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How do you sell property in Venezuela from the US?

By Romulo Felizola · Published

Official read in the law or the Gazette. Reported from law firms, press or operators, with their date. Unconfirmed no reliable source: check before deciding.

To sell property in Venezuela from the US, you give a power of attorney (poder) to someone in Venezuela: you sign it before a US notary, get it apostilled, have it translated into Spanish by a Venezuelan public interpreter, and your attorney-in-fact signs the sale at the registry. Venezuelan courts have accepted this route without the consulate, and in 2026 it is the practical one, since US consulates are still not serving the public on a set schedule.

Why the apostille works

Both countries belong to the Hague Apostille Convention: Venezuela since 16 March 1999 and the US since 15 October 1981. Official A Venezuelan court accepted a poder that was apostilled and translated by a public interpreter, noting that consular legalization no longer applies between two Convention countries. Reported

One undated legal note says people abroad must sign the poder in person at a Venezuelan consulate. It conflicts with those court decisions and we could not date it. Unconfirmed Ask your Venezuelan lawyer which route the registry where the property is will accept.

The power of attorney, step by step

  1. A Venezuelan lawyer drafts a specific poder

    Ask for a special power (poder especial) that names the property and its registry data and expressly allows selling it. The exact Civil Code article on the express power to sell was not verified. Unconfirmed If your attorney-in-fact will pay the Forma 33, the poder should expressly allow procedures before SENIAT. Reported

  2. Sign it before a US notary public

    Florida notary and apostille businesses advertise packages for exactly this kind of poder. Unconfirmed

  3. Get the apostille

    In the US it is issued by the Secretary of State of the state where the document was notarized. Unconfirmed This is standard practice, but we did not read an official page.

  4. Send the original and translate it

    A poder in English must be translated into Spanish by a public interpreter (intérprete público) in Venezuela. Reported

  5. Register the poder, then sell

    If the seller acts through an attorney-in-fact, the poder must be registered beforehand and the attorney-in-fact shows a current ID (Banca y Negocios, October 2024). Reported Notary offices are competent for powers, substitutions and revocations. Official

Watch out: we could not read SAREN’s current written rules on powers granted abroad: whether a bilingual format is accepted, whether it must be protocolized, or how long it is valid. Unconfirmed Give the poder only to someone you trust fully, limited to one property.

Venezuelan consulates in the US in 2026

  • On 5 March 2026 the US and Venezuela announced they would restore diplomatic and consular relations. Reported
  • In late March 2026, officials sent by acting president Delcy Rodríguez said Venezuela had retaken its diplomatic premises in the US, and the Treasury issued a license lifting some restrictions on those missions. Reported
  • On 12 September 2026, a State Department spokesperson said the interim authorities “may accredit diplomats” in the US. The report said no date had been set for issuing passports and gave no schedule for consular services to the public; it did not mention poderes. Reported
  • Whether any Venezuelan consulate in the US was serving the public in November 2026: not confirmed. Unconfirmed

If you travel to Venezuela to sign in person instead, US citizens should check the visa rules.

Taxes and documents the seller must have

The seller pays the 0.5% income-tax advance (Forma 33) before the deed is signed, unless it is a registered main home. Official The seller usually also pays the broker and brings the municipal clearances. Reported Details and a US$60,000 example are in taxes on selling property in Venezuela.

If the property is rented with a tenant of more than 2 years under a lease signed since August 2026, the tenant has a right of first refusal with 15 days to answer. Official See the Venezuela rental law.

Heirs abroad

Living in the US does not exempt you. The inheritance tax applies to heirs of assets located in Venezuela “whether Venezuelan or foreign and whether they live inside or outside the country” (Acceso a la Justicia, 13 August 2026). Reported

  1. Death certificate and RIF of the estate

    The estate gets its own RIF at SENIAT, with proof of kinship. Reported If you need to prove kinship with a Venezuelan record, see how to [apostille a Venezuelan birth certificate](https://tramitesve.com/venezuelan-birth-certificate-apostille/).

