Power of Attorney at the Indian Consulate, Houston: Process, Fees, Checklist

The Consulate General of India, Houston (CGI Houston) attests powers of attorney for Indians and people of Indian origin living in Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas. The rules differ from other US posts in two useful ways: if you appear in person, no notarization is needed at all, and the consulate publishes the exact recital wording it expects in the POA. Get the wording, photo, and fee format right and the attestation is routine. Get them wrong and the packet comes back unprocessed after two weeks. Verified against the consulate's pages in June 2026.

Jurisdiction: who applies at Houston

Houston serves Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas. Residents of other states apply at their own post: San Francisco for the west (guide here), New York for the northeast, Chicago for the midwest, Atlanta for the southeast, and the Embassy in Washington DC for its territory. The consulate sits at 4300 Scotland Street, Houston, TX 77007.

The apostille rule at Houston

Houston applies the same split as other posts:

Foreign passport holders (US citizens without OCI, for instance): the POA must be apostilled by the Secretary of State of the relevant state before the consulate will attest it.
Indian passport holders and OCI/PIO card holders: no apostille. The POA must be notarized if sent by post. If you appear in person, no notarization either: you sign and self-attest before the officer.

India accepts US apostilles under the Hague Convention, so a US citizen could in theory stop at the apostille. The consulate's own page notes that many offices in India still ask for the consular stamp on top. For sub-registrar work, do both. Background in our USA to India POA guide.

The Houston recital: copy this wording

CGI Houston is specific about the opening recital. The POA should state:

"I (name of applicant), son/daughter of (name of father), resident of (address in India and abroad) and holder of Indian/US Passport No. (number) issued on (date) at (place), PIO/OCI card no. (number) issued on (date) at (place) (if applicable), hereby..."

Name and father's name must match the passport with initials expanded. "S. Kumar" fails if the passport reads "Subramanian Kumar". This single mismatch causes a large share of Houston rejections.

Step-by-step: POA attestation at CGI Houston

Draft the POA with Indian counsel, using the recital above and a specific scope of powers. Our template guide covers the clauses for a property-management POA.
Sign every page. Paste a passport-size photo on the front page and sign across it.
Complete the application form: the consulate's Attestation of Power of Attorney form, with one passport photo affixed in the box. Incomplete forms are returned without service.
Assemble supporting documents: original passport plus photocopies of the personal-particulars pages (first three and last two), visa or green card copy for Indian citizens, OCI/PIO card or renunciation certificate copy for others, and address proof (utility bill, driver licence, or lease). Postal applicants send notarized passport copies, not the original.
Choose your channel.
- In person: bring the original POA and a photocopy. No notarization needed; you self-attest before the officer.
- By post or through a representative: send the notarized original POA plus a photocopy of the notarized document.
Pay the fee. USD 20 per attestation plus USD 2 ICWF, by cashier's check or money order in favor of "Consulate General of India, Houston". Separate instruments for the attestation fee and the ICWF fee. Postal applicants add a separate USD 20 cashier's check for return mailing: Houston does not accept prepaid envelopes. Cash works at the counter. No personal checks or cards. Joint POA: each executant counts as a separate application with separate fees (two signatories = USD 40 plus USD 4 ICWF).
Wait out processing. Houston quotes 8 to 10 business days normal processing.
Courier to India and adjudicate. Stamp the POA before the Collector of Stamps within three months of its arrival in India (Section 18, Indian Stamp Act), then register it if it authorizes sale.

Note on VFS Global: from 1 August 2025, Indian posts in the US moved miscellaneous attestation intake to VFS Global, and the VFS portal lists Houston-jurisdiction centers including Dallas. Houston's own POA page still describes direct submission to the consulate. Check the consulate's miscellaneous services page and the VFS portal for the current intake channel before you mail anything.

What gets POAs rejected at Houston

Initials not expanded. The passport-name rule is enforced as written.
Missing photo on the front page, or a photo not signed across.
Pages without signatures. Every page of the POA needs the executant's signature.
One fee for two executants. Each signatory on a joint POA pays a full separate fee.
A single combined check. The attestation fee and ICWF fee need separate instruments; blank checks are refused outright.
Prepaid return envelopes. Houston wants a USD 20 cashier's check for return mail instead.
No apostille on a foreign passport holder's document.
Commercial POAs. Company documents follow a different process and fee schedule at the consulate.

FAQ

Do I need to notarize my POA before visiting CGI Houston? No, if you appear in person: you sign and self-attest before the consular officer. Yes, if you apply by post or send someone else: the original must be notarized.

What does attestation cost at Houston? USD 20 per attestation plus USD 2 ICWF per application, plus USD 20 for return mail on postal applications. Confirm current figures on the consulate's page before paying.

How long does it take? The consulate quotes 8 to 10 business days normal processing, plus mailing time both ways. Build a month into any India-side deadline.

Can I attest a POA for my parents' property sale in India? Yes, but a sale POA gets the hardest scrutiny in India. It should be specific, both apostilled and attested, adjudicated on arrival, and registered. Sub-registrars refuse sale deeds executed under bare general POAs.

My wife and I are both owners. One POA or two? One joint POA can work, but Houston treats each executant as a separate application: separate forms, documents, and fees.

Does Houston attest POAs for US citizens? Yes, after the document is notarized and apostilled, and with the OCI/PIO or renunciation certificate copy if you are of Indian origin.

Is the Houston attestation the final step? No. India-side steps remain: adjudication within three months of arrival, and registration for sale POAs. Skipping adjudication is the most common India-side failure.

We close the loop in India

Houston stamps the document; India is where it must work. 66 MG Road drafts the POA, preps your Houston or VFS packet, receives the original through our teams in Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, or Gurgaon, adjudicates it inside the three-month window, and registers it when the transaction demands. Itemized billing and scan proof throughout. Brief the documentation-legal desk.

Saurabh Garg, founder, 66 MG Road

Sources

CGI Houston, attestation of power of attorney: https://cgihouston.gov.in/pages/MzY,
CGI Houston, miscellaneous consular services: https://cgihouston.gov.in/pages/NTEw
CGI Houston, POA application form: https://cgihouston.gov.in/public_files/assets/document/pdf/Misc_Form11(1).pdf
VFS Global, Indian miscellaneous consular services USA: https://visa.vfsglobal.com/usa/en/ind/miscellaneous-services
MEA, Attestation/Apostille: https://www.mea.gov.in/apostille-menu
Indian Stamp Act, 1899 (Section 18), India Code: https://www.indiacode.nic.in/bitstream/123456789/20095/1/the_indian_stamp_act,_1899.pdf
Registration Act, 1908, India Code: https://www.indiacode.nic.in/handle/123456789/2241