Heirs abroad · International inheritance law
You have inherited in Austria and live abroad? You don’t need to travel.
We advise you on what you are really entitled to, review your claims and enforce them for you – throughout the Austrian probate proceedings, while you stay where you are.
- ✓What are you entitled to? We calculate your share of the estate and your compulsory portion – including gifts that have to be taken into account.
- ✓Is the will valid? We review it and contest it if it wrongly puts you at a disadvantage.
- ✓Who speaks for you? We represent you before the court commissioner, the court, co-heirs and banks.
- ✓What happens to the flat and the accounts? We take care of the land register, the sale and the transfer to your account abroad.
Free initial assessmentSend a message
Advice in English, German, Bulgarian, Turkish, Russian and Ukrainian – by video call, phone or e-mail.
Who represents you?
Who is looking after your interests?
In Austrian probate proceedings, a notary acts as court commissioner – the extended arm of the court. The notary must remain impartial, may not represent any side and is expected to conclude the proceedings as quickly as possible. If you live abroad, the notary is often just a letterhead in a foreign language.
Do you really know what you are entitled to? What happens in the proceedings and what you are entitled to are two very different things. We are on your side: we work out your claims down to the last cent and defend them.
Saying goodbye to a loved one is hard enough – all the more so from a distance. We will gladly take care of the financial side for you.
How it works
Five steps – from the first call to the transfer
First consultation in your language
By video call or phone, whatever your time zone. You tell us about your situation; we tell you frankly what you are entitled to and what happens next. The initial assessment is free.
Instructing us – from the comfort of your home
If you feel you are in good hands after our conversation, you instruct us by e-mail. No appointment in Vienna, no trips to the authorities. You know the cost in advance.
We take over the proceedings
We contact the court commissioner, submit the declaration of acceptance of the inheritance on your behalf, review the will, the assets and the debts, and keep track of all deadlines. You receive regular updates in your language.
Flat, house, accounts
Keep, sell or let: we deal with the land register, the banks, the property management and – if you wish to sell – the entire sale. You do not need to come to Austria for this.
Money and taxes
Austria has no inheritance tax. Real estate is subject to real estate transfer tax, and a later sale may trigger real estate capital gains tax – we calculate this for you. We transfer your inheritance to your account abroad. Tax questions in your country of residence are clarified with partners on the ground.
We fly the route for you. All you need to know is when we land.
The other direction
You live in Austria – the assets are abroad
Within the EU
Under the EU Succession Regulation, one law generally applies to the entire estate – the law of the country where the deceased last lived. With a choice of law in the will, the law of the nationality can be chosen instead.
The European Certificate of Succession proves your status as heir in all participating EU states. It gives you access to accounts and real estate without separate proceedings in each country.
Outside the EU
Turkey, Serbia, Russia, Ukraine, Switzerland, the USA or China each have their own rules – often with separate proceedings on site. The legal position in each country is clarified by our partner law firms there, with whom we have worked for years.
We coordinate everything from Vienna: one contact, one language, one plan.
From our practice
Cases we see every week
- Inheritance in Austria, residence abroad: how the proceedings work
- The brother lives in the USA and wants to sell the parental home in Vienna at once
- The children live in the USA and Canada – what do they have to do?
- Accounts in Russia and Switzerland – how do the heirs get access?
- Mother lived in Vienna, house in Bulgaria, brother in Germany
- Parents in Serbia have died – how not to lose the house
- Father died in Serbia, account with an Austrian bank
- Father lived in Germany: which compulsory portion applies?
- Inherited land in Turkey, living in Vienna
- Flat in Vienna, house in China – what happens if something happens to you?
- Bulgarian in Vienna, children in Sofia: which law governs the will?
- A will for assets in several countries
UN, international organisations, diplomacy
For everyone who works in Vienna and is at home elsewhere
Many of our clients work for the United Nations and other international organisations in Vienna, or in the diplomatic service. Their lives are spread across several countries: a flat in Vienna, a house back home, accounts here and there, children studying somewhere else.
This is exactly what we plan for – with a will that fits all the countries involved and a choice of law that makes clear which law applies. So that your family does not have to face courts in several countries at once later on. You don’t fly into a thunderstorm.
Frequently asked questions
What heirs abroad ask us most often
Do I have to travel to Austria for the probate proceedings?
No. We represent you throughout the proceedings. We talk by video call or phone and exchange documents by e-mail.
Do I need a notarised power of attorney or an appointment at the consulate?
No. For the probate proceedings a simple signed power of attorney is sufficient. You scan it and send it to us by e-mail – we do not need the original.
How long do probate proceedings in Austria take?
Usually a few months. If the heirs are in dispute, if there are assets abroad or outstanding debts, it can take longer. After the first consultation we will tell you what to expect.
Is there an inheritance tax in Austria?
No. However, inheriting a flat or a house triggers real estate transfer tax, and a later sale may be subject to real estate capital gains tax. Whether tax is due in your country of residence is clarified with partners on the ground.
How do I receive my inheritance in my account abroad?
Once the proceedings are concluded, the banks release the assets. We make sure your share is transferred to your account abroad – including after a sale of the flat.
In which languages do you advise?
In English, German, Bulgarian, Turkish, Russian and Ukrainian. For other languages we work with interpreters.
What does it cost?
The initial assessment is free. After that you receive a clear offer from us before we start – no surprises.
Let’s talk about your case
One conversation is enough to know what you are entitled to and how we get it for you.
+43 1 346 01 71 – free initial assessmentAll about inheritance law
Mag. Nevena Shotekova-Zöchling, Attorney at Law in Vienna · Marc-Aurel-Straße 6/Top 14, 1010 Vienna