How to Get a Power of Attorney Attested for India from the US

PoA for an Indian in the US

This post veers from my norm—it’s a quick guide for Indians in the US to get a Power of Attorney (PoA) attested at an Indian consulate. The process is simple but quirky, starting with identifying which consulate serves your state.

Here’s the updated list as of April 2025—check before you start:

1. Embassy in Washington, D.C.: Bermuda, Delaware, District of Columbia, Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia

2. Consulate in New York: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont

3. Consulate in San Francisco: Alaska, Arizona, California, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming

4. Consulate in Chicago: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin

5. Consulate in Houston: Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Nebraska

6. Consulate in Atlanta: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virgin Islands

I used the Consulate in New York. Here’s the rundown. Visit their site at indiainnewyork.gov.in. Head to “Miscellaneous Services” and select your options—mine were Indian Passport → Power of Attorney → Mail. In-person was available, but I wasn’t flying to New York for this.

Submit, and the form’s mostly clear, though watch for these:

• Fill out the Miscellaneous Application form (linked on the page).

• At the payment section, write down the Application Reference Number—it disappears after that screen.

• Pay, then wait—don’t touch the browser. After a long pause, you’ll get a PDF with the actual application number (not the reference one) and a receipt.

  

Now, gather these documents:

• Original PoA (notarized) + a copy for the consulate

  • For the PoA, it needs two witnesses (no addresses required in New York, but Houston asks for them).

  • Add the PoA grantor’s US address in the first paragraph. I included Aadhaar and passport numbers and signed every page—overkill, maybe, but check with your notary or attorney.

• Notarized photocopy of your passport’s info page (skip the back)

• Notarized copy of US visa status or I-94, if applicable

• Notarized copy of address proof

• Trackable, pre-paid return envelope—I used USPS online, but pick what works

Mail it all to the consulate. It took me about a week.

Note: the miscellaneous number won’t track on the Pramit site, so don’t stress.

Skim the Miscellaneous Services page for more info. Some quirks to flag:

• Fees are per person—two parents, two payments (I saw this on Houston’s site and followed it).

• You might need an attorney to draft the PoA naming you as the attorney-in-fact—your call.

• Jurisdiction hinges on where the PoA grantors live (e.g., my parents in Ohio).

• In Ohio, the notary doesn’t sign the document itself but attaches a separate sheet. The Embassy accepted this without any issues, just so you know.

That’s the gist! A few oddities, but manageable once you’ve got the steps. Hope this smooths the way if you’re tackling the same.