A Singapore resident can make a will covering Indian assets, signed before two witnesses, and it is valid in India. Many people make a separate Indian will to simplify administration. After death, the executor may need probate or letters of administration in India; probate is compulsory for Hindu wills made in or dealing with immovable property in Mumbai, Chennai or Kolkata. A Singapore grant can support an Indian grant under section 228 of the Indian Succession Act.
- Document route
- Singapore notary public, then apostille from the Singapore Academy of Law
- Time difference
- Singapore is 2h30 ahead of IST all year
- Law
- Indian Succession Act 1925
- Witnesses
- Two attesting witnesses
Wills & Probate from Singapore: how it works
We review your assets in India and Singapore and decide whether one will or two is better. Where two are used, each is drafted so that it does not revoke the other. The Indian will names an executor who can act in India and addresses each Indian asset clearly. You sign it in Singapore before two witnesses who are not beneficiaries. Notarisation and an apostille from the Singapore Academy of Law are optional but helpful. Muslim testators have one third testamentary freedom under Indian law.
When a death occurs, we advise the executor on the Indian steps: obtaining a certified copy of the Singapore grant if the will was probated there, filing for letters of administration with the will annexed or for Indian probate, publishing notice to heirs and responding to objections. Once the grant is issued, banks, share registrars and sub-registrars transfer the assets. Court fees vary by state and by the value of the estate. Without a will, Indian succession laws apply to the Indian assets.
What clients in Singapore should know
- Singapore's Wills Act and Indian law both accept wills signed before two witnesses, but each has different rules on formal validity for movable and immovable property, which careful drafting addresses.
- Assets held jointly or with nominations in India still form part of the estate, so the will should address them explicitly.
- CPF nominations in Singapore pass outside the will, just as some Indian nominations operate differently, so the plan should be coordinated.
Step by step from Singapore
Video consultation
A call at a time that suits Singapore, after we have read your documents.
Documents signed in Singapore
Singapore notary public, then apostille from the Singapore Academy of Law
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 Singapore where needed.
The full guide
This page covers what changes when you are in Singapore. For the law, the documents and the step-by-step procedure, read our main page on Wills & Probate, or see all services for clients in Singapore and the Inheritance & Documents practice area.
Questions from clients in Singapore
Is my Singapore will valid for my Indian assets?
Generally yes, if it was validly executed. But Indian administration may require a separate grant, so a dedicated Indian will often makes things easier.
Can the Singapore grant of probate be used in India?
Not directly. It supports an application for letters of administration with the will annexed in India under section 228 of the Indian Succession Act.
Who should be my Indian executor?
A trusted person in India, or a professional executor, who can deal with banks and registrars. You can also name an executor in Singapore with an Indian attorney.