A power of attorney signed in Germany for use in India should be drafted to suit the Indian office that will act on it, signed before a German notary, pre-certified, and attested by the Indian Embassy or the relevant Consulate General. An apostille will not do. When the attested original reaches India, it must be stamped under the state stamp law within three months, and for property work it is presented to the sub-registrar together with the attorney holder's identity documents.
- Document route
- German notary, pre-certification, then Indian mission attestation
- Time difference
- India is 3.5 hours (summer) to 4.5 hours (winter) ahead
- Recognition
- Section 33, Registration Act 1908
- Authentication
- Indian mission, or notary plus apostille
Power of Attorney from Germany: how it works
We draft the power of attorney in India first, because the text decides what your attorney holder can lawfully do. A special power of attorney limited to one property, one bank or one case is usually accepted with fewer questions than a broad general power. We send you a print-ready version in English with property details, survey or khasra numbers and the attorney holder's particulars. You sign it before a German Notar, ideally one who has handled foreign-use documents before. The notary's signature is then pre-certified by the competent court or authority, and the document goes to the Indian mission for your state for attestation.
After attestation, courier the original to India. We have it stamped and, for property transactions, check it against the requirements of the particular sub-registrar, because local practice varies from state to state. If a sale is involved, remember that the sale consideration should be paid into your NRO or NRE account in your name, not to the attorney holder, and that the buyer must deduct tax at source on a sale by a non-resident. Revoke the power formally once the job is done, and inform the bank and sub-registrar.
What clients in Germany should know
- German notaries may prefer to certify only your signature rather than the content; that is acceptable for India as long as the mission attests the notarial certificate.
- If you have taken German citizenship, sign as a foreign national holding an OCI card and use your German passport details consistently throughout the document.
- Do not sign a power of attorney that allows the holder to receive sale money into their own account; banks in India and German tax advisers alike will query the flow later.
Step by step from Germany
Video consultation
A call at a time that suits Germany, after we have read your documents.
Documents signed in Germany
German notary, pre-certification, then Indian mission attestation
Work in India
Our team files, appears and follows up in India, and shares scans of everything filed.
Result and handover
Certified copies and originals are couriered to you in Germany where needed.
The full guide
This page covers what changes when you are in Germany. For the law, the documents and the step-by-step procedure, read our main page on Power of Attorney, or see all services for clients in Germany and the Inheritance & Documents practice area.
Questions from clients in Germany
Can I sign the power of attorney at the Indian Consulate in Munich instead of a notary?
Indian missions provide attestation services for documents, and some allow signing before a consular officer. Check the current service list of your mission; otherwise the notary route described above is standard.
Will an Indian bank accept a power of attorney from Germany?
Most banks accept a properly attested power of attorney, but many also want their own format. Ask the bank for its form before you sign, and we will align the two.
How do I cancel a power of attorney from Germany?
Sign a deed of revocation through the same notary and attestation route, then serve it on the attorney holder, the bank and the sub-registrar where the original was used.