Certificate of inheritance

The certificate of inheritance shows who the heirs are and their respective shares. Legal heirs and appointed heirs may obtain it upon application.

The certificate is issued by the civil court of peace or by a notary on the basis of the civil registry records. In cases with a foreign element or contradictory records, notaries cannot issue it and the court must be approached. It is the first step in all succession transactions: land registry transfers, access to bank accounts, vehicle transfers and the inheritance tax declaration.

The certificate creates a rebuttable presumption and does not amount to a final judgment. Anyone claiming an error in the heirship may at any time sue for its cancellation and the issuance of a corrected one, with subsequently discovered wills or filiation findings the typical reasons for revision.