If the deceased is deemed to have been domiciled outside of Cyprus then the Probate process is required to be dealt with in their country of domicile.

However, if they owned assets in Cyprus, then Probate is usually also required in Cyprus in order to release these assets. The manner in which this is required to be done depends on the deceased’s country of domicile. If it is a country in the European Union, or a country that formerly made up the Commonwealth, the process can be less complex.

If the Probate process is carried out abroad, in order for assets held in Cyprus to be administered and distributed to the beneficiaries, the Grant of Representation (or its equivalent) issued in the deceased’s country of domicile is required to be ‘resealed’ in Cyprus.

Probate can be a daunting prospect at any time, but it will be all the more so if you have to deal with assets that are held in a country where you do not live, speak the language or understand the local laws.

If you are trying to deal with the estate of someone who was not living in Cyprus when they died but held assets in Cyprus or are a family member or close friend of a person who has died in Cyprus, we can help.