How do you prove that you are the heir of an estate (certificate, notoriety certificate)?
Verified 03 October 2023 - Directorate for Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)
One of your relatives dies and you want to prove that you are his heir? Depending on the amount of the estate, you can do it by signed attestation of all the heirs or by notoriety deed.
Less than 5000 €
In the case of a succession of less than €5,000, you can prove that you are heir by a certificate signed by all the heirs.
The certificate, signed by all heirs, to justify that you are the heir of an estate.
You can do the following:
- Withdraw amounts from the deceased's bank accounts, up to €5,000, to adjust the protective measures (you must present proof to the financial institution: invoices, funeral purchase orders or tax notices)
- If the total amount of the sums held by the banking institution is less than €5,000to obtain the closure of the accounts of the deceased and the payment of the sums shown therein.
The heir making the application to the bank must provide the following documents:
- Signed certificate of all heirs
- Her birth certificate
- Extract of the deceased's birth certificate and full copy of his death certificate
- Marriage certificate of the deceased, if he was married at the time of death
- Extracts from birth certificates of each person entitled to them designated in the certificate
- Certificate of non-registration of provisions of last will. You can obtain this document from the central file of provisions of last will (FCDDV) or from the association for the development of the notary service (ADSN).
Who shall I contact
Association for the Development of the Notarial Service (ADSN)
To find out more and to ask to consult the central file of provisions of last will (FCDDV), commonly called file of wills.
In particular, you can request a certificate of non-registration of faint-will provisions.
By telephone
0 800 306 212
Free service and call
By E-mail
fcddvpublic@adsn.fr
serviceclient@adsn.fr
By mail
Public FCDDV Service
95 des Logissons Avenue
13107 VENELLES CEDEX
The heirs must indicate the following information in the certificate:
- There is no will, nor other heirs of the deceased
- There is no marriage contract
- The person presenting the document shall be authorized to collect, on behalf of the heirs, the sums appearing in the accounts of the deceased or to close them
- There are no ongoing trials or challenges regarding the identification of an heir or the composition of the estate
- The estate does not include any real estate
Please note
All heirs must sign the certificate.
You must pay the production of certificate of non-registration of provisions of last will. You can pay by check, or by credit card in case of online request.
The price varies depending on where you request it.
Répondez aux questions successives et les réponses s’afficheront automatiquement
From France (metropolis)
Polling the FCDDV costs €18.
From a Dom
Polling the FCDDV costs €16.28.
From the foreigner
Polling the FCDDV costs €15.
€5,000 or more
In the case of a succession greater than €5,000, you must ask the notary to establish a act of notoriety to prove you're an heir.
The act of notoriety allows you to justify that you are heir to an estate.
You can do the following:
- Steps where you have to justify that you are well heir carte grise (e.g. to change the holder of a vehicle's
- Unfreeze sums from the deceased's bank accounts in excess of €5,000.
Please note
Recognition as an heir does not mean that you have accepted the estate.
The public profile document shall contain the following information:
- Identity of the deceased
- Whether or not there are special provisions for inheritance (e.g. a will or a gift between spouses)
- Full identity of each heir
- Affiliation and degree of kinship of each heir to the deceased
- Share of each heir
You and the other heirs must go to a notary.
You have to give him thedeath certificate of the deceased. You must also provide the notary with the civil status documents justifying your link with the deceased (birth certificate, family record...).
Who shall I contact
The establishment of an act costs €57.69 (€69.23 TTC).
Other charges may be added, including emoluments formalities and/or registration fees. You can ask the notary for a detailed written estimate of the amount of fees to be paid or a statement of estimates of the cost of the operation.
Who can help me?
Find who can answer your questions in your region
Telephone administrative information - Allo Public Service
For more information on this topic, you can contact Allô Service Public.
Attention: the service does not have access to users' personal files and cannot therefore provide information on their status.
- Lundi : de 08h30 à 17h30
- Mardi : de 08h30 à 12h15
- Mercredi : de 08h30 à 12h15
- Jeudi : de 08h30 à 17h30
- Vendredi : de 13h00 à 16h15
- Service free
The informants who answer you are from the Department of Justice.
Notarial information
Information service of notaries of France. This service does not offer personalized consultations.
By telephone
0 892 011 012
Open Monday to Thursday from 9:30 am to 6 pm and Friday from 9:30 am to 5 pm
Purple or enhanced number: €0.80 / minute + call price
To obtain a certificate of non-registration of provisions of last will
Association for the Development of the Notarial Service (ADSN)
To find out more and to ask to consult the central file of provisions of last will (FCDDV), commonly called file of wills.
In particular, you can request a certificate of non-registration of faint-will provisions.
By telephone
0 800 306 212
Free service and call
By E-mail
fcddvpublic@adsn.fr
serviceclient@adsn.fr
By mail
Public FCDDV Service
95 des Logissons Avenue
13107 VENELLES CEDEX
Proof of heir status (deed of notoriety)
Proof of the status of heir by signed attestation of all heirs (Article L312-1-4 )
Rates of notaries
Online service
FAQ
Service-Public.fr
Service-Public.fr
Service-Public.fr
Service-Public.fr