab government.

Inheritance. NADRA issues succession certificates and letters of administration through its Succession Facilitation Units after a public notice and a 14-day objection period. Heirs abroad can complete biometric verification at Pakistan missions, with London, Manchester, Birmingham and Bradford named when the service was launched, APP reported. Coverage was limited when it started, so ask NADRA which assets and cities are now included.

Best time to talk

Pakistan is on UTC+5 all year and does not change its clocks, per Worldometers. So Pakistan is 5 hours ahead of the UK in winter (GMT) and 4 hours ahead in summer (BST).

UK mornings suit live site videos in Lahore. Consultations can be booked in your evenings or at weekends.

FAQs

Can I buy property in Lahore without travelling from the UK?

Yes. Use NADRA's online power of attorney or a POA attested at a Pakistan mission in the UK, or buy through a Roshan Digital Account, where SBP says self-financed transfers need no physical presence.

Which Pakistan offices in the UK attest a power of attorney?

The High Commission in London, the Consulate-General in Manchester and the consulates in Birmingham, Bradford and Glasgow. Check which one covers your area and how to book.

Is a UK apostille accepted in Pakistan?

Both countries are parties to the Apostille Convention, and the UK did not object to Pakistan joining. A notarised, FCDO-apostilled POA should not need embassy legalisation, but confirm with the Lahore registrar or society first.

I hold a British passport and a POC. Do I pay the non-filer tax rate?

Not necessarily. FBR lets POC and NICOP holders who spend less than 183 days in Pakistan in a financial year pay the filer rate once the Commissioner approves their PSID.

Do I have to tell HMRC about rent from my Lahore house?

If you are UK resident, HMRC normally taxes your foreign income, including overseas rent, and you usually need a Self Assessment return. You may be able to claim relief for Pakistani tax paid. Ask a UK tax adviser.

Who can help if a relative occupies my property?

File with OPC Punjab or OPF's complaint cell, and speak to a lawyer. Both take complaints from overseas Pakistanis about illegal occupation.

This page is general information; confirm legal and tax steps with the relevant authority or a qualified adviser before you act.

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