Estate Planning
Across Borders
You're not just planning an estate, you're planning one across two or more legal systems at once. Wasiyat tracks assets by jurisdiction and currency, surfaces the FEMA and DTAA considerations that actually apply to you, and runs your Faraid calculation exactly as accurately as it would for anyone in India.
The problems generic estate planning doesn't solve for NRIs
Assets scattered across two or more countries
Track property, bank accounts, and investments across every jurisdiction in one place, each tagged by country and currency, so your estate is never assessed from an incomplete picture.
No India-specific Islamic estate platform addresses NRI status at all
General NRI estate-planning services in India handle succession law but not Islamic inheritance specifics; general Islamic will services abroad don't address Indian FEMA and property rules. Wasiyat covers both together.
Uncertainty about which country's law actually governs an asset
Movable assets are generally governed by the law of domicile; immovable property is generally governed by the law of the country where it's situated (lex situs). Which one applies changes how a specific asset should be planned for.
FEMA rules on repatriation and NRO/NRE accounts
The Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) governs how funds move in and out of India for NRIs, and heirs inheriting Indian assets from abroad need to understand these rules to actually access what they've inherited.
Built for cross-border estates
Multi-jurisdiction asset tracking
Register assets by country and currency, India, the Gulf, or elsewhere, and see your full estate picture in one place rather than reconciling it manually across accounts.
FEMA compliance checklist
An automatically generated checklist of Foreign Exchange Management Act considerations relevant to your specific asset jurisdictions, not a generic list.
DTAA-aware tax notes
Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement information for the jurisdictions your assets actually sit in, so cross-border tax exposure isn't a surprise for your heirs.
The same Faraid engine, applied correctly
Your inheritance calculation still runs through the same six-school, citation-backed engine as every Wasiyat estate, an NRI's shares under Islamic law don't change because the assets happen to sit abroad.
Register your assets by jurisdiction and see your real Faraid shares, wherever your estate actually sits.
Start Your Estate PlanFrequently Asked Questions
Can an NRI make a valid will for property in India?
Yes. An NRI can make a will for assets located in India, and it's generally advisable to do so even if a separate will already exists for assets in the country of residence, to avoid one document being interpreted under unfamiliar foreign procedural rules. Many advisors recommend separate wills per major jurisdiction, each referencing the others, rather than one will attempting to cover everything.
Which country's inheritance law actually applies to an NRI's estate?
It generally depends on the type of asset. Immovable property (land, a house, a flat) is typically governed by the law of the country where it's physically located, regardless of where the owner lived. Movable assets (bank accounts, shares, personal property) are more often governed by the law of the deceased's domicile. This split is exactly why NRI estate planning usually needs jurisdiction-aware structuring rather than one blanket approach.
What is FEMA and why does it matter for inheritance?
The Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) governs cross-border movement of money and assets involving India, including how NRE/NRO accounts work and how funds can be repatriated abroad. When an NRI inherits assets in India, or when an India-based heir inherits from an NRI relative, FEMA rules determine what can actually be moved out of the country and how, separate from the question of who is entitled to what under Faraid.
Does being an NRI change how much I inherit under Islamic law?
No. Faraid shares are determined by relationship to the deceased and the applicable school of jurisprudence, not by residency or citizenship. An NRI heir's fixed share is calculated exactly the same way as a resident heir's. What does change for an NRI is the practical mechanics of accessing and repatriating that inheritance, which is a legal and regulatory question, not a religious one.
I have property in the Gulf and family in Kerala, Karnataka, or Tamil Nadu, how do I even start?
Start by registering every asset you hold, in India and abroad, with its jurisdiction and currency, and running your family through Wasiyat's inheritance calculator. That gives you a real Faraid-accurate picture of shares first. From there, the FEMA checklist and DTAA notes flag what needs jurisdiction-specific legal attention, typically a local lawyer in the country where each major asset sits, working alongside your Wasiyat estate plan rather than separately from it.
This page provides general information, not legal or tax advice. FEMA regulations, DTAA terms, and foreign succession law change and vary by country. Wasiyat (Khair Labs Private Limited) is not a law firm, consult a lawyer licensed in each relevant jurisdiction for your specific situation.