Buying or selling property in Nepal usually means showing up in person at the Land Revenue Office. Both sides sign in front of a government officer. But what if you live in Sydney, or you are stuck in a hospital bed in Pokhara, or you simply cannot travel to the district where your land sits? That is where a Mukhtiyarnama comes in.

A Mukhtiyarnama is a power of attorney. It is a legal document that lets you appoint someone you trust to act for you in a property matter. In Nepali, it is also called Adhikrit Wareshnama. Once it is drafted, authenticated, and registered correctly, your agent can sign the deed, pay the fees, and complete the registration while you stay wherever you are.

This guide explains how a power of attorney for property in Nepal actually works. It covers the types, the drafting, the registration at the Malpot, the special steps for Non-Resident Nepalis, the real risks, and how to cancel one when you no longer need it.

Quick answer

A Mukhtiyarnama (power of attorney) is a legal document where you (the principal) give another person (the agent) authority to handle a property task on your behalf in Nepal. For property deals, it must be in writing, name specific powers, and be registered at the Land Revenue Office (Malpot Karyalaya) in the district where the land is located. If you sign it abroad, it also needs attestation from a Nepali embassy or consulate before it is registered back home. A property power of attorney that is not registered is not accepted for a land transfer. You can revoke it at any time, but you must do so formally and tell the same office.

What is a Mukhtiyarnama?

A Mukhtiyarnama is a written authorization. Two roles matter here. The person who gives the power is the principal. The person who receives it is the agent, sometimes called the attorney-in-fact.

For property, the agent can be given the power to do things like identify a plot, sign the sale or purchase agreement, hand over or receive payment, and complete registration at the Malpot. The scope depends on what you write into the document. If a power is not listed, the agent does not have it.

Nepali law recognizes this kind of authorization under the National Civil Code, 2074 (the Muluki Civil Code) along with registration rules and property transfer regulations. Because the document deals with land, which is high value and hard to reverse, the paperwork has to be exact. A small mistake in the name, the plot number, or the scope can get the whole thing rejected at the counter.

Types of power of attorney in Nepal

People often ask which type they need. In practice, three types come up.

General power of attorney. This gives broad authority. The agent can manage assets, deal with banks, represent you before offices, and handle a range of legal matters. It is useful for long-term management, for example when a relative abroad wants one trusted person to look after several affairs at home. The trade-off is obvious. Broad power means broad risk.

Special power of attorney. This is limited to one task or one set of tasks. Selling a specific plot. Signing one particular agreement. Registering one house transfer. Once that task is done, the authority usually ends. For most single property deals, this is the safer choice, and it is the one many lawyers recommend.

Litigation power of attorney. This lets a lawyer or representative appear for you in court or before legal authorities. If a property dispute goes to court, this is the type that lets someone stand in for you. It is often handled through a separate document (a Wakalatnama) for the lawyer.

For a normal buy or sell, a special power of attorney tied to that one property is almost always the right call. It keeps the agent’s authority narrow, which limits what can go wrong.

How to make a property power of attorney: step by step

The process has a clear order. Skipping a step is the most common reason these documents fail.

1. Decide the scope. Write down exactly what the agent may do. Sell or buy? Which plot? Can the agent receive the money, or only sign? Put limits and an end date if you can.
2. Draft the document. A lawyer prepares it with the principal’s details, the agent’s details, the property details (plot or kitta number, area in aana or ropani, location), the exact powers, the duration, and any conditions. Get the plot details straight from the Lalpurja so they match government records.
3. Verify and authenticate. The document is signed in front of the proper authority with witnesses. If you are inside Nepal, this is done locally. If you are abroad, it goes through the Nepali embassy or consulate (more on that below).
4. Register it. For property, take the document to the Land Revenue Office in the district where the land is located and register it there. Registration is what makes it usable for a land transfer.
5. Use the authority. The agent can now act, but only within the powers written in the document. Nothing more.

Documents you will usually need

Requirements vary by office and purpose, but you should expect to gather most of these:

• Citizenship certificate or passport of the principal and the agent
• Recent passport-size photographs
• The property ownership certificate (Lalpurja)
• Proof of relationship, if the agent is a family member
• Tax clearance documents where relevant
• The drafted Mukhtiyarnama
• Identification of the witnesses

Ask the specific Malpot or your lawyer for the current checklist before you travel there. Offices sometimes ask for extra papers for property matters.

Why registration at the Malpot matters so much

Here is the part that trips people up. A power of attorney that is only notarized, but not registered at the Land Revenue Office, is generally not enough to transfer land. Nepal records land ownership at the Malpot Karyalaya in each district. Until a transfer is recorded there, no sale is truly recognized, and you have no solid protection over land you paid for.

So the power of attorney has to be registered at the same kind of office that will handle the transfer. An unregistered or expired power of attorney can make the whole transaction void. If the agent shows up with a document the office will not accept, the deal stops right there.

If you want to understand the transfer side in full, our guide on the property registration process in Nepal walks through the documents, the fees, and the steps at the Malpot.

Power of attorney for NRNs buying or selling from abroad

This is the most common real-world reason people set up a Mukhtiyarnama. A Non-Resident Nepali owns land back home, or wants to buy, but cannot fly in for the signing. A registered power of attorney lets a trusted person in Nepal sign, pay, and register on their behalf.

The path from abroad has an extra layer. The document is usually drafted in Nepal so the wording and plot details are correct. It is then sent to you abroad. You sign it and get it attested at the Nepali embassy or consulate in your country of residence. After that, it goes back to Nepal and is registered at the local Land Revenue Office. Only then can your agent use it.

Miss the attestation step and the office can reject the document outright. The embassy attestation is what tells the Malpot that the signature abroad is genuine.

A few practical notes for NRNs. Rules and services at embassies change, and there have been periods where certain attestation services were paused or altered. Do not assume last year’s process still holds. Check the current requirements with your nearest Nepali embassy or consulate before you draft anything. Ask your lawyer in Nepal to confirm what the district Malpot will accept today. It saves an expensive round of couriering documents back and forth.

If you are an NRN planning a purchase, pair this with our guide on the legal guidelines for NRNs to buy property in Nepal, which covers eligibility and the wider process.

The real risks of giving someone power of attorney

A power of attorney hands real control to another person. That is the point, and also the danger. Land is valuable, and a bad agent can do a lot of harm before you find out.

The main risks are simple to name. An agent could sell to the wrong buyer, or at the wrong price. An agent could receive your money and not pass it on. A broad general power could be stretched to cover things you never intended. In the worst cases, forged or misused documents lead to fraud that takes years to untangle in court.

You cannot remove all risk, but you can shrink it a lot:

• Choose an agent you truly trust, ideally close family, not a casual acquaintance.
• Prefer a special power of attorney tied to one property over a broad general one.
• List the exact powers and leave no vague catch-all language.
• Put an expiration date on the document.
• Decide clearly whether the agent may receive funds, or only sign, and write that in.
• Keep copies and track what the agent does.
• Revoke the power as soon as the task is done.

Scams around land are a genuine problem in Nepal, and a loose power of attorney can make you an easier target. If you want to sharpen your radar, our guide on how to spot a property scam in Nepal is worth a read before you sign anything.

How to revoke (cancel) a power of attorney

You can cancel a power of attorney at any time, as long as you follow the proper steps. Saying it out loud is not enough. If the document was registered, the cancellation has to be handled formally too, or the agent may still appear to have authority on paper.

The usual steps look like this:

1. Prepare a written revocation. A lawyer drafts a cancellation document naming the principal and the agent, their identity details, the reason for cancellation, and the date, signed by both where possible.
2. Notify the agent. Tell the attorney-in-fact clearly and in writing that their authority has ended.
3. Inform the relevant office. Register the cancellation at the same Land Revenue Office where the original was registered, so its records match.
4. Give public notice where needed. For a registered property power of attorney, principals often publish a cancellation notice in national newspapers so third parties are on notice.

Once revoked, the agent must stop acting for you. Any deal they try to do after that should not stand, but the cleaner your paperwork, the easier it is to prove.

Power of attorney versus a will

These two get confused often, so it helps to separate them. A power of attorney works while you are alive. It lets someone act for you now. It ends when you cancel it, and it generally ends on your death. A will does the opposite job. It takes effect after death and decides how your assets are shared. If you are thinking about what happens to property after you are gone, that is a will and inheritance question, not a power of attorney question.

Frequently asked questions

Can a power of attorney sell my property in Nepal? Yes, but only if the document clearly grants the power to sell, transfer, and register that property. It also has to be properly authenticated and registered at the Land Revenue Office. If the power to sell is not written in, the agent cannot sell.

Does a Mukhtiyarnama for property have to be registered? For a land transfer, yes. A power of attorney that is only notarized and not registered at the Malpot is usually not accepted to complete a property transaction. Register it in the district where the land is located.

I live abroad. Can I set one up without flying to Nepal? Yes. That is the main use for NRNs. You typically get the document drafted in Nepal, sign it abroad, have it attested at the Nepali embassy or consulate, then have it registered at the local Land Revenue Office. Confirm the current embassy process first, because it can change.

General or special power of attorney, which should I use for one property deal? For a single sale or purchase, a special power of attorney tied to that property is usually the safer choice. It limits the agent’s authority to that one task, which reduces the chance of misuse.

Can I cancel a power of attorney after I have given it? Yes. You can revoke it at any time. Prepare a written cancellation with a lawyer, notify the agent, and register the revocation at the same office where the original was recorded. Public notice may be needed for property matters.

Who can I appoint as my agent? Any adult who is legally competent and whom you trust. Most people choose close family. Because the powers can be significant, pick someone reliable and keep the scope tight.

The bottom line

A Mukhtiyarnama is a powerful tool. Used well, it lets you buy or sell property in Nepal without being physically present, which is a real relief for NRNs and anyone who cannot reach the district office. Used carelessly, it hands a stranger the keys to your land. Keep the scope narrow, register it at the right Malpot, and cancel it when the job is done. When land is involved, spend the money on a good lawyer to draft it. It is far cheaper than fixing a bad transfer later.

Rules, fees, and embassy services in Nepal change from time to time. Treat this as a general guide as of 2026. Confirm the current requirements with your lawyer and the relevant Land Revenue Office before you act.

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