Updated 23 October 2026. We read the Embassy's 13 October advisory, its attestation page (updated 22 October) and two reports of the 18 October advisory. Your safety comes first; this note covers only the property steps that can continue from where you are.

What the Embassy has said

  • Stay calm and vigilant, stay indoors during an aerial attack, follow Saudi authorities, and do not circulate videos or news of the events (Embassy advisory, 13 October 2026).
  • On 18 October the Embassy advised moving to an interior room away from windows in case of an attack (The Tribune, 18 October 2026).
  • Visitors on visit, tourist, Umrah or business visas who overstay because flights are unavailable may exit without fines, but should leave as soon as flights resume (Embassy advisory, 13 October).
  • 24x7 control room: +966-554412016 and +966-542126784; toll-free 8002471234 (within Saudi Arabia); WhatsApp +966-536216082; cw.riyadh@mea.gov.in (Embassy advisory, 13 October).

Can I still get a property POA attested in Riyadh?

Yes. The Embassy says its outsourced attestation services through VFS are continuing to function normally (advisory, 13 October 2026). Its attestation page, updated 22 October 2026, sets out the process:

  • Fee for a POA on property matters: SR 74, plus a SAR 8 ICWF fee and a SAR 15 VFS fee, or SAR 97 in all.
  • Where: the VFS office at Umm Al Hammam, between 9:30 am and 12:30 pm on working days. Documents are generally returned the same day.
  • Bring: passport copies, Iqama copy, two 35 × 45 mm photographs, and the original POA with one copy, to be signed before the Consular Officer.
  • If you live in the western region, check whether the Consulate General in Jeddah covers your city before booking.

What can continue in India without you

  • Booking and payments: pay the developer from your NRE, FCNR(B) or NRO account, or by inward remittance. Traveller's cheques and foreign currency notes are not allowed (RBI Master Direction No. 12, paras 3.3.1–3.3.2).
  • Home loan: Indian banks lend to NRIs on the same terms as residents, and the loan is paid to the seller or builder; EMIs can be paid from abroad or by a relative in India (RBI Master Direction No. 6). Our loan guide: Nri Home Loan.
  • Agreement and registration: your attorney can sign and register for you once the POA is stamped in India. In Karnataka, stamp it within three months of arrival; the Deputy Commissioner adjudicates it for ₹100 (Karnataka Stamp Act ss.18 and 31).
  • TDS: buying from a resident seller, deduct 1% when the price is ₹50 lakh or more (Income-tax Act, 2025, section 393(1)).
  • Site check: ask the developer for a dated video walk-through and the latest RERA quarterly update instead of a visit.

If a payment or signing date is close

  • Write to the developer now, attaching the Embassy advisory, and ask for the date to be moved. Keep the reply.
  • If your POA is not yet attested, book VFS first; it is the step with the longest lead time from abroad.
  • Ask your bank in India whether a loan disbursement can wait for the attorney's signature without extra charges.
  • Do not send money to personal accounts on the strength of calls or messages; pay only to the developer's account named in the agreement.

What a Saudi-based buyer should do now