When a relative dies in Texas leaving a bank account in India, or when a non-resident Indian needs to manage an Indian account from the United States, the bank will require US documents that carry an apostille. A Texas death certificate or power of attorney means nothing to an Indian bank until it is authenticated. This page walks through the apostille and what Indian banks expect.
What an apostille is
An apostille is a certificate that authenticates a public document — a notary's signature, a court seal, a registrar's certification — so it will be accepted by authorities in another country. For countries in the Hague Apostille Convention, the apostille is the finish line. For countries outside it, the same Texas certificate is the first step in a short legalization chain.
Does an apostille work in India?
Yes. India is a member of the Hague Apostille Convention, so a document apostilled by the Texas Secretary of State is accepted directly by Indian banks and courts without any consular legalization. A foreign death certificate must be apostilled and must be in English, or accompanied by a certified English translation.
How the Texas Secretary of State apostille works
Texas apostilles come from a single office: the Secretary of State's Authentications Unit in Austin. There is no county-clerk step — a document notarized by any Texas notary, in any of the 254 counties, goes straight to the state. Since October 2023 Texas issues one Universal Apostille (Form 2102) that works for every destination, whether or not the country belongs to the Hague Apostille Convention.
The state fee is $15 per document. Mailed requests can take up to 25 business days; in-person and appointment service in Austin is same-day for up to 10 documents, and a bulk drop-box handles larger batches in 24–48 hours. There is no online submission — every request is handled by mail or in person. Certified copies of vital records (birth, death, marriage, divorce) must be less than five years old.
Federal documents — FBI background checks, USCIS naturalization certificates, IRS letters — cannot be apostilled by Texas; they go to the U.S. Department of State. We confirm the correct authority before anything is filed, so your documents are never rejected on a technicality.
Claiming or operating an Indian bank account from the US
How the claim proceeds depends on whether the deceased named a nominee. If a nominee is registered on the account, the process is comparatively simple: the bank needs the deceased's account details, the death certificate, and the claimant's KYC (know-your-customer identity documents).
If there is no nominee and no will, the bank generally requires a Succession Certificate issued by a civil court under the Indian Succession Act, or, in some cases, probate or letters of administration. Thresholds for when a bank insists on a Succession Certificate vary from bank to bank, so confirm the requirement directly with the branch.
Non-resident Indians who cannot travel can act through a representative in India under a notarized and apostilled power of attorney. Inherited funds are typically routed through an NRO (Non-Resident Ordinary) account, and after Indian taxes are settled, up to USD 1 million per financial year may be repatriated abroad. Treat these figures and limits as approximate and confirm the current rules with the bank and a tax adviser.
Documents you'll need
- Apostilled US death certificate (in English, or with a certified English translation)
- The claimant's KYC / identity documents (passport, PAN card where applicable)
- The deceased's account details
- A Succession Certificate, probate, or letters of administration where there is no nominee or will
- A notarized and apostilled power of attorney, if you are acting through a representative in India
Translation
English is widely used in Indian banking, so if your Texas documents are in English no translation is usually needed. If any document is in another language, provide a certified English translation. Complete the apostille first, then arrange any translation so the apostille page is covered.
We handle the whole apostille — you don't travel to Austin
Our firm provides full-service apostille handling: we prepare your document, coordinate Texas notarization or certified copies, file the Universal Apostille request with the Secretary of State, add U.S. Department of State and embassy legalization when a country requires it, arrange certified translation, and deliver the finished documents to you or your recipient abroad.
We also coordinate directly with your counsel overseas — a barrister or solicitor in Commonwealth countries, an advocate in South Asia, a notario público in Latin America — so the document is drafted with the exact wording their registry, court, or bank requires before anything is apostilled.
- 📞 Phone: (281) 348-6723
- 📧 Email: busbytexas@gmail.com
- 📍 715 E. Whitney, Houston, TX 77008
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A note on accuracy
Apostille and legalization requirements change, and each receiving institution — a foreign land registry, bank, pension office, or consulate — can impose its own rules. This article reflects requirements verified in 2026 and is general information, not legal advice. Contact us so we can confirm the current requirements for your specific document and destination before you file.
For the full statewide process — fees, timelines, document types, and the Hague vs. non-Hague paths — see our complete Texas Apostille Guide.