Can I buy land in Andaman & Nicobar?
District map
0Open
3Partial
3Restricted
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Non-tribal Andaman zones are accessible to any Indian citizen
ResidentialCommercialTourism / HospitalityGovernment Lease
The Andaman group is partially open: Port Blair (capital), Havelock and Neil Islands, plus Mayabunder, Diglipur and Rangat in Middle/North Andaman, are available to outside buyers. Nicobar District is 100% tribal and closed. North Sentinel Island and a 5km buffer are criminal no-entry zones. Tribal-reserve violations are prosecuted under the SC/ST Atrocities Act with up to 5 years' imprisonment.
Tribal reserve regulation — absolute prohibition
- Andaman & Nicobar Islands (Protection of Aboriginal Tribes) Regulation, 1956 bans purchase and entry to tribal reserves.
- Nicobar District (Car Nicobar, Great Nicobar, Little Nicobar) is 100% tribal — zero availability for outsiders.
- North Sentinel Island plus 5km buffer: criminal offence to enter; 5 years imprisonment plus ₹10,000 fine per day.
- Jarawa, Onge, Sentinelese and Great Andamanese reserves: scattered across South Andaman and Little Andaman.
- Penalty for tribal-land purchase: 5 years imprisonment, ₹1–5 lakh fine, property confiscation.
3districts,
Andaman & Nicobar: open in Andaman, closed in Nicobar
South Andaman (partially open):
OPEN: Port Blair (capital, main market), Havelock Island (Swaraj Dweep, resort area), Neil Island (Shaheed Dweep). RESTRICTED: North Sentinel + 5km buffer, Jarawa reserves, Little Andaman (Onge reserve).
North & Middle Andaman (mostly open):
OPEN: Mayabunder (admin hub), Diglipur (fastest-growing), Rangat (agriculture zone). RESTRICTED: scattered Jarawa and Great Andamanese reserves.
Nicobar (closed):
Car Nicobar, Great Nicobar, Little Nicobar — all tribal reserves; 100% off-limits to outside buyers.
Standard timeline 4–8 weeks without CRZ; 6–12 weeks with CRZ. Stamp duty 5%. Foreign nationals add RBI approval (30–60 days) plus Revenue Department verification (15–30 days), pushing totals to 3–6 months.
How to buy — three-step process
- Verify land status: pull the 1A/1B extract from the Revenue Department; obtain a Collector's letter confirming the parcel is open to outsiders. Never accept broker claims at face value.
- If within 500m of the coastline, apply for CRZ clearance to the Coastal Zone Management Authority (CZMA), Port Blair; 15–30 days; ₹5,000–15,000.
- Standard registration before the Sub-Registrar with land documents and clearances; 5% stamp duty; 15–20 days.
Due diligence checklist before buying
- Confirm via the District Collector that the parcel is NOT in any tribal reserve before paying any deposit.
- Obtain the 1A/1B extract; conduct a 12–30 year title search.
- Verify CRZ status if waterfront; secure clearance before any development plan.
- Validate boundary against the latest demarcation; the government re-demarcates periodically.
- Engage an A&N-licensed lawyer; for foreign nationals, engage an RBI-authorised dealer bank.
Disclaimer · benami arrangements are a criminal offence
- Buying land in another person's name to circumvent state-origin, residency, occupation or tribal-area restrictions is a benami arrangement, prohibited under the Prohibition of Benami Property Transactions Act, 1988 (as amended in 2016).
- Penalty: 1 to 7 years rigorous imprisonment plus a fine of up to 25% of the property's fair-market value.
- The property can be confiscated by the Government of India and the deed cancelled.
- Power-of-attorney workarounds, ownership-mimic 99-year leases, and shell-company structures are not recognised — do not attempt them.