Which papers does a German probate court need from abroad?

Above all the death certificate and the relevant civil-status documents — in recognised form, that is legalised and, where needed, translated by a certified translator. Heirship itself is proved EU-wide by the European Certificate of Succession (Art. 62 et seq. EU Succession Regulation). Ask the court in advance what is required.

Do I need an apostille, or does an EU form suffice?

Within the EU the multilingual EU standard form, attached to the document, suffices for many civil-status documents. If the document comes from a non-EU state party to the Hague Convention, an apostille is usually needed. The authority of the country of issue issues both.

Who may produce the translation?

A certified translation is produced by a sworn or certified translator and bears a confirmation note. Only then do German courts and authorities recognise it as reliable. Have the document legalised first and translated afterwards, so the note is translated too.

What is the European Certificate of Succession?

A uniform proof of heir status valid in all participating EU member states — Denmark and Ireland do not take part (Art. 62 et seq. EU Succession Regulation). It spares you assembling separate documents in each country and noticeably reduces the friction of a cross-border estate. In Germany the heirs themselves apply — usually through a notary; the probate court issues the certificate.

Knowledge · Inheriting across the border

Documents and translations — the ordered path of the papers

From afar the paperwork of a cross-border estate looks daunting. In truth it follows a clear order: obtain, legalise, translate, submit. Step by step — a notary and a translator handle the formal parts.

As at: June 2026 · ← back to the guide

The answer first. A German probate court or land registry mainly needs, from abroad, the death certificate and the relevant civil-status documents — in a form that is recognised here. For that the papers follow a fixed order: first obtain them, then legalise them for international use (within the EU often via the multilingual EU standard form, otherwise via an apostille), then have them translated by a certified translator where required, and finally submit them. Heirship itself can be proved EU-wide through the European Certificate of Succession (Art. 62 et seq. EU Succession Regulation) — which spares much friction. Which law actually applies, and whether a choice of law was made, is settled by the parent guide to inheriting across the border.

The path of the documents, step by step

What at first looks like an unmanageable pile is in truth a sequence of four calm steps. You do not have to manage them all at once — each step builds on the one before.

Obtain. Collect the death certificate or the relevant civil-status document where it was issued — from the registry office or the competent authority of the country of issue.
Legalise. Have the document confirmed for international use. Within the EU the multilingual EU standard form, attached to the document, often suffices; otherwise an apostille under the Hague Convention is needed.
Translate. Where a translation is required, a sworn or certified translator produces it as a certified translation, so that court and registry can trust it.
Submit. File the document with the German probate court or the land registry — depending on whether it concerns proof of heirship or correction of the land register.

Heirship itself can be proved EU-wide through the European Certificate of Succession (Art. 62 et seq. EU Succession Regulation). It proves heir status in every member state and lifts the burden of many individual documents.

Why the order matters

The order is not an end in itself. A translation made before legalisation often has to be done a second time, because the confirmation note belongs in the translation too. An apostille on the wrong document does not help the court. Whoever takes the steps in the calm order — obtain, legalise, translate, submit — avoids most of these double journeys. It pays, before the first step, to ask the German probate court or land registry which documents are required in concrete terms and in what form; that saves journeys and waiting time.

Who handles which part

You do not have to master every formal step yourself. The certified translation is produced by a sworn translator; the apostille or the EU form is issued by the authority of the country of issue; the European Certificate of Succession is, in Germany, usually applied for by the notary or the probate court. Your task is mainly to set the documents in motion and keep them together — and to know in what order they take their path. Our task is to order that path with you and bring in the right offices at the right time, so that from afar no step has to be taken twice.

Apostille. A uniform confirmation stamp under the Hague Convention that certifies the authenticity of a public document for use abroad — it replaces the more cumbersome legalisation via the embassy. More under Apostille.

Certified translation (beglaubigte Übersetzung). A translation of a document produced by a sworn or certified translator and bearing a confirmation note, which German courts and authorities recognise as reliable. EU-wide proof of heirship is eased by the European Certificate of Succession.

This article provides orientation and does not replace legal or tax advice. The certified translation is produced by a sworn translator; the documents and the certificate of succession we prepare with you and the notary.

Your next step

Inheriting across the border

Which law applies and how a choice of law works — the parent guide.

An inherited house far away

When the property lies far off — managing, ordering, deciding.

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Which papers does a German probate court need from abroad?: Above all the death certificate and the relevant civil-status documents — in recognised form, that is legalised and, where needed, translated by a certified translator. Heirship itself is proved EU-wide by the European Certificate of Succession (Art. 62 et seq. EU Succession Regulation). Ask the court in advance what is required.
Do I need an apostille, or does an EU form suffice?: Within the EU the multilingual EU standard form, attached to the document, suffices for many civil-status documents. If the document comes from a non-EU state party to the Hague Convention, an apostille is usually needed. The authority of the country of issue issues both.
Who may produce the translation?: A certified translation is produced by a sworn or certified translator and bears a confirmation note. Only then do German courts and authorities recognise it as reliable. Have the document legalised first and translated afterwards, so the note is translated too.
What is the European Certificate of Succession?: A uniform proof of heir status valid in all participating EU member states — Denmark and Ireland do not take part (Art. 62 et seq. EU Succession Regulation). It spares you assembling separate documents in each country and noticeably reduces the friction of a cross-border estate. In Germany the heirs themselves apply — usually through a notary; the probate court issues the certificate.