By Ern Phang, Solicitor & Notary Public
Director of Phang Legal. Solicitor since 1998 and notary public since 2005.
Example: the situation
Sandeep is working in Sydney while his parents look after the family's affairs in Punjab. His bank in India keeps asking him to come in to sign and verify documents, and flying home each time is expensive and impractical.
Authorising a family member under a power of attorney can save you those trips home. Let's discuss this in further detail.
Indian Power of Attorney
Working or studying overseas
One of the biggest challenges of working or studying overseas is being able to practically and legally continue to manage your personal and financial affairs in India. In many cases, other people expect you to be present in India to provide instructions or to sign and verify documents, but if you are now working or studying overseas the prospect of traveling home just for that purpose is expensive and impractical.Authorising a family member to look after your personal and financial affairs in probably the safest and easiest option, which avoids the need to travel back to India regularly. According to the law, authorisation must be in the form of a General Power of Attorney or a Special Power of Attorney prepared by your lawyer in India and signed by you. If you are not in India when you sign the Power of Attorney, then you need to sign the Power of Attorney in front of a notary public or similarly qualified person. You may also find that depending on the country, you may also need to have the Power of Attorney countersigned by the Indian High Commission or consular office after the Power of Attorney has been notarised.
If you reside in Sydney, Australia, and you want to appoint someone in India to look after your personal and financial affairs, then the Power of Attorney that you sign in Sydney must be notarised by a notary public in Sydney.
Examples of the General Power of Attorney used in India. We have prepared these examples of the General Power of Attorney based on similar documents commonly used by our clients for various dealings with banks in India.
Before using these documents you must check with your lawyer (or whoever you may be dealing with) in India that they are legally valid and will be acceptable for their purposes.
- Power of Attorney for India(DOCX)
- General Power of Attorney for India (DOCX)
- Power of Attorney for India (PDF)
- Basic Power of Attorney for India (PDF)
Completing the templates for the General Power of Attorney for India
The templates contained on this website are incomplete. If you download the WORD versions (see here), the template will prompt you to fill in the key details of the executant's name and address (ie, the person who is giving the power), as well as the attorney's name and address (ie, the person who is receiving the power), as well as the attorney's father's name. If you do not fill in these details while editing the WORD versions, the template will be left with blank spaces for you to complete before signing the General Power of Attorney.Filling in all the details, whether on the computer or by hand, is important as the information required determine who is giving the power and who is receiving the power. If at any time you feel that the power granted by the General Power of Attorney is too wide, or not wide enough, then you should make your own changes to the document to properly reflect your wishes. However, you should check the proposed changes with your attorney and/or your lawyer in India to ensure that it is legally valid according to their laws as well as practically possible to fulfill.
If you provide powers that are too wide, you may be exposing yourself to too much risk in terms of an 'abuse of power' by your attorney, but if you make the powers too narrow you can potentially restrict and limit your attorney in being able to complete the tasks that you require them to complete on your behalf. Again, when in doubt, check with your lawyer in India before making the changes.
Disclaimer
We disclaim any liability arising in connection with the use of these documents or reliance on their contents either in original or altered form. We give no warranties and we make no representation in respect of the documents including, without limitation, any warranties as to quality, standard or legal efficacy.To obtain a quote on our notary public services for India, please visit Request a notary quote.Example: the solution
Sandeep's lawyer in India prepared a General Power of Attorney appointing his mother. He signed it in front of our notary public in Sydney, who witnessed his signature and notarised it. His lawyer told him it also had to be countersigned by the Indian consular office, so he arranged that before sending it home.
About Us
This blog is maintained by Phang Legal, a boutique law firm with offices in Parramatta and Rouse Hill. We help clients from across Sydney and beyond with personal, professional and timely Legal Services, Notary Services and Apostille Services.
As a leading provider of notary services in Sydney, we have 1k+ Google Reviews (4.9) (updated July 2026) with many clients happy to share their experience in using our services.
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Level 3, 87 Marsden Street (from 1 March 2026)
Parramatta NSW 2150
Phang Legal — Rouse Hill
214/80 Main Street
Rouse Hill NSW 2155
Call 02 9687 8885 | WhatsApp | Request quote
About the author
Ern Phang — Solicitor & Notary Public
This article was written by Ern Phang, a director of Phang Legal, a solicitor since 1998 and a notary public since 2005.
Ern has been a member of the Society of Notaries of NSW since 2005, a Fellow of the Australian and New Zealand College of Notaries since 2013, and a member of the Law Society of New South Wales since 1998.
Ern regularly writes about his experiences as a notary public and the practical issues his clients face when sending documents from Australia to India and other countries all over the world.
Using information in this article
This article provides general information. Requirements, forms, fees and service arrangements may have changed since its original publication. Check the receiving organisation’s current requirements and obtain advice relevant to your circumstances.
