Succession: Cyprus → France

Which law decides who gets what

The testator lives in an EU country (Cyprus). Under the common European rules the whole estate is governed by that country's law — wherever the assets are.

Who the law forces you to include

Cyprus: Forced heirship under the Wills and Succession Law: with a spouse and children up to ¾ of the estate is reserved; only the remainder is freely disposable.

A workable route: choose the applicable law in the will in advance and/or move assets into a structure (foundation, trust, holding) where shares are inherited rather than the assets themselves.

Where tax arises

Cyprus: No inheritance tax (abolished in 2000).

How it is recognised and processed

Within the EU there is a single document — the European Certificate of Succession: it is recognised across all EU states, with no need to go through the procedure in each one.

Testator and heir in different countries — documents will need cross-jurisdiction recognition and legalisation (apostille, translation, sometimes a repeat procedure).

What to set up in advance

Will with a choice of applicable law

Trust

Private foundation

Insurance wrapper for assets

Part of the estate is reserved by Cyprus law for close relatives — it cannot be freely reallocated by will.