Notary offices in Portugal will now be able to issue European succession certificates, allowing heirs to more easily claim the inheritance of assets left by a Portuguese national in another state of the European Union, the Order of Notaries (ON) has announced.
According to the ON statement today, the measure is available in one of the 483 registry offices spread across the country and will become possible via the internet from September.
“In the 21st century, at a time when technologies allow greater mobility, when it is possible to cross borders quickly and it is increasingly common for citizens to live or work in more than one country, it is essential to facilitate obtaining a Certificate of European Successor”, said ON president Jorge Batista da Silva.
A certificate can be requested by heirs, legatees with succession rights (such as those who are included in a will to receive certain assets), testamentary executors and/ or inheritance administrators who wish to assert their rights in any Member State, and speed up the more complex international succession processes.
“Notaries know Portuguese legislation and have a presence throughout national territory, so it makes perfect sense that notary offices can issue this instrument that facilitates successions within the European Union,” Batista da Silva concluded.
Source: LUSA
