Power of Attorney from the UK to India: Notary, Apostille, or High Commission

A power of attorney from the UK to India can be authenticated two ways: sign before a UK notary public and apostille the document at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), or execute it before a consular officer of the High Commission of India (HCI), London, through a VFS Global centre. Both routes produce a document India recognizes. After either route, the POA must still be stamped in India within three months of arrival and registered if it covers a sale. Verified against HCI London, gov.uk, and VFS pages in June 2026.

Route A: UK notary plus FCDO apostille

India joined the Hague Apostille Convention in 2005. A UK public document carrying an FCDO apostille is valid in India without any Indian consular attestation, per the MEA's apostille page.

The sequence:

  1. Draft the POA with an Indian property lawyer.
  2. Sign it before a UK notary public. The notary verifies identity and attaches a notarial certificate. Notary fees vary; expect a meaningful cost in London and get a quote first.
  3. Send the notarized POA to the FCDO Legalisation Office for an apostille via gov.uk/get-document-legalised. The standard paper apostille is GBP 45 per document, with processing quoted at up to 15 working days plus courier time. An e-Apostille at GBP 35 exists for digital documents, but a property POA needs a wet-ink original for India, so most owners use the paper service. Registered business users have a counter service. Fees change: check the current figure on the gov.uk page.
  4. Courier the original to India.

The catch: the same one as the US corridor. Some sub-registrars and banks in India still ask for the Indian consular stamp despite a valid apostille. Indian posts in the US say this on their own pages, and the behavior at Indian counters is identical for UK documents. For a management POA, the apostille route works in most cities. For a sale POA, take Route B or do both.

Route B: execution before HCI London through VFS

The High Commission offers "Execution of Power of Attorney for civil, property and financial matters" as a miscellaneous consular service. Applications are submitted in person at VFS Global Indian consular application centres with a prior appointment, per the HCI's service note and the VFS UK portal.

What the HCI requires:

Bring your passport, UK visa or residence proof, and the supporting documents listed in the HCI checklist for your case. OCI holders carry the OCI card. A postal channel has existed for POA execution; its current availability and conditions are on the HCI miscellaneous services page. Confirm before planning around it.

Which route should a UK-based owner pick

Step-by-step: UK to a usable POA in India

  1. Draft with Indian counsel; make it specific. Clause checklist in our template guide.
  2. Match the executant's name and father's name to the passport, initials expanded.
  3. Sign every page; paste a photograph on the front page and sign across it.
  4. Authenticate via Route A (notary plus FCDO apostille) or Route B (execution at a VFS centre before HCI London).
  5. Courier the original to India with a tracked service. Keep the airway bill: it proves the date of receipt in India.
  6. Adjudicate within three months. Under Section 18 of the Indian Stamp Act, 1899, an instrument executed outside India must be stamped within three months of first receipt in India. Your attorney presents it to the Collector of Stamps, pays the assessed duty (rates differ by state), and collects the endorsement. Miss the window and the document gets impounded with penalty, as the Andhra Pradesh High Court has held.
  7. Register the POA at the sub-registrar if it authorizes sale or creates an interest in property. The Registration Act, 1908 recognizes foreign-executed POAs authenticated by a notary or Indian consul for presenting documents, but sub-registrar practice on sale POAs is stricter than the statute. Confirm with the specific office.

What gets UK POAs rejected

FAQ

Is a UK notarized POA valid in India without anything else? No. It needs an FCDO apostille or HCI execution, and stamping in India after arrival.

How much does the FCDO apostille cost? GBP 45 per paper document, GBP 35 for an e-Apostille, as of the FCDO's published fees. Check gov.uk for the current figure.

What is the HCI London fee for a POA? GBP 19 per signature and stamp of the consular officer, plus VFS service charges. Confirm on the VFS UK portal.

Can I do the whole thing by post from Manchester or Leeds? Route A, yes: notaries operate everywhere and the FCDO is a postal service. Route B requires personal appearance at a VFS centre; check VFS for centres beyond London and the current status of any postal channel.

Do I need witnesses for the notary route? Indian practice expects two witnesses on a POA. Have two adults witness your signature at the notary appointment, names and addresses written in full.

How long end to end? Route A: notary same week, apostille up to 15 working days plus courier, India adjudication 2 to 15 days. Route B: same-day execution once you have a VFS appointment. Plan four to six weeks total either way.

My parents in India can use a copy while the original travels? No. Registrars, banks, and societies act on the original or a registrar-certified copy.

The London-to-India chain, run as one job

66 MG Road drafts the POA with Indian counsel, books and preps the notary or VFS appointment, tracks the FCDO turnaround, receives the original through our city teams, adjudicates inside the three-month window, and registers where the transaction requires. Itemized billing, scan proof at every step. Talk to the documentation-legal desk.

Saurabh Garg, founder, 66 MG Road

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