When a relative dies in Texas and leaves a bank account in Pakistan, or when you need to operate or close a Pakistani account from the United States, the bank will ask for US documents that are properly authenticated. A Texas death certificate, proof of relationship, or a power of attorney has no legal effect in Pakistan until it is authenticated for use there. This page explains how the apostille works for Pakistan and what a Pakistani bank generally expects.
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 Pakistan?
Yes — with a practical caveat. Pakistan joined the Hague Apostille Convention in 2023, so a Texas document with an apostille from the Texas Secretary of State is, as a matter of law, valid in Pakistan without consular legalization. In practice, however, some Pakistani banks, courts, and government offices are still accustomed to the older route and may expect attestation by a Pakistani consulate in the US. Before relying on the apostille alone, confirm with the specific bank or office that will receive your documents whether an apostille is sufficient or whether it still wants consular attestation.
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 a Pakistani bank account after a relative's death
Pakistani banks do not release a deceased account holder's funds to family members on request. The standard path is a Succession Certificate — a court-issued certificate that identifies the legal heirs and authorizes them to collect the deceased's movable assets, including bank balances. The bank will typically ask for the Succession Certificate along with its own claim forms and verification steps before paying out or closing the account.
Your Texas documents support that process. The apostilled US death certificate proves the death; apostilled birth or marriage certificates establish the family relationship; and an apostilled power of attorney allows a lawyer or trusted representative in Pakistan to apply for the Succession Certificate, deal with the bank, and receive or close the account without you traveling. If the receiving office insists on consular attestation instead of an apostille, the same documents go through the Pakistani consulate route.
Requirements, thresholds, and timelines vary by bank and by the court handling the succession, so confirm the specific checklist with the institution before you begin, and order several authenticated copies of the death certificate so the court and the bank can each hold one.
Documents you'll need
- Apostilled US death certificate (multiple original copies recommended; consular attestation instead, if the receiving office requires it)
- Proof of relationship (birth or marriage certificates, apostilled)
- Official ID of each claiming heir
- An apostilled power of attorney to a representative in Pakistan, if you cannot appear in person
- The court-issued Succession Certificate once obtained in Pakistan
- The bank's own claim forms, per its instructions
Translation
English is widely used in Pakistani banking, courts, and government, so US documents in English are generally accepted as-is. Some offices, however, may ask for a certified Urdu translation — confirm with the receiving bank or court before you finalize your paperwork. If a translation is needed, complete the apostille first and the translation second, so the translator can render the apostille certificate along with the document.
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
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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.