An inheritance in Portugal with heirs in several countries: where to start
Inherited assets in Portugal and the family lives in several countries? What to do, in what order, and how to handle it all without travelling.
Your family's inheritance in Portugal, settled from start to finish.
Even if it has been stuck for years and the heirs live in several countries.
The problem
When the family is spread around the world, the inheritance tends to get stuck. Nobody knows where to start, the years go by and the assets stay in the name of someone who has died. Meanwhile, the municipal property tax (IMI) keeps being charged, the properties deteriorate and the number of heirs grows from one generation to the next.
What we do
- Tax Office report and stamp duty matters, within the deadlines.
- Declaration of heirs (habilitação de herdeiros): we gather the documents, including foreign ones, help identify the declarants and attend the act.
- Inventory of assets property, bank accounts and other assets in Portugal, checked on the ground and in the records.
- Division of the estate by agreement between the heirs or, where there is no agreement, through inventory proceedings.
- Final registration of each property in the name of the person who receives it.
What requires someone to attend
Almost everything can be handled through a power of attorney. The exception is the declaration of heirs, which requires declarants to attend in person: as a rule, three people who know the family, or the person administering the estate (cabeça-de-casal). They can often be relatives or friends who live in Portugal.
Learn more
Undivided inheritance: what happens if nobody divides the estate
Has the inheritance been stuck for years? What happens when nobody divides the estate in Portugal, and how to unblock it, even if you live abroad.
Proving who the heirs are in Portugal when the family lives abroad
Living abroad and need a declaration of heirs in Portugal? Who has to make the declarations, which documents are needed and how to prepare it all without unnecessary trips.
Is there an inheritance stuck in your family?
Tell us who died, where the assets are and where the heirs live. We'll reply with the steps and a proposal in stages.