A legal heir living in Saudi Arabia applies for a succession certificate under section 372 of the Indian Succession Act in the district court where the deceased lived or held assets. The petition is verified by an affidavit notarised in the Kingdom and apostilled by the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, or signed at the Indian Embassy in Riyadh or the Consulate in Jeddah. Other heirs give consent affidavits, the court publishes notice, and the certificate issues if no one objects.
- Document route
- Saudi notary (including Najiz e-notarisation), then apostille from the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, or signing at the Indian mission
- Time difference
- IST is 2h30 ahead of Saudi time all year (no daylight saving)
- Law
- Part X, Indian Succession Act 1925
- Court
- District Judge where the deceased lived
Succession Certificate from Saudi Arabia: how it works
We first list the debts and securities: savings and fixed deposits, mutual fund units, shares, provident fund balances and any money owed to the deceased. A succession certificate covers these, not land, so we check whether a will, nomination or bank indemnity procedure could avoid court altogether. You then sign the petition affidavit and a vakalatnama before a Saudi notary, have them apostilled, and courier the originals to India. Brothers and sisters living in India or elsewhere sign no-objection affidavits in their own countries.
The district court issues a public notice and notices to the heirs, and waits for the notice period before hearing the petition. If nobody objects, the court grants the certificate on deposit of court fee calculated as a percentage of the value, which varies by state, and usually requires a security bond. The certificate is then presented to each bank or registrar. Delay arises mainly from mismatched names between the death certificate, passports and bank records, so send us all spellings used for your parent at the start.
What clients in Saudi Arabia should know
- An apostille from the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs is now enough for the affidavit, which saves the separate embassy attestation step that heirs used before 2022.
- If one heir works on a Saudi project site without easy access to a notary, the Indian mission's service centre in the Eastern Province or Jeddah can often be used instead.
- Deposits released under the certificate should be credited to the heir's NRO account and can then be repatriated to Saudi Arabia within the annual limit after Forms 15CA and 15CB.
Step by step from Saudi Arabia
Video consultation
A call at a time that suits Saudi Arabia, after we have read your documents.
Documents signed in Saudi Arabia
Saudi notary (including Najiz e-notarisation), then apostille from the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, or signing at the Indian mission
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 Saudi Arabia where needed.
The full guide
This page covers what changes when you are in Saudi Arabia. For the law, the documents and the step-by-step procedure, read our main page on Succession Certificate, or see all services for clients in Saudi Arabia and the Inheritance & Documents practice area.
Questions from clients in Saudi Arabia
Can I apply while my mother in India is also an heir?
Yes. You can be the petitioner with her consent affidavit, or she can apply with consent from you. The court needs to know that all Class I heirs have notice.
My father's bank says a nomination exists. Do I still need a certificate?
A nominee can receive the deposit, but holds it for the legal heirs. Where heirs disagree, or the nominee has also died, a succession certificate is usually needed.
How long does the process take?
Uncontested petitions in many district courts finish in several months, but timelines vary widely by court and depend on how quickly notices are served.