Transferring Ancestral Indian Shares from Vancouver and BC
British Columbia’s Indian community, concentrated in Vancouver, Surrey and Abbotsford, is among the oldest in Canada — which means the Indian holdings behind it are often several generations deep.
We trace those holdings, prepare the transmission documents, and see the claim through with the registrar. The first assessment is free.
Claims from Vancouver, British Columbia, handled from our Gurugram office · Reviewed 21 September 2026
Holdings several generations old
Families who came to BC in the 1960s and 1970s frequently retained Indian shareholdings that have now passed through two deaths without ever being transmitted. Each generation that skipped the paperwork added heirs to the list, and nobody has the original certificates in one place.
It is still recoverable, but sequencing matters: the shares pass down the chain, and the heirs of the person who died last are the ones who claim. We map that chain before any document is drafted.
BC notarisation, and which consulate covers you
Canada joined the Hague Apostille Convention on 11 January 2024, and that changed the paperwork for Indian claims. Documents signed in Canada are now notarised and apostilled, and the Indian missions have confirmed that an apostille needs no further attestation or legalisation from them.
Apostilles come from Global Affairs Canada, and for documents originating in several provinces — Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta, Quebec and Saskatchewan among them — from that province’s own competent authority. Check which route applies to your document before booking anything.
Documents signed in British Columbia are notarised by a BC notary public or lawyer and apostilled by the province’s competent authority. India’s Consulate General in Vancouver covers British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Yukon and the Northwest Territories.
What you will need
- Affidavit-cum-NOC and indemnity bond, notarised in Canada and apostilled
- Passport, OCI card if you hold one, and PAN
- Proof of your Canadian address for KYC
- An Indian demat account, usually NRO-linked, opened before the claim goes in
Where the shares land, and moving money out
Shares are credited to an Indian demat account, in most inheritance cases an NRO-linked one. NRIs may remit up to USD 1 million per financial year from NRO balances, with Form 15CA and a chartered accountant’s certificate in Form 15CB.
On the Canadian side, holding Indian securities can bring the T1135 foreign income verification form into play once your foreign property crosses CAD 100,000. That is a question for a cross-border tax adviser, not for us, but it is better raised before a sale than after.
What we handle
Questions from Vancouver
The shares passed through two deaths without transmission. Is that fatal?
No, just longer. Each death has to be evidenced and the heirs at each stage identified, and the claim is made by the heirs of the person who died last.
We cannot find all the certificates.
Duplicates can be applied for, and the registrar can confirm what a folio holds even without the paper. Start with any dividend warrant, annual report or bank record that names the company.
Which Indian consulate serves Vancouver?
The Consulate General of India in Vancouver, whose jurisdiction covers BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Yukon and the Northwest Territories. For apostilled share documents you will not normally need it.
Can proceeds be sent to Canada after a sale?
Yes, generally through the NRO remittance facility of up to USD 1 million per financial year, with Form 15CA and a chartered accountant’s certificate in Form 15CB.
What do you charge?
A pre-agreed percentage after the shares are credited, with no advance professional fee and no charge for the assessment.