Renounce an inheritance
Declaration of renunciation of inheritance filed with the probate court in order to decline the inheritance along with its debts.
Wo wohnen Sie?
Damit wir Renounce an inheritance mit dem zuständigen Nachlassgericht in Ihrer Stadt anzeigen können.
Oder Großstadt wählen:
Sie werden zur geführten Suche weitergeleitet – mit Kontaktdaten, Termin und nächsten Schritten für Renounce an inheritance.
Quick answer
- 1
Documents you need
Personalausweis oder Reisepass · Formular / Antrag
- 2
Responsible authority
The authority of your main residence
- 3
How to do it
In person or by post at the office
- 4
Costs
10–80 € je nach Urkunde/Verfahren
How to proceed
- 1
Declaration of renunciation of inheritance submitted in person to the probate court or a notary
Within 6 weeks of becoming aware of the inheritance (6 months if the estate involves foreign interests).
- 2
Court record
The statement is entered into the record or notarized.
- 3
The inheritance is deemed not to have been accepted
The rejection cannot be undone.
Responsible authority
The authority of your main place of residence is responsible.Find authority →
The essentials before applying
Who is eligible?
Heirs who wish to renounce an inheritance, for example, because the estate is heavily in debt.
Income limit
Processing time
Nationwide: approx. 1 day
Success rate
approx. 99.0 % (estimate)
Most common mistakes
- •The 6-week deadline for disclaiming the inheritance has been missed (the period begins when the heir becomes aware of the inheritance)
- •Disinheritance of minors without family court approval
Common reasons for rejection
Alternatives
- Check related services in the application assistant
- Use social counselling before applying
If rejected
Read the decision carefully: often submitting missing documents or reapplying helps more than an objection.
Questions & Answers
What happens if I miss the deadline?▼
The inheritance is deemed to have been accepted, including all debts. Challenging the acceptance is possible only under very limited circumstances.
Freshness & source
- Maintenance
- Continuously reviewed & updated
- Source
- Bundesamt für Justiz
- Data quality
- 91 %