With the sole certificate of inheritance, the competent probate court confirms your status as heir as sole heir after the deceased. In order to dispose of an inheritance, it is in many cases necessary to present a certificate of inheritance as proof of your claim.

A certificate of inheritance may be required, for example, if:

• there is no will, i.e. the legal succession has occurred,
• a plot of land belongs to the estate and there is only a private and no notarial will,
• the content of the will is ambiguous.

If there are no other heirs besides you, you can apply for a sole certificate of inheritance.

With the sole certificate of inheritance, you can prove your sole right of disposal over the inheritance in business transactions, for example with banks or authorities.

To apply, please contact the competent probate court or a notary. Prior appointment by the probate court may be required. The competent probate court is the district court in whose district the testator had his last habitual residence at the time of his death. The application can also be submitted to the district court responsible for your place of residence.

It is necessary to submit civil status certificates (e.g. birth certificate, death certificate, marriage certificate, extracts from the family register) and available evidence of dispositions of property upon death (e.g. wills or inheritance contracts) as proof of your right of succession.

When applying, you must present a valid identity document.

If necessary, the submission of further documents is required in your succession. A final mention of all necessary supporting documents can therefore only take place when the application documents are examined.

For the proper application, the submission of the required documents and an affidavit is necessary, which can be submitted before the probate court or before a notary.