Julian
Lawyer · Toulouse, France
- 117 cases handled · 10 in this service
- 39+ years in practice
- Speaks: English, Spanish, German, French
- Law with Honours, Liverpool University
Make a Will (Last Will & Testament) in France
Making a will in France decides who receives French assets and can choose the law that governs the estate. English-speaking lawyers explain the French forms of will, the children’s protected shares and whether a will made at home is enough, and prepare the will with a notaire.
About Make a Will (Last Will & Testament) in France
Making a will in France, also a last will and testament, a French will or a will for property in France, is in French a testament. The usual forms are a handwritten will (testament olographe) and a will made before a notary (testament authentique), with the international will as a third option. Some older lists and lawyer pages call this service “Make a last Will & Testament”. For a foreigner, the will is as much about which law applies and the children’s reserved share (réserve héréditaire) as about who gets what.
Who it is for
Foreign residents of France, owners of a holiday home, couples in a second marriage or with children from earlier relationships, unmarried and PACS partners, and anyone wondering whether a British or other foreign will covers French property.
The forms of will in France
- Handwritten (olographe): written, dated and signed entirely in the testator’s own hand. It needs no witness, but a mistake in form or a lost original can undo it.
- Notarial (authentique): dictated to a notary in the presence of two witnesses or a second notary, and kept by the notary, which makes it harder to dispute.
- International: a form recognised among the countries of the Washington convention on international wills, signed before a notary and two witnesses, in any language.
A notary can record the will in the central register of wills (Fichier central des dispositions de dernières volontés), so that it is found after the death.
Points to watch for foreigners
- Choice of law. Under the EU succession regulation, a foreign national can choose the law of their nationality in the will. French rules protecting children may still reach assets in France; this area has changed in recent years.
- Children’s shares. Under French law children cannot be fully disinherited; the part that can be left freely is the quotité disponible.
- Spouse and partners. A spouse may need more than the default rights, and a PACS or unmarried partner inherits only through a will.
- Two wills. A French will and a home-country will can work side by side when each is drafted so that it does not revoke the other.
What a lawyer does
An English-speaking lawyer reviews the family situation and the assets in each country, explains the effect of each choice, drafts the will or prepares it with the notary, and checks an existing foreign will. Wider arrangements such as gifts, the marriage regime and life insurance belong to estate planning. After a death, see inheritance in France and, where a will is disputed, contesting a will.
Questions and answers
Is a British will valid in France?
It is often valid in form, but its effect on French property depends on the applicable law and on French protected shares, so it is checked before it is relied on.
Can an unmarried partner inherit in France?
Only through a will or other planning; without one, a partner, including a PACS partner, has no inheritance rights by law.
Where is the original kept?
A handwritten will can be kept at home or deposited with a notary; a notarial will stays with the notary, and both can be recorded in the central register.
What happens without a will?
French law decides who inherits, which may not match the family’s wishes, especially for a spouse or a partner.
France Inheritance Tax for Foreigners
Open the full tool →Estimate the inheritance tax you pay on property in France — by your relationship to the deceased and the value of your share.
How it works
Using the calculator
- Choose how you were related to the deceased.
- Enter the value of your share of what France taxes — French property at its market value, French bank accounts and other assets in France, less your share of the debts.
- Tick a disability if you have one; a brother or sister ticks the conditions of the exemption if they are met.
The result shows the allowance, the tax on each band and the total.
What France taxes
French inheritance tax is paid by each heir on their own share. Property in France is always taxed, whoever the deceased and the heir are. Assets abroad are taxed when the deceased lived in France, or when the heir lives in France and has done so for at least 6 of the last 10 years. A tax treaty — France has them with the UK, the USA, Germany, Italy, Spain and others — can change this.
Allowances and rates
A spouse or PACS partner pays nothing. Each child and each parent has €100,000 tax-free, then pays 5% to 45% by band — 20% on most of a typical share. Brothers and sisters have €15,932 tax-free and pay 35% and 45%, unless they lived with the deceased and meet the conditions of the exemption. Nephews and nieces have €7,967 and pay 55%; other relatives to the fourth degree 55% and everyone else — including an unmarried partner — 60%, after €1,594. A disabled heir has an extra €159,325.
Deadlines and paying
The declaration is due within 6 months of the death, or 12 months when the death happened abroad. The tax can be spread over 1 year, or 3 years when at least half the estate is property or other non-liquid assets, with the tax office's agreement. A lawyer in France checks what is taxed where, the treaty and the exemptions before the declaration is filed.
1Your details
French property at its market value, French bank accounts and other assets in France, less your share of the debts
2Your result
| Allowance€100,000 | €100,000 |
| 5% on €8,072 | €404 |
| 10% on €4,037 | €404 |
| 15% on €3,823 | €573 |
| 20% on €284,068 | €56,814 |
| Inