Chad follows the French civil law tradition, so a power of attorney is a formal instrument drafted in French by the notary in N’Djamena who will use it. For families abroad it is often the only practical way a property or inheritance matter moves at all.
Quick facts
Land is where assumptions go wrong. Chad applies both registered title and customary tenure, and a family holding is far more likely to fall under the latter, where decisions involve the community rather than a registry.
Fees breakdown
| Item | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Consular act | Not published | Ask the embassy |
| U.S. notarisation | $5–$25 per signature | First step |
| State and federal certification | $3–$25 plus $20 | Before the consular step |
| French translation | Per page | Usually required |
| Notary’s fees in Chad | Agreed with the office | Drafting and completion |
Inheritance combines civil law forms with the personal status rules applying to the family, which determine the shares and therefore who must sign.
How to apply
- Ask the notary in Chad for the wording and the acts to authorise.
- Establish whether the land is titled or held under custom.
- Collect the identity details of everyone named.
- Have the document notarised and certified here, then legalised at the embassy.
- Arrange the French translation.
- Courier the original and keep a scan.
Required documents
- Chadian passport or identity card.
- The wording supplied from Chad, in French.
- Identity details of the person receiving the authority.
- Land or case references as they appear in Chadian records.
- Civil certificates where the act depends on them.
- Payment in the accepted form.
Where to apply
At the embassy on Massachusetts Avenue in Washington.
Additional notes
Get the wording from N’Djamena
A civil law notary will refuse an instrument drafted to an American pattern.
Titled or customary
Establish which applies before granting authority over land.
Be specific
Name the asset and the acts authorised as precisely as the records allow.
Revocation
Revoking requires a further instrument through the same route, with notice to whoever holds the original.