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.