A new certificate easily obtainable from a French notaire makes inheriting property in France a far simpler process for non-residents. The European Certificate of Succession allowing heirs to assert their rights in a more streamlined manner is applicable in all EU member states. Until recently, to receive international inheritance, heirs had to go through a […]

An EU-wide regulation, passed by the European Parliament in July 2012 with effect from August 2015, will result in a drastic and welcome change to the inheritance rules governing real estate in France, for both residents and non-residents alike. Our summary follows.

International inheritances amount to some €100 billion per year, but the rules governing cross-border inheritance are complex. Inheritance laws are different in each European Union (EU) country. This web page set up by the notaries of Europe, explains the current rules in each EU state.

Today, 21 million citizens of non-European Union (EU) countries live in a member state of the EU. Growing cross-border mobility and property ownership mean that beating a path through the jungle of inheritance law is becoming ever more necessary.