Documents for an inheritance abroad
A foreign notary or court handling an estate almost always asks for the deceased's death certificate and documents proving kinship — birth and marriage certificates. Where the heir cannot attend in person, a notarised power of attorney for a representative or a local lawyer is added.
Needed almost always
- The apostille is affixed by the civil registry authority of the region where the death was registered Route
- Establishes the family relationship with the deceased Route
- Not apostilled; a notarised copy or translation is needed
- Needed where the heir cannot attend in the country where the estate is administered Route
Often requested
- Needed where kinship or a spousal relationship is established through marriage Route
- Needed to show that a previous marriage of the deceased had ended Route
- Needed where a name changed and the documents cannot otherwise be linked Route
- Needed where kinship does not follow directly from the civil status certificates Route
Sometimes needed
A common mistake is not allowing for the fact that the apostille on a death certificate is affixed only by the civil registry authority of the Russian region where the death was registered, not where the deceased lived or where the estate is being administered. The second point often forgotten is that a power of attorney for estate proceedings abroad needs the apostille on the notarial act itself, and sometimes has to spell out the particular powers that local law requires.
The exact list and the procedure are determined by the notary, the court or the law of the country where the estate is located. Check the general list below against the requirements of the particular case.
Germany and Austria administer estates through a local court (Nachlassgericht) and almost always require an apostille and a sworn translation of the death certificate and the documents of kinship. Spain and Italy often additionally ask for a European certificate of succession or its equivalent, and a notary may require a court decision establishing kinship where it does not follow directly from civil status documents. In CIS countries with a treaty on legal assistance — Kazakhstan, Belarus, Armenia — an apostille on death and kinship documents is usually unnecessary, though notaries sometimes ask for one to speed matters up. Where the estate includes real property abroad, a power of attorney for a local notary or lawyer is needed almost everywhere, with the apostille on the notarial act itself.
Questions
Which registry office apostilles the death certificate if the person did not die where they lived?
Does a Russian certificate of inheritance need an apostille for use abroad?
What if kinship with the deceased is not shown directly by civil status documents?
Can an inheritance abroad be handled entirely through a representative?
We can prepare the whole set
Translation, copies, apostille and legalisation for every document on the list, with courier delivery across Russia.