  2. Declare within the deadline

    The law says 180 days from the opening of the succession (art. 27). Official Sources disagree on whether those are business days. Unconfirmed Any heir may file, and installments can be requested before the deadline. Reported

  3. Pay and get the clearance certificate

    Without the inheritance tax clearance certificate, registrars and notaries cannot register the sale of inherited property (art. 51). Official

  4. Sell through the attorney-in-fact

    If a third party files for the heirs, they must submit a "duly notarized and registered" poder. Reported Whether SENIAT accepts an apostilled foreign poder without Venezuelan registration was not found. Unconfirmed

An heir may also reject the inheritance (Civil Code art. 1013). Reported

Getting paid

Be careful here, because the sources are thin:

  • Prices are agreed in US dollars in practice. Reported
  • We found no reliable 2024–2026 source on bringing sale proceeds out of Venezuela or on bank account rules for non-residents. Unconfirmed
  • We found no source on how a payment made outside Venezuela, for example between US accounts, is reflected in the Venezuelan deed. Ask your lawyer before agreeing on it. Unconfirmed
  • The IGTF is 3% on certain payments in foreign currency (Decree 4.972, 2024). Reported Whether it applies to your sale is a question for your lawyer.

For moving money between the two countries, see send money to Venezuela and Zelle in Venezuela. Fees in bolívares follow the BCV exchange rate today.

What OFAC says, quoted literally

These are fragments of OFAC’s Venezuela-related FAQs, quoted as published. We do not interpret them. Official

  • FAQ 680: “U.S. persons are not prohibited from engaging in transactions involving the country or people of Venezuela” (unless blocked persons or prohibited conduct are involved). Also: “U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with the Government of Venezuela” (without OFAC authorization).
  • FAQ 519: “the Venezuelan people are not subject to comprehensive U.S. sanctions”. General License 16B covers “processing noncommercial, personal remittances”.
  • FAQ 803: General License 35 allows US persons to “pay taxes, fees, and import duties to the Government of Venezuela”.

OFAC’s Venezuela FAQ page contains no FAQ on buying or selling personal real estate. Official Read the FAQs yourself at ofac.treasury.gov, check the buyer against the SDN list, and consult a US sanctions lawyer.

We are not lawyers. This guide tells you what to ask; your Venezuelan lawyer and the registry decide what your sale needs.

Questions people ask

Can I sell my property in Venezuela without traveling?

Yes, through someone in Venezuela acting with a power of attorney (poder). Venezuelan court decisions have accepted a poder signed abroad, apostilled under the Hague Convention and translated into Spanish by a Venezuelan public interpreter, without consular legalization. Registries reportedly require the poder to be registered before the sale.

Do I need a Venezuelan consulate to sign a power of attorney in the US?

Court decisions say no: since Venezuela and the US are both parties to the Hague Apostille Convention, an apostilled poder does not need consular legalization. One undated legal note says signing at a consulate is required; it conflicts with those decisions and we could not confirm it. As of September 2026 no date had been set for consular services in the US, so the apostille is the practical route.

Can heirs living in the US sell an inherited property in Venezuela?

Yes, but first the inheritance must be declared to SENIAT and the tax paid to get the inheritance tax clearance certificate; without it the registry cannot register the sale. The tax applies to heirs whether they live inside or outside Venezuela. An heir abroad can give a relative a power of attorney to handle the steps.

Does OFAC allow US persons to sell property in Venezuela?

OFAC's Venezuela FAQs contain no FAQ on buying or selling personal real estate. FAQ 680 says: “U.S. persons are not prohibited from engaging in transactions involving the country or people of Venezuela” (unless blocked persons or prohibited conduct are involved), and “U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with the Government of Venezuela” without OFAC authorization. Read the FAQs and consult a US sanctions lawyer.

Sources checked on November 8, 2026

  1. Hague Apostille Convention status table, HCCH
  2. Court decision on an apostilled US power of attorney, vLex Venezuela
  3. Requirements to buy or sell property, Banca y Negocios (19 Oct 2024)
  4. What is missing to reopen the consulates, Telemundo 51 (12 Sep 2026)
  5. US and Venezuela restore diplomatic and consular ties, MercoPress (6 Mar 2026)
  6. Inheritances in Venezuela, practical guide, Acceso a la Justicia (13 Aug 2026)
  7. Ley de Impuesto sobre Sucesiones (1999), Pandectas Digital
  8. OFAC Venezuela-related FAQs, US Treasury (read Nov 2026)
  9. Ley de Registros y del Notariado (2014), text, Pandectas Digital

Something changed or looks wrong? Send us a correction.

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