For the diaspora

Power of attorney to buy or sell in Venezuela: registered vs. apostilled

Claudia Velazco · RE/MAX Eleva, Maracaibo, Zulia · Updated: August 2026 · 5 min read

You need a registered power of attorney when you grant it inside Venezuela and an apostilled one when you sign it abroad. Both let a trusted representative buy or sell your property in Maracaibo, or anywhere in Zulia, without you traveling.

The power of attorney is the document that makes operating at a distance possible. Without it, no purchase or sale can close if you are not present. Understanding the difference between a registered and an apostilled power saves you time and prevents a badly done step from stalling your transaction.

What is a power of attorney and what is it for?

A power of attorney legally authorizes someone to act in your name: to sign the purchase or sale, obtain tax clearances, collect payment or hand over keys. You define what they can and cannot do.

Registered power: when you grant it in Venezuela

If you are visiting the country, you grant the power before a Venezuelan notary or registry. It is valid immediately to operate in Maracaibo and across Zulia. It is the most direct route if it coincides with a trip.

Apostilled power: when you sign it abroad

If you live in the United States, Spain, Chile, Colombia or any Hague Convention country, this is your route:

1. Draft the power with the exact faculties (buy, sell, collect, sign).
2. Sign it before a notary in your country of residence.
3. Apostille it before the competent authority (the apostille certifies international validity).
4. Send it to Venezuela; your representative records it and can then act.

If your country is not in the Hague Convention, the document is legalized through the consulate instead of apostilled. The legal effect is the same.

Registered vs. apostilled, at a glance

Faculties worth including

• Buy or sell the specific property.
• Set and receive the transaction price.
• Sign the purchase document before the registry.
• Obtain tax clearances and necessary documents.

General power or special power to sell

To sell one specific property, the usual and the safer route is a special power: one that identifies that property and confines the faculties to that transaction. A general power of administration and disposal also works, but it hands your representative far more reach than you need, and that reach does not close itself once the sale is done.

• Identify the property. Location, boundaries and the details of the recorded title, so there is no doubt about what is being sold.
• Set the price, or a floor price. You can authorise a sale at a fixed figure or at anything above a minimum you decide.
• Say who receives the money and how. This is the clause that prevents the most trouble, and the one most often left out.
• Give it an expiry date. A power with a closing date does not stay in circulation after the transaction.

If you sign it outside Venezuela the route is the one already described: a notary where you live, the apostille, and the original sent to Venezuela to be recorded. Start that as soon as you decide to sell, because it is usually the slowest part of the calendar.

Selling a property that came through an inheritance

This is the case that generates the most questions among families spread across several countries, and it works differently. Before a power of attorney is of any use, the estate has to be formalised: while the property remains in the name of the person who died, no sale is possible, however well the power is drafted.

1. First, the estate declaration. This is the step that establishes who the heirs are and which assets make up the estate. Nothing moves without it.
2. Then, a power from every heir. All of them must grant one, not only the person handling the paperwork. If one lives in Chile, another in Spain and another in Maracaibo, Zulia, each signs their own: apostilled for the first two, registered for the third.
3. Finally, the sale. The representative signs on behalf of all of them before the registry and the transaction closes like any other.

What delays these sales is almost never the document. It is getting heirs in different time zones to agree. Start with that conversation rather than with the property.

Frequently asked questions

Can I sell my house in Venezuela without traveling?

Yes. With an apostilled power of attorney signed in your country of residence, a trusted representative sells your property in Maracaibo or across Zulia while you sign remotely.

How long does it take to apostille a power of attorney?

It varies by country, but usually a few days to two weeks. Start it as soon as you decide to buy or sell.

Is an apostilled power valid across all of Venezuela?

Yes. Once recorded it is valid nationwide, not only in Zulia.

What if my country is not in the Hague Convention?

It is legalized through the consulate instead of apostilled; the legal effect is the same.

Can I revoke the power afterward?

Yes, a power of attorney can be revoked following the corresponding legal procedure.

Which power of attorney do I need to sell one specific property?

A special power, which identifies that property and confines the faculties to that sale. It is safer than a general power because it gives your representative no reach over the rest of your assets.

Can an inherited property be sold with a power of attorney?

Yes, but the estate must be formalised first with the estate declaration. After that every heir grants a power, each from wherever they live: apostilled if abroad, registered if in Venezuela.