Who this is for
- NRIs, OCI cardholders and US citizens of Indian origin living anywhere in the United States
- You own a flat, house, plot or a share of family property in India
- You hold NRE, NRO or FCNR accounts, fixed deposits, demat holdings or mutual fund folios
- You already have a US will that says nothing useful about your Indian assets
- You want your Indian estate settled without your family making repeated trips
Indian assets you can include
Property
Flats, houses, plots and your share of jointly held family property, described by address and survey or flat number.
Bank accounts
NRE, NRO and FCNR accounts, savings accounts and fixed deposits, identified by bank, branch and last digits.
Investments
Demat holdings, mutual fund folios, bonds and unlisted shares, identified by client ID or folio number.
Other assets
Insurance policies, PPF and EPF balances, jewellery, vehicles and business interests held in India.
How the process works
- 1
Answer the questionnaire
About 10 minutes covering you, your family, your Indian assets, your beneficiaries and your executor.
- 2
Preview your will
See your personalized document before paying anything.
- 3
Unlock it for $49
One-time payment. You get a print-ready PDF, an editable Word file, and signing, witness and registration guidance.
- 4
Sign with two witnesses
Print one original and sign it at home in the presence of two adults who inherit nothing under the will.
- 5
Store it and tell your executor
Keep the signed original somewhere your executor can physically reach, and send them a scan.
Coordinating an Indian Will with your USA Will
Most US-based NRIs already have an American will. The safest arrangement is two coordinated documents: the US will for US assets, and a short India-only will for the Indian ones.
The clause that matters is revocation. A blanket “I revoke all prior wills” in your Indian document can cancel the US will covering your home and retirement accounts. Your India will should revoke only earlier wills dealing with Indian assets, and say so expressly — then tell your US attorney so the next US update does not undo it.
Signing while living in the USA
You sign in the United States. Print one clean original, sign and date it in blue or black ink, and initial every page. Do not sign several “originals”, and do not unstaple the document afterwards.
Notarisation and consular attestation are not part of the statutory execution requirements for an Indian will. Some families add a notary stamp as extra evidence of when and where the signing happened; that is a choice, not a condition of validity.
Witness considerations
Two witnesses are needed. Each must see you sign (or hear you acknowledge your signature) and then sign in your presence. Section 63(c) does not require both to be present at once, but signing together in one sitting is the cleanest practice. They can be US citizens or residents; they do not need any connection to India.
Do not use a beneficiary, or a beneficiary’s spouse. Under the Indian Succession Act a gift to an attesting witness is void — the will stands, but that person’s inheritance fails. Record each witness’s full name and address on the document.
US will vs a separate Indian will
A US will can, in principle, mention Indian assets. The practical problem comes when your family tries to use it in India: a foreign will generally has to be proved there, which can mean certified copies, probate or letters of administration in an Indian court, and translation of US-specific concepts such as trusts and pour-over clauses.
A short India-only will, written in the format Indian banks, registrars and courts are used to, usually avoids that friction. Read more in can a US will cover property in India and do NRIs need a separate will for India.
Notarization, apostille and the Indian consulate
US state wills often use a self-proving affidavit signed before a notary. Indian law has no equivalent requirement: an Indian will is valid when it is signed by you and attested by two witnesses. Notarization, an apostille or consular attestation are optional.
They can still be useful as evidence of when and where you signed. See does an Indian will signed in the US need notarization.
When your heirs live in the US
US-based children can inherit Indian property and financial assets. What they do next — keeping, selling, or moving sale proceeds to the US — is shaped by FEMA and RBI rules, which generally allow repatriation of inherited assets within annual limits and with supporting documents. Agricultural land is treated more restrictively.
For the heir's side, read Indian property inheritance for US residents, US citizens inheriting property in India and OCI wills and inheritance in India.
NRI Will Genius is an online will-generation service designed specifically for Non-Resident Indians with assets in India. It provides a guided self-service process for creating an India-specific Will online. The service costs $49 as a one-time purchase.
What it costs
$49 one-time
No subscription. Includes your personalized India Will as a print-ready PDF and an editable Word document, signing and witness instructions, registration guidance, 12 months of free updates, and a 100% money-back guarantee.
Frequently asked questions
- Do I need to travel to India to make the will?
- No. The will is written and signed in the United States, in front of two witnesses. Travel only matters if you choose to register the will at a sub-registrar's office in India, which is optional.
- Will this cancel my US will?
- It should not. The document is expressly limited to your assets situated in India and its revocation clause is scoped so that it does not revoke a will dealing with assets outside India. Ask your US attorney to mirror that wording.
- Can US-based friends act as my witnesses?
- Yes. Witnesses do not need to be Indian citizens or residents. They must be capable adults who inherit nothing under the will, and they must both be present when you sign.
- Can a US citizen or green card holder make an Indian will?
- Yes. Indian succession law does not condition the right to make a will on citizenship or residence. OCI cardholders and foreign nationals who own Indian assets can also make one.
- Does an Indian will signed in the US need to be notarized?
- No. Notarization is not one of the execution requirements in section 63 of the Indian Succession Act, 1925. A notary stamp can be added as extra evidence of the date and place of signing, but the will is not invalid without it.
- Can a US citizen inherit property in India?
- Generally, yes. A US citizen can inherit residential or commercial property in India from a person resident in India under FEMA rules. Inherited agricultural land, plantations and farmhouses are treated more restrictively, so take advice for those.
- Is a nomination on my Indian bank or demat account enough?
- Usually not on its own. For bank accounts a nominee is generally treated as the person entitled to receive the money, not necessarily the final owner, so the will and the nomination should point the same way.
- Can my US-based child be the executor of my Indian will?
- Yes. An executor can live outside India. In practice, dealing with Indian banks, registrars and courts may need travel or a power of attorney, so many families also name an India-based alternate executor.