Residents of Bahrain can make a will for their Indian assets without travelling: it is signed in Bahrain before two independent witnesses and can be attested at the Embassy of India in Manama or notarised and apostilled. A separate Indian will, confined to Indian assets, avoids the delay of proving a foreign will. After a death we obtain probate or letters of administration in India where needed.
- Document route
- Embassy attestation; apostille possible
- Time difference
- 2.5 hours behind IST
- Handled in India at
- Sub-registrar; district or High Court for probate
- Travel to India
- None for signing
How it works from Bahrain
We take instructions by video call, usually from husband and wife together, and list each Indian asset as Indian records describe it. The will names an executor who can act in India and an alternate, deals with what happens if a beneficiary dies first, and, where children hold foreign passports, confirms that they can inherit, which they can.
You sign before two witnesses who take nothing under the will. If you later return to India the will can be registered there. Where any will has been registered in Bahrain or elsewhere, the two are worded so that neither revokes the other. For families already dealing with an estate, we act for the executor in India through an attorney.
What is different for NRIs in Bahrain
- Nominations on bank and demat accounts should match the will.
- Indian law governs land in India wherever you live.
- Review the will when you return or sell property.
Step by step from Bahrain
Free review call
Calls are held in Bahrain office hours, two and a half hours behind India. We read your papers on an Indian will or probate first, so the call is about your options and not a repeat of the facts.
Authority from Bahrain
Where a representative must act for you in India on an Indian will or probate, you sign before the consular officer at the Embassy of India in Manama, or use the notary and apostille route. We draft the document and send signing instructions.
Work in India
In India, we finalise the will for signature before two witnesses, or file the probate petition and take it through citation and evidence. Updates for clients in Bahrain go by email and WhatsApp with scans of whatever is filed.
Result and handover
At the end you receive the signed or registered will, or the sealed grant for use with banks and registries. Originals are couriered to your address in Bahrain if you need them.
The law in full
This page covers what changes when you handle an Indian will or probate from Bahrain. For the Indian law, the complete document checklist, common mistakes and more questions, read our main page on Will Drafting & Probate. For other matters, see all legal services for NRIs in Bahrain or the Inheritance, Wills & Documents practice area.
Questions from NRIs in Bahrain
Can I make a will for Indian property while living in Bahrain?
Yes, signed before two witnesses; Embassy attestation or apostille adds evidentiary weight.
Do my children with foreign passports inherit under my Indian will?
Yes. Citizenship does not bar inheritance; an OCI card makes later dealings easier.
Is registration of the will compulsory?
No, but a registered will is harder to dispute.