UK Government & Official Links for a French Succession
Save time by using the official UK Government websites most commonly needed during a French succession. This resource brings together links for ordering birth, marriage and death certificates, searching probate records, accessing HM Land Registry, tracing pensions, notifying government departments and obtaining inheritance tax guidance, helping UK families quickly find the information and documents their French notary may require.
When administering a French succession from the UK, you’ll often find yourself needing documents or information from UK government departments and official organisations.
Rather than searching online each time, we’ve brought together the official resources that are most commonly needed during a UK–France succession.
Where possible, we recommend always using the official government website rather than third-party services, as this is usually the quickest and most reliable way to obtain the documents your French notary may request.
Birth, Marriage and Death Certificates
French notaries will frequently ask for civil registration documents to establish family relationships and identify the legal heirs.
You can order certified copies of:
- Birth certificates
- Adoption certificates
- Marriage certificates
- Civil partnership certificates
- Death certificates
from the UK Government using the official service:
Order birth, adoption, marriage and death certificates
https://www.gov.uk/order-copy-birth-death-marriage-certificate
If you’re unsure which Register Office originally registered the event, you can also locate the relevant office using:
Find a Register Office
https://www.gov.uk/register-offices
Probate Records
If your loved one owned assets in both the UK and France, UK probate may also be required depending on the circumstances.
The UK Government allows you to search historical Grants of Probate and wills online.
Search Probate Records
https://www.gov.uk/search-will-probate
If probate still needs to be obtained, information about the application process can be found here:
Apply for Probate
https://www.gov.uk/applying-for-probate
HM Land Registry
If the deceased owned property in England or Wales, you can obtain official copies of the title register and title plan directly from HM Land Registry.
These documents are often useful when identifying ownership or dealing with UK property during the administration of the estate.
Search Property Information
https://www.gov.uk/search-property-information-land-registry
Tell Us Once
One of the most useful UK Government services following a bereavement is Tell Us Once.
Where available, it allows you to notify several government departments about a death through a single service, reducing the need to contact each organisation individually.
More information is available at:
https://www.gov.uk/after-a-death/organisations-you-need-to-contact-and-tell-us-once
HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC)
Depending on the circumstances, you may also need to deal with UK tax matters alongside the French succession.
Official guidance on UK Inheritance Tax is available here:
https://www.gov.uk/inheritance-tax
General bereavement guidance from HMRC can be found here:
https://www.gov.uk/when-someone-dies
Pension Tracing Service
Sometimes families are unsure whether the deceased had workplace or personal pensions.
The UK Government’s Pension Tracing Service can help locate pension providers.
https://www.gov.uk/find-pension-contact-details
Companies House
If the deceased owned or was a director of a UK company, Companies House records can help identify directorships, shareholdings and company information.
https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk
Death Notification Service
Many UK banks participate in the Death Notification Service, allowing you to notify several financial institutions through a single notification rather than contacting each bank individually.
https://www.deathnotificationservice.co.uk
National Savings & Investments (NS&I)
If the deceased held Premium Bonds or other NS&I savings products, guidance for bereaved families is available here:
https://www.nsandi.com/help/manage-your-savings-if-youre-a-bereaved-person
Keeping Your Documents Organised
Many of these documents will later need to be provided to your French notary, and some may also require certified translation depending on the circumstances.
Before ordering multiple copies or arranging translations, check with your French notary exactly which documents they require. This can help avoid unnecessary expense.
We recommend keeping digital copies of every document you obtain, together with receipts, correspondence and translations, in a single folder. Our French Succession Workbook is designed to help you organise these documents and keep track of what has already been requested and supplied throughout the succession.