If you live in Texas and a relative in Nigeria has passed away, you may be entitled to a share of their estate or need to administer it. To act from abroad, you will usually have to send Nigeria a document it recognizes as authentic, such as a power of attorney appointing a representative, or a US death certificate. Because Nigeria is not part of the Hague Apostille Convention, a Texas document needs a full chain of authentication before it will carry legal weight there.
This page explains the authentication chain, how the Texas process starts, and how Nigeria's inheritance and estate process works when there is no will.
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 Nigeria?
No. Nigeria is not a member of the Hague Apostille Convention, so a plain apostille is not sufficient on its own. A Texas document must go through a full legalization chain:
- Notarize the document in Texas.
- Authenticate it at the Texas Secretary of State.
- Authenticate it at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C.
- Legalize it at a Nigerian Embassy or Consulate in the United States.
Only after this consular legalization will a Nigerian court, registry, or bank treat your US document as authentic. Handling this multi-step chain correctly, and in the right order, is where a full-service provider saves the most time.
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.
How inheritance and estate claims work in Nigeria
Where a person dies without a will (intestate), heirs cannot simply take control of the estate. They must obtain Letters of Administration from the Probate Registry of the state where the deceased lived. The application typically requires the death certificate, a next-of-kin affidavit, identification of the applicants, and sureties, followed by a newspaper publication (around 21 days) inviting any objections. Until the grant is issued, the estate generally vests in the state's Chief Judge, and no one may lawfully distribute the assets.
An heir living in Texas usually does not travel for every step. Instead, you appoint a representative in Nigeria under a notarized and legalized power of attorney, and that person handles the Probate Registry process on your behalf. Where a foreign court has already granted probate or administration, Nigeria may allow that grant to be resealed so it is recognized locally. Because each Nigerian state administers its own Probate Registry, confirm the exact requirements with the registry handling the estate.
Documents you'll need
- A power of attorney appointing your Nigerian representative, notarized in Texas and fully legalized (SoS, U.S. State Department, Nigerian consulate)
- The death certificate (US or Nigerian, as applicable), authenticated for use in Nigeria
- Proof of relationship or next-of-kin affidavit supporting your entitlement
- Identification for all applicants and, where required, sureties
- Any foreign grant of probate/administration to be resealed, legalized for Nigeria
Translation
English is Nigeria's official language, so US documents issued in English generally need no translation. If any supporting document is in another language, obtain a certified English translation and have it authenticated together with the underlying document. Confirm the exact format with the Probate Registry or institution before you begin the legalization chain, since correcting an error after consular legalization means starting over.
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.