European Regulation in matters of international successions

Ordinary private international law should be applied to the treatment of an instrument established in a third State (civil status documents, notarial instruments) in the legal system of a State participating in the Successions Regulation.

Usually, the foreign public instrument must be legalised by the authorities of its State of origin.

Likewise, instruments from a State participating in the Regulation will be treated in the legal system of a third State according to the rules of private international law set down by the State in question.

There is no particular system for the European Certificate of Succession, which is similar to a statutory declaration and therefore subject to the ordinary rules on legalisation.

However, the States that are parties to the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961, abolishing the requirement of legalisation for foreign public documents, must apply it.