Can an Outsider Buy Land in Uttarakhand Now?
By Aastha Vishwakarma, Advocate · · 2 min read
Uttarakhand amended its land law in 2025 to restrict land purchases by people from outside the state, a change many buyers and sellers in Haldwani and Nainital still ask about before a deal.
- A non-resident can still buy up to 250 square metres of residential land in Uttarakhand in a lifetime, with a sworn affidavit.
- That 250 sq m limit applies to the whole family together, not to each family member separately.
- Buying agricultural or horticultural land as an outsider now needs the state government's permission, and is barred in most hill districts.
- Haridwar and Udham Singh Nagar are the only districts where outsiders can still seek permission to buy farmland.
What can an outsider buy without extra permission?
Section 154 of the U.P. Zamindari Abolition and Land Reforms Act, 1950, as it applies in Uttarakhand, lets a person who is not a resident of the state buy up to 250 square metres of land for a home, without seeking the state's permission first.
This limit counts the buyer along with their spouse, minor children, and dependent parents as one unit. A sworn affidavit must confirm that the family has not already used up this limit elsewhere in Uttarakhand.
What now needs the state's permission?
Any residential purchase above 250 square metres, and any purchase for commercial, institutional or industrial use, needs permission under Section 154. The 2025 amendment also brought back a 12.5-acre ceiling on land transferred for tourism, industry or education, which an earlier change had removed.
The process now runs through the Revenue Department rather than resting on a District Magistrate's individual discretion, to reduce the scope for case-by-case exceptions.
Where is farmland purchase barred outright?
In 11 of the state's 13 districts, including Nainital, an outsider cannot buy agricultural or horticultural land at all under the amended law. Only Haridwar and Udham Singh Nagar, the two plains districts, still allow such purchases, with the state government's approval.
What you can do
- Before buying residential land as a non-resident, check whether you or any family member has already used the 250 sq m limit anywhere else in Uttarakhand.
- Keep the affidavit, sale deed and family records consistent; a false declaration can lead to cancellation of the registration later.
- If the land is agricultural or horticultural, or the purchase exceeds the residential limit, apply for permission before signing any sale agreement.
- Take legal advice on your own facts, since residency status and prior purchases can change what is allowed in a specific case.
क्या बाहरी व्यक्ति अब उत्तराखंड में जमीन खरीद सकता है?
- उत्तराखंड से बाहर का व्यक्ति शपथ पत्र देकर जीवन में अधिकतम 250 वर्ग मीटर आवासीय भूमि खरीद सकता है।
- यह सीमा पूरे परिवार (पति-पत्नी, नाबालिग बच्चे, आश्रित माता-पिता) के लिए एक साथ गिनी जाती है।
- कृषि या बागवानी भूमि खरीदने के लिए अब राज्य सरकार की अनुमति जरूरी है, और अधिकतर पहाड़ी जिलों में यह पूरी तरह वर्जित है।
- हरिद्वार और ऊधम सिंह नगर ही ऐसे जिले हैं जहां बाहरी व्यक्ति अनुमति लेकर कृषि भूमि खरीद सकते हैं।
Sources
- Uttarakhand (U.P. Zamindari Abolition and Land Reforms Act, 1950) (Amendment) Act, 2025 — official gazette text (opens in a new tab)
- Section 154, The U.P. Zamindari Abolition and Land Reforms Act, 1950 (Indian Kanoon) (opens in a new tab)
- Uttarakhand assembly passes bill to restrict outsiders from buying agricultural land — Scroll.in (opens in a new tab)