Do I need FIU registration as a property dealer?

Yes, if your real estate agency's annual turnover is Rs 20 lakh or more - you must register as a PMLA reporting entity with FIU-IND, appoint a Principal Officer, do buyer/seller KYC, and file suspicious transaction reports when something looks off. Threshold: annual turnover of Rs 20 lakh or more for a real estate agent/agency Registration is done on FIU-IND's FINnet 2.0 portal Must appoint a Principal Officer as compliance point of contact Required to do Customer Due Diligence (CDD) on both buyer and seller Must file Suspicious Transaction Reports (STRs) for unusual or cash-heavy deals

Which real estate agents must register with FIU-IND?

Yes, if your real estate agency's annual turnover is Rs 20 lakh or more - you must register as a PMLA reporting entity with FIU-IND, appoint a Principal Officer, do buyer/seller KYC, and file suspicious transaction reports when something looks off. Threshold: annual turnover of Rs 20 lakh or more for a real estate agent/agency Registration is done on FIU-IND's FINnet 2.0 portal Must appoint a Principal Officer as compliance point of contact Required to do Customer Due Diligence (CDD) on both buyer and seller Must file Suspicious Transaction Reports (STRs) for unusual or cash-heavy deals

CAPGAIN › Answers › NRI, FEMA, home loans & IBC › Do I Need FIU-IND Registration as a Property Dealer?

Do I Need FIU-IND Registration as a Property Dealer?

Short answer: Yes, if your real estate agency's annual turnover is Rs 20 lakh or more - you must register as a PMLA reporting entity with FIU-IND, appoint a Principal Officer, do buyer/seller KYC, and file suspicious transaction reports when something looks off.

Law: PMLA notification, 28 Dec 2020 · Authority: FIU-IND · Status: in force (effective 28 Dec 2020) · Checked 25 Sept 2026

What you need to know

Threshold: annual turnover of Rs 20 lakh or more for a real estate agent/agency
Registration is done on FIU-IND's FINnet 2.0 portal
Must appoint a Principal Officer as compliance point of contact
Required to do Customer Due Diligence (CDD) on both buyer and seller
Must file Suspicious Transaction Reports (STRs) for unusual or cash-heavy deals

Who this applies to: agents/brokers

Official / primary source: fiuindia.gov.in (government source)

The law behind it

Will registration and Power of Attorney registration

Registering a Will is optional but recommended, since a registered Will is harder to dispute and is preserved by the registrar. A Power of Attorney authorising someone to sell/manage property must generally be registered (or notarised/apostilled if executed abroad) before use - buyers should always verify a seller's POA is validly registered.

Will registration (optional, Section 18, Registration Act 1908) / Power of Attorney registration (Section 17/18, Registration Act 1908, mandatory in some states for property POAs) · in force · source

Real Estate Agents Notified as 'Designated Business or Profession' under PMLA (2020)

From late 2020, real estate agents with annual turnover of Rs 20 lakh or more are legally 'reporting entities' under PMLA, overseen by the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs. This means they must do buyer/seller KYC and report suspicious cash-heavy deals just like banks do.

Notification, Dept. of Revenue, 28 Dec 2020 · in force · source

FIU-IND registration and KYC/CDD - real estate agents as PMLA reporting entities

Since 2023, real estate agents facilitating a buyer/seller transaction worth Rs 10 lakh or more are treated as 'reporting entities' under the anti-money-laundering law and must register with the Financial Intelligence Unit - India (FIU-IND), and carry out Know-Your-Customer (KYC)/Client Due Diligence on their clients, keeping records for prescribed periods and filing suspicious/high-value transaction reports where required.

FIU-IND reporting entity registration; Client Due Diligence (KYC) under PMLA Rules · in force · source

Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA)

PMLA is India's anti-money-laundering law. Because property deals can be used to convert illicit cash into 'clean' real estate, the law has been extended over time to cover real estate agents and related professionals as entities that must report suspicious deals.

Act No. 15 of 2003 · in force · source

Work out your own numbers

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