Faisal Hills guide for overseas Pakistanis — buying from abroad in 2026

Can overseas Pakistanis buy property in Faisal Hills?

Yes — completely legally and with the same rights as a resident Pakistani. There are no restrictions on overseas Pakistanis (NRPs) purchasing residential or commercial plots in private housing schemes like Faisal Hills. You need a valid CNIC or NICOP (National Identity Card for Overseas Pakistanis), and you can send payment through official banking channels from anywhere in the world.

Thousands of overseas Pakistanis have invested in Faisal Hills, making it one of the most popular remittance-funded real estate destinations in the Rawalpindi–Islamabad corridor. This guide walks through the specific process, documents, and risks that apply to NRP buyers.

Documents required for NRP buyers

The document requirements for overseas Pakistani buyers are straightforward:

• CNIC or NICOP — Your Pakistani national identity card (CNIC) or the overseas version (NICOP). Both are accepted for property transactions. NICOP can be obtained or renewed through Pakistani consulates abroad or the NADRA overseas portal (nadra.gov.pk/overseas/).
• Passport — A copy of your current passport is typically required alongside your CNIC/NICOP.
• 2 passport photographs — Standard requirement for the transfer deed.
• NTN / Tax registration — Recommended but not strictly required for purchase. Having a National Tax Number (NTN) as a filer reduces your withholding tax rate significantly. You can register with FBR online via Iris (iris.fbr.gov.pk).

If you are buying through a power of attorney (SPA), the attorney additionally needs their own CNIC, and the SPA document must be consulate-attested and FBR-stamped.

How to find and evaluate a plot from overseas

The biggest challenge for overseas buyers is verification — you cannot easily walk the site yourself. Here is the recommended remote due diligence process:

1. Browse the interactive map — Open the Faisal Hills Mapand use filters to identify plots in your target block, size, and budget. Each listing pin shows the plot's exact location overlaid on satellite imagery — you can see the road access, proximity to the main boulevard, and neighbouring plots without leaving home.
2. Contact the dealer on WhatsApp — Use the WhatsApp link on each listing to contact the dealer directly. Ask them to:
   • Send a video call from the physical plot showing the plot number, boundary markers, and road
   • Share the original allotment letter or transfer deed on video (not a scan)
   • Confirm whether it is possession or file
3. Arrange a local verification visit — Ask a trusted family member, friend, or a hired local lawyer to physically visit the plot and the Faisal Hills scheme office to verify documents. Do not proceed without an on-ground verification.
4. Check the plot on the map — Cross-reference the plot number and block with the layout plan overlay on the Faisal Hills Map. The QGIS geo-referenced overlay lets you verify whether the plot is on a main road, corner position, or interior street.

How to pay from overseas

Pakistan's State Bank permits inward remittances for property purchases through official banking channels. The recommended process:

• Bank-to-bank SWIFT transfer— Transfer from your overseas account to the seller's Pakistani bank account (or a lawyer's client account). Request a SWIFT confirmation and keep it as proof of remittance.
• Form-M / Remittance certificate — Your bank or the receiving bank will issue a Form-M documenting the inward remittance. This is important for tax purposes and for proving the source of funds during future resale.
• Roshan Digital Account — If you do not already have a Pakistani bank account, consider opening a Roshan Digital Account (offered by multiple Pakistani banks for NRPs) — it allows you to manage property transactions, pay instalments, and repatriate proceeds later with fewer complications.
• Avoid hawala / cash transfers— Cash or informal transfers create legal risk, cannot be proven for FBR documentation, and may violate Pakistan's AML (anti-money laundering) regulations.

Using a power of attorney (SPA)

If you cannot travel to Pakistan for the transfer, you can appoint a trusted person as your attorney (wakeel) via a Special Power of Attorney. This allows them to sign documents and complete the transfer on your behalf.

The SPA process for NRPs:

1. Draft the SPA (your Pakistani lawyer can prepare a template)
2. Have it attested at the Pakistani embassy or consulate in your country of residence
3. Send the original attested SPA to Pakistan
4. Have it stamped by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) in Pakistan — this is mandatory
5. Your attorney can now sign the transfer deed at the Faisal Hills scheme office

Important: Grant SPA only to people you trust completely — a SPA gives broad legal authority. Never grant SPA to a dealer or person you have met only online.

Which block should overseas Pakistanis buy in?

The recommendation varies by your goal:

• Safest for NRPs — Executive Block: It is 90% developed, possession is available, and you can verify the plot easily via satellite imagery and physical visit by a local contact. If you plan to build a family home in the next 2–3 years, this is the right choice despite higher prices. Read the Executive Block guide.
• Best value — Block A or Block B: Well-developed, possession available, prices significantly lower than Executive Block. Good balance of certainty and value for NRP buyers who plan to build within 3–5 years.
• Investment play — Block C or Prime Block: For NRPs investing purely for capital appreciation with no near-term plan to build. Higher upside, higher risk — document verification is more important here as these blocks are at earlier stages.

Tax implications for overseas Pakistani buyers

Pakistan's FBR applies withholding tax (WHT) on property transactions. As an overseas Pakistani:

• If you are a tax filer (registered with FBR and filed a recent return): You pay the lower filer rate — currently 3% WHT on the transaction value for plots above a certain threshold.
• If you are a non-filer: You pay a higher rate (currently 6%+). The difference is significant on a PKR 50 lakh+ transaction.
• Capital gains tax on resale: CGT applies on the profit from resale, at rates that decrease the longer you hold the property (0% CGT after 4 years under current law — verify current rules as they change).

Register as an FBR filer before completing your purchase — it takes 30–60 minutes online via iris.fbr.gov.pk and saves you a meaningful amount in tax. Consult a Pakistani chartered accountant for your specific situation.

Repatriation of proceeds when you sell

If you want to repatriate the proceeds of a future property sale back to your overseas account, you will need:

• Proof that the original purchase funds were remitted through official channels (Form-M)
• State Bank of Pakistan permission for repatriation (typically straightforward for documented purchases)
• Compliance with FBR capital gains tax obligations

Properties purchased with undocumented funds (hawala, cash) cannot be repatriated legally — another reason to always use official banking channels when buying.

Browse available Faisal Hills plots on the interactive map with direct dealer WhatsApp contacts. Dealers are familiar with overseas buyers and many provide WhatsApp-first service including video site tours.