When a relative dies in Texas and leaves a bank account in Peru, or when you need to operate or close a Peruvian account from the United States, the bank will ask for US documents that carry an apostille. A Texas death certificate, proof of relationship, or a power of attorney has no legal effect in Peru until it is properly authenticated. This page explains how the apostille works and what a Peruvian 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 Peru?
Yes. Peru is a member of the Hague Apostille Convention, so a Texas document that carries an apostille from the Texas Secretary of State is accepted by Peruvian banks, notaries, and courts without any consular legalization. Keep in mind that the apostille authenticates the document but does not translate it: your documents will still need an official Spanish translation before a Peruvian bank or notary will process them.
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 Peruvian bank account after a relative's death
When a Peruvian bank learns that an account holder has died, it will not release the funds to family members simply on request. The heirs must first be legally recognized through a succession proceeding in Peru — either a testamentary succession, if there is a valid will, or a sucesión intestada (intestate succession), which is typically handled before a notary or a judge. Only once the succession is registered can the recognized heirs deal with the bank.
Your Texas documents feed directly into that process. The apostilled US death certificate proves the death; apostilled birth or marriage certificates prove the family relationship; and an apostilled poder (power of attorney) allows a lawyer or trusted representative in Peru to open the succession, sign the bank's forms, and collect or close the account without you traveling. A poder can be apostilled in Texas or, alternatively, granted at a Peruvian consulate in the US.
Each bank has its own claim forms, internal requirements, and thresholds for what documentation it demands, and these vary by institution and account size. Confirm the specific requirements — and any amount-based thresholds — directly with the bank before you start, so you can order the right number of apostilled copies up front.
Documents you'll need
- Apostilled US death certificate (multiple original copies recommended)
- Proof of relationship (birth or marriage certificates, apostilled)
- Official ID of each claiming heir
- An apostilled or consular poder (power of attorney) to a representative in Peru, if you cannot appear in person
- The sucesión intestada or testamentary succession documents once completed in Peru
- The bank's own claim forms, per its instructions
Translation
Once your US documents are apostilled, they must receive an official Spanish translation before Peruvian banks and notaries will accept them. Complete the apostille first and the translation second, because the translator normally renders the apostille page along with the document itself. Budget extra time for this step; it is separate from the apostille process and can add several days.
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.