European certificate of inheritance

A German certificate of inheritance is generally required for inheritance cases involving assets in Germany, unless a notarized will already exists and is sufficient. In constellations in which foreign assets are also involved, the German certificate of inheritance will generally not be sufficient.

The European Union has developed the so-called European Certificate of Succession in order to provide as uniform a procedure as possible in such situations. This is ultimately a "European" certificate of inheritance.

The advantage is obvious, as it is directly effective in the member states of the European Union, regardless of the state in which the European Certificate of Succession was issued.