Testament Northern Cyprus
There is an old saying in Germany: “Ignorance does not protect you from punishment!”
In the case of an inheritance in Northern Cyprus, this is not so bad, but ignorance can cost a lot of time, effort and, above all, money.
Many people die who live either permanently or at least temporarily in Northern Cyprus and have assets here, be it a property in Northern Cyprus, a car, cash, etc. They often have no information about an inheritance. They believe that the laws of their home country or a valid will in their home country are also valid in Northern Cyprus. Unfortunately that is not correct!
A foreign will is only used by the courts in Northern Cyprus as a reference value, even if it is complete in terms of content according to the legal provisions of the country of origin and has no legal validity.
First of all, it is important to know that regardless of whether the testator died in Northern Cyprus or in his home country, a so-called “Tereke” process will be opened over the assets in Northern Cyprus, i.e. probate proceedings.
If there is no will at all or the last will is not recognized here because it was either drawn up abroad or was actually drawn up in Northern Cyprus but contains formal errors or is incomplete, this probate process can take several years and can be very expensive be for the heirs.
Legal advice on wills in Northern Cyprus
However, if a proper will is in place in accordance with local laws and filed with the appropriate court, the probate process will be relatively quick and inexpensive.
You should definitely seek legal help to have a will drawn up in Northern Cyprus, either from a lawyer or a notary. A notary is usually more helpful in this case because he knows the correct wording of a will, the necessary content, the required documents and, in particular, the procedure for properly filing it with the court.
A Will in Northern Cyprus must be formally correct, with complete contents, signed by the testator and the notary/lawyer with two witnesses. It should preferably be written in Turkish.
An executor must be named in the will. This can be the notary/lawyer or someone trusted by the testator. It is definitely advisable to appoint a person who is familiar with local inheritance law.
Handwritten wills in Northern Cyprus are invalid
Deposit of the will at the local court is mandatory. The testator must appear in person, preferably accompanied by his notary/lawyer, and pay the necessary fees.
One last important point: Only after the probate process has ended can the heirs dispose of the testator’s assets and take necessary steps such as transferring the title deeds or initiating the sale of the property, vehicle or other assets.
For bank accounts in Northern Cyprus, it is therefore recommended, especially for married couples or similar life partnerships, that both partners have equal access to the accounts before an inheritance occurs.
Please seek advice from a notary/lawyer you trust.