French Succession Document Checklist
A practical checklist for UK families dealing with a French succession
This checklist accompanies our guide “Gathering Documents for a French Succession.“ It is designed to help you keep track of the paperwork your French notary may request.
Remember: Every estate is different. You are not expected to need every document listed here. Your notary’s requests will depend on your family’s circumstances and the assets involved.
Check out this printable workbook! https://frenchprobate.uk/checklist.html
Stage 1 – Documents for the Act of Notoriety
The Act of Notoriety establishes who the legal heirs are. This is usually the first priority.
Deceased
☐ Two original death certificates
☐ Original will (if one exists)
☐ Marriage contract (if applicable)
☐ Donations or gifts between spouses
Each Heir
Complete one column for each beneficiary.
| Document / Information | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Passport / National ID | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Birth Certificate | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Certified Translation of Birth Certificate | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Marriage Certificate (if applicable) | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Certified Translation | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Civil Partnership Certificate (if applicable) | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Certified Translation | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Divorce Certificate(s) (if applicable) | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Certified Translation | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Death Certificate of Former Spouse (if applicable) | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Certified Translation | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Current Address | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Telephone Number | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Email Address | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Profession | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Marital Status | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Disability Certificate / Card (where applicable) | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Signed & Dated RIB (if requested) | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
Family Relationships
If you have a French Family Record Book
☐ Livret de Famille (Family Record Book)
OR
If you are a UK family
☐ Birth certificates
☐ Marriage certificates
☐ Divorce certificates
☐ Death certificates of previous spouses (where applicable)
☐ Certified translations of all documents submitted
☐ Statutory declaration from your UK solicitor confirming the known legal heirs (commonly accepted in place of a Certificate of Customary Law where appropriate)
(These are commonly used by UK families instead of a Family Record Book.)
Cross-Border Documents
☐ Certificate of Customary Law (if available)
OR
☐ Statutory declaration from a UK solicitor explaining the applicable English law
☐ Certified French translation
☐ Apostille (if requested)
Stage 2 – Documents for the Declaration of Succession
Once the heirs have been established, attention turns to valuing the estate and preparing the French inheritance tax declaration.
Previous Gifts & Inheritances
☐ Previous inheritance declarations
☐ Certificates of ownership
☐ Donation deeds
☐ Shared donation documents
☐ Manual gift declarations
☐ Previous notarial accounts
☐ Property owned before marriage documentation
Gifts Made by the Deceased
☐ Gift declarations
☐ Monetary gift records
☐ Bank transfer records
☐ Cheque copies
☐ Shared donation documentation
UK Estate
☐ UK Grant of Probate (when issued)
☐ UK probate forms
☐ Schedule of UK assets
Trusts (where applicable)
☐ Trust deed(s)
OR
☐ Will establishing the trust (where the will itself creates the trust and no separate trust deed exists)
☐ Trust amendments
☐ Letter or declaration explaining the deceased’s rights to capital and income
☐ Certified translations where required
Bank Accounts & Investments
☐ Current account statements
☐ Savings account statements
☐ Investment account statements
☐ Securities statements
☐ Foreign bank account statements
☐ Employee savings statements
☐ Shareholding documentation
Insurance & Pensions
☐ Life insurance policy statements
☐ Pension statements
☐ Salary slips
☐ Disability pension information
☐ Social security statements
Business Interests
☐ Company articles of incorporation
☐ Company valuation
☐ Accountant’s details
☐ Recent Kbis extract (if applicable)
☐ Director/shareholder current account balances
Property
☐ Property title deeds
☐ Estate agent valuation(s)
☐ Rental agreements
☐ Managing agent contact details
☐ Business property valuation (if applicable)
Vehicles & Other Assets
☐ Vehicle registration documents
☐ Vehicle valuation(s)
☐ Boat registration
☐ Boat valuation(s)
☐ Caravan documentation
☐ Caravan valuation(s)
☐ Motorcycle documentation
☐ Motorcycle valuation(s)
☐ Valuations of any other valuable assets or collections
Don’t have the registration document?
☐ Provide the vehicle or asset details together with an independent valuation instead. Your notary may accept this where the original registration document cannot be located.
Debts & Liabilities
☐ Income tax notices
☐ Property tax notices
☐ Council tax notices
☐ Wealth tax notices (if applicable)
☐ Mortgage statements
☐ Personal loan statements
☐ Credit agreements
☐ Security deposits
☐ Co-ownership charges
☐ Care home invoices
☐ Funeral invoice
☐ Building work estimates approved before death
☐ URSSAF documentation (if applicable)
☐ Overseas liabilities
Other Assets
☐ Money owed to the deceased
☐ Foreign assets
☐ Assets not previously declared
Progress Checklist
Act of Notoriety
☐ All civil status documents collected
☐ Identity documents supplied
☐ Solicitor declaration completed
☐ Documents translated
☐ Documents sent to the notary
☐ Act of Notoriety signed
Declaration of Succession
☐ Financial documents collected
☐ Property valuations obtained
☐ Tax information supplied
☐ UK probate received (if applicable)
☐ Trust documentation supplied
☐ Declaration reviewed
☐ Declaration signed
Top Tips
✓ Focus on the Act of Notoriety first.
✓ Continue gathering financial documents while your notary prepares the first legal documents.
✓ Keep scanned copies of everything.
✓ Don’t panic if some documents are missing—speak to your notary, as reasonable alternatives are often accepted.
✓ Cross-border UK–France successions almost always require more documentation than a purely French estate.
For a full explanation of why each document is requested, common alternatives accepted by French notaries, and practical advice based on real UK–France successions, see our companion guide:
Gathering Documents for a French Succession