India Power of Attorney Apostille and Authentication Service
Need an India power of attorney apostille? SF Notary + Apostille explains how the process works.
What is an India power of attorney?
An India power of attorney is a legal document that allows an individual (the principal) to authorize another person (the agent or attorney-in-fact) located in India to act on their behalf in specific matters, such as real estate or financial transactions. When dealing with international affairs, particularly between the United States and India, it’s crucial to ensure that the POA is legally recognized in the destination country. This recognition is achieved through processes known as authentication or legalization.
What is an India power of attorney apostille?
To ensure the document’s legal validity in India, a power of attorney (POA) is signed and notarized, and then it is certified by the Indian Consulate and/or certified with an apostille. An apostille is a certificate that authenticates, or legalizes, the signature of a public official on a document for use in another country. In the case of an India Power of Attorney, the apostille certifies the signature of the notary public. Both the U.S. and India are members of the Hague Apostille Convention, which simplifies the legalization of documents between member countries and generally eliminates the need for consular authentication. However, some POA documents for personal matters may still require authentication by the Indian Consulate. Additionally, Indian passport holders might only need legalization from the Indian Consulate. To determine the specific requirements for your case, consult your attorney in India or contact the Indian Consulate.
How do I get an India power of attorney apostilled?
Step 1: Contact us for a price quote
Our fees are based on the services required to meet your needs. To receive a quick price quote, email us at [email protected] with the following details:
- Your name, phone number, and physical location
- The name, address, phone number, and email of the person to whom we will ship the apostilled POA document once it is ready (we can ship to India and send you a scan of apostilled documents when we ship)
- The number of power of attorney documents requiring certification
We will respond without delay with a price quote and payment instructions. Then we will start the apostille/
Step 2: Obtain the power of attorney document
Most clients receive their POA document from an attorney in India. India power of attorney templates are available on the San Francisco Indian Consulate website that may suit your requirements, but since we are not attorneys, we cannot make legal or document recommendations. POA documents for non-commercial activities (such as granting authority to buy or sell residential property) may require:
- Notarization
- Apostille certification
- Consulate authentication (legalization)
For USA passport holders who do not have an Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) card, the POA from USA to India must be apostilled. The Consulate website provides specific additional requirements, such as:
- Submitting the Miscellaneous Application
- Including the USA address in the first paragraph of the POA
- Attaching the applicant’s photo to the last page of the POA
- Ensuring the applicant and two witnesses sign the POA in front of a notary public (witnesses cannot be a spouse or blood relatives)
- Bringing ID proof of both witnesses (e.g., driver’s license or passport) to the Consulate (witnesses do not need to visit the Consulate office)
- Providing a photocopy of the POA for the Indian Consulate (after it has been notarized and apostilled)
If you are planning to submit the power of attorney to the Indian Consulate by mail, you will also need to provide notarized copies of your passport and proof of address (these do not need to be apostilled).
For Indian citizens or USA passport holders who do have an OCI card, the apostille may not be required. Please check with the Indian consulate and the recipient for confirmation.
Step 3: Get the India power of attorney notarized
Generally, the power of attorney for India from the USA must be signed in the presence of a notary public and two witnesses. If you are located in the San Francisco Bay Area, we can come to your location to notarize the document. We can also provide witnesses (and photocopies of their IDs) with advance notice and for an additional fee. In the case that you plan to submit the POA to the Indian Consulate by mail, we can also notarize copies of your passport and proof of address.
If you are elsewhere in California, you can visit a local notary to get your POA notarized. For assistance outside of California, please call +1 (415) 655-9455 or email [email protected] to discuss options.
Step 4: Get the document to us
If we notarize your document, we will take the notarized document with us and courier it to the Secretary of State’s office on your behalf. If another notary public notarizes it, we can arrange a pickup or drop-off, or we can email you a FedEx Priority Overnight shipping label that you can print and use to ship the notarized document to us.
If you are paying by check, please make it out to “SF Notary + Apostille.” Otherwise, we will send you an invoice by email with a payment link that allows you to pay by credit card.
Step 5: We handle the rest
Once we have your notarized document(s) and payment, we will:
- Obtain an apostille from the California Secretary of State.
- Ship the apostilled document to your specified recipient using FedEx Priority Overnight (USA) or FedEx International Priority (overseas).
For international shipments, we will email a scanned copy of the apostilled document for your records.
Contact Us
For more information or to place your order, please email [email protected] or call +1 (415) 655-9455.
Disclaimer: Information on this website is for informational purposes only. These instructions are based on our knowledge and experience and are meant to be helpful; however, they might contain errors. Please let us know if you encounter mistakes so that we can promptly correct them. SF Notary + Apostille is not a law firm, and its agents are not attorneys. Please contact a licensed attorney or your local bar association for counsel on legal matters.