New Power Of Attorney Rule Affecting Apostille And Legalization Process

At a Glance

• Based on recent cases, the Venezuelan Ministry of Foreign Affairs is now requiring Powers of Attorney signed abroad to be authenticated by a Venezuelan consulate, despite Venezuela being part of the Hague Convention. Apostilled Powers of Attorney without an authentication from a Venezuelan consulate are not being accepted.
• Individuals who are outside Venezuela and need to apostille or legalize documents in Venezuela through a local third-party representative must personally appear at a Venezuelan consulate to sign the Power of Attorney and have it authenticated.
• Affected applicants may need to travel outside of their country of residence to complete this process, as numerous countries do not currently have active Venezuelan consulates.