Indian legal services for clients in Yemen

Document route

Case by case: Indian Embassy for Yemen in Djibouti, or signing in India or a third country

Time difference

IST is 2h30 ahead of Yemen all year

Foreign judgments in India

Doubtful: Aden was notified historically; usually a fresh suit

Apostille with India

Not a party: consular attestation where available

Who we help

Arab families of Hadhrami origin have lived in Hyderabad's Barkas, in Aurangabad, Gujarat and the Malabar coast for generations, and many still have relatives in Mukalla, Seiyun and Aden. Their property disputes, partitions and inheritances often involve heirs in Yemen, Saudi Arabia and the Gulf. Yemeni students, patients and traders also spend long periods in India, and Indian nurses and workers have lived in Yemen. Since 2017, Indian passports have generally not been valid for travel to Yemen without specific permission, which makes personal attendance impossible for most.

We help with partition, succession and property disputes involving heirs in Yemen, wills, marriage registration, and powers of attorney signed wherever the family member can safely sign.

Documents from Yemen for use in India

Yemen is not a party to the Hague Apostille Convention. The Embassy of India accredited to Yemen has operated from Djibouti since 2015, and Yemeni government services are divided, so legalising documents from inside Yemen is slow and uncertain. In practice we use one of these routes:

1. Family members in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Oman or another Gulf country sign before a notary there and have the document attested or apostilled as that country allows, and then attested by the Indian mission if required.
2. Family members in India sign before an Indian notary or sub-registrar.
3. Where a document must come from Yemen, we check whether attestation by the Yemeni Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Indian Embassy in Djibouti is currently possible.

Documents in Arabic need a certified English translation. Where Yemeni civil records are unavailable, Indian courts may accept affidavits, community records and other secondary evidence.

Most requested services from Yemen

These six services cover most of what Yemeni and Hadhrami families, and Indians linked to Yemen, need from an Indian lawyer.

Inheritance in Hadhrami and Yemeni families

Succession to the property of a Muslim in India is governed by Muslim personal law, under which shares are fixed by the Quran and each heir takes a defined fraction. Hadhrami families are usually Sunni and follow the Shafi'i school, though Indian courts generally apply the Hanafi rules unless a different school is shown. Heirs abroad keep their shares; the challenge is proving the family tree and dealing with property that relatives in India have been managing for decades. A foreign heir can inherit Indian property, but if they are not an Indian citizen or OCI cardholder, selling and remitting the proceeds needs care under FEMA.

Tax and moving money

India and Yemen do not have a tax treaty in force, as far as we know. Income from Indian property is taxed in India, and the payer deducts tax at source for non-residents. Sending money to Yemen is restricted by banking conditions and sanctions screening, so families usually receive Indian proceeds in an Indian account or in a Gulf country where a relative lives.

Yemeni judgments and family matters

Aden appears in the old list of reciprocating territories notified under section 44A of the Code of Civil Procedure, from its colonial period, but whether that notification can be used for judgments of modern Yemeni courts is doubtful. In practice we treat Yemeni judgments as foreign judgments that can found a fresh suit, subject to section 13. Marriages between Indian and Yemeni nationals are recognised if valid where performed; for Indian records we register the marriage in India where possible or prove it by evidence.

All services for clients in Yemen

NRI Property Law

• Property Disputes
• Encroachment & Illegal Possession
• Partition of Family Property
• Buying & Selling Property
• Title Search & Due Diligence
• Tenant Eviction
• Builder Delay & RERA

Inheritance & Documents

• Wills & Probate
• Succession Certificate
• Mutation & Transfer
• Power of Attorney
• Apostille & Attestation

Cross-Border Family Law

• Divorce for NRIs
• International Child Custody
• Maintenance & Alimony
• Marriage Registration
• 498A & Dowry Case Defence
• OCI Card Issues

Doing Business in India

• Company Setup for Foreigners
• Indian Subsidiary Setup
• Branch & Liaison Office
• FDI & FEMA Compliance
• Trademark Protection in India
• Commercial Contracts
• Employment Law for Foreign Employers
• GST for Foreign Businesses
• Investing in Indian Startups
• Legal Advisory for NRI Investors

Disputes & Enforcement

• International Arbitration
• Enforcing Foreign Judgments
• Money Recovery from India
• Shareholder Disputes & NCLT
• Accident Compensation Claims
• Cyber & Investment Fraud
• Criminal Defence & Look Out Circulars

Cross-Border Tax & Money

• NRI Income Tax & DTAA
• TDS on Property Sale
• Repatriation of Funds
• FEMA Compliance for NRIs

Indian missions for Yemen

The Embassy of India accredited to Yemen has operated from Djibouti since 2015. Check its current procedures before planning any attestation.

• Embassy of India for Yemen, operating from Djibouti

Frequently asked questions