Dealing with Death and Inheritance in Switzerland

Switzerland Knowledge Base
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Advice from google

  1. Contact the Notary:
  • Reach out to the notary’s office directly to inquire about the status of your inheritance certificate.
  • Clearly state your reason for needing the certificate and ask for an estimated timeframe for its delivery.
  • Keep a record of all communication with the notary, including dates and times of calls or emails.
  1. Escalate the Issue:
  • If communication with the notary is unproductive or the delay is excessive, contact the cantonal supervisory authority for notaries. Each canton in Switzerland has its own body responsible for overseeing notaries.
  • This authority can investigate the matter and potentially intervene to expedite the process.
  • You can find contact information for the relevant cantonal authority on the cantonal government’s website.
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I was chatting with a friend about this not too long ago, and she said that there’s a timeframe in which people who want to can make claims against the estate. For example outstanding medical bills or personal debts. She thinks the timeframe is up to a few years?? No idea. It wasn’t one of the questions I knew to ask the notaire.

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Normally up to 5 years for bills to be sent in CH.

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Hi, I’m dealing with the aftermath following unexpected death of my husband. We’re no longer living in Switzerland but he had investments there and also his workplace pension. After researching online I see that I need a certificate of inheritance. Am I best hiring a lawyer or a notary to help me getting the Swiss side of his estate sorted? Does anyone know if I can apply for the certificate by myself if I submit the relevant documentation) and have it ready for the lawyer / notary to continue the process or start off everything we them to do it all? Thanks in advance for any advice. Currently feel like I’m drowning.

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My concolences, I hope someone will be able to help you soon!

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So sorry to hear this

The notary responsible for his last address is the correct person to handle this.
If not they will advise you.

For his work place pension contact them directly.
He should have registered you as next of kin so that should be easy.

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48

A notary is the person who handles the certificate of inheritance. If your husband didn’t have a notary he used and didn’t have a will lodged with one you can just choose one from where you lived in Switzerland.

My condolences to you, it must all seem a bit overwhelming at the moment.

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Cath, I am so sorry to hear of your loss. My condolences.

So a cantonal/Gemeinde/local YMMV:

In my Schwzyer Bezirk, the certificate of inheritance is applied for, and produced, by the Erbschaftsamt. They are adjacent to the Bezirk Notariat, but a separate niche. I bring this up because in my experience, starting a process with the wrong official can mean delays. (Just finding out who was responsible for what was difficult IME.) So if your Gemeinde/Bezirk has that separation of responsibility, go directly to the Erbschaftsamt. The process should be outlined on your Gemeinde website.

A copy of your husband’s Testament is needed. If one does not exist then you’ll need to provide names and addresses (if known) of all the potential heirs.

FYI, you will probably be asked for copies of your husband’s passport (if not Swiss) or an excerpt from the Familienausweis/Familienbuchlien (if Swiss). Possibly also your marriage certificate, or excerpt from the Familenausweis showing your marriage, if your husband was Swiss. If you need to order excerpts from the Familienausweis, extra time might be needed. These are ordered from the Zivilstandamt. (Again, my Bezirk, may be done differently elsewhere)

FYI, the certificate of inheritance might be costly. Before you order a dozen copies, though, we found that only one or two official copies were needed - most institutions requiring the certificate (banks, pensions, etc.) accepted a photocopy.

I would not hire a lawyer if there is a will and you do not expect conflict among heirs. Rather, if you need someone to do the ‘running around’ with bureaucracy, do you have a trusted friend here that you could delegate it to?

So much of the process is ‘hurry up and wait’, which if a lawyer’s meter is running can get expensive. My experience is that even with a lawyer, much of the running around still falls to the principle heir.

I found that most things had to be done via mail anyway, so do-able for you from afar if you can get them to tell you exactly which documents are needed. BTW, many of the forms needed can be ordered from the website of the responsible bureaucracy.

If, however, you anticipate conflict, engaging a lawyer can be prudent.

Again, I am so sorry, Cath.

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Thanks so much for your response. Gives me more of an idea how to go forward.

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Any estate in another country will be handled by the laws of that country not Switzerland.

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@swisscath I am so sorry to hear of your husband’s passing. I realize I’m probably not in the canton where you last were, but if there’s anything I can do to help please reach out to me via PM.

@omtatsat you have completely misread my post. This entire thread is about inheritance in Switzerland, not abroad. Please re-read what I wrote.

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OK. But it helps in some cases where they inherit property in other countries than CH.

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I can’t figure out how to private message on here :face_with_peeking_eye:

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Click on the person’s avatar on their post and a blue message box will appear:

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image603×137 29.7 KB

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Hello,

I just activated the PM function for you. PMs are blocked for new users until a certain number of posts (default settings of the forum software).

To send a PM, left-click on username, a new page opens and look for the “message” button on the top right of the page:

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image450×337 13.3 KB

Could you please check and confirm that it works?

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57

Evening all. So I’m finally getting round to the Swiss side of things, having made some headway in the UK and Spain. I’ve been on the website Erbschein (Schweiz): Gerichte ZH to get the list of heirs application form. Fortunately my Swiss friends are currently in Spain and are happy to hand in my application form to the district office when they get back to Zurich. I want to try and make sure I’ve got everything they might need included in with the application form, so I’ve printed off copies of my husband’s death certificate, our familienausweis, our marriage certificate, letter from the Swiss testament register, copy of his UK will, and copies of mine and our children’s passports. Is there anything else I may need to include. I’d rather include something they don’t need instead of missing something they do. Thank you very much in advance of input.

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@swisscath sorry I missed this post. It sounds like you have most bases covered with that paperwork. If there are assets or liabilities left in CH (pension plan?) that information could be useful too.

While scrolling the internets today, I came across this FB post by a woman who lost her mother suddenly, and things she wishes had been in order. While the information in her slideshow is clearly US-centric, I think it’s a solid list of things that one should consider putting in order.

Some of it I had not thought about. For example, does one need a medical power of attorney in Switzerland? I guess even if it’s not needed here, emergencies can happen anywhere in the world so it could still be useful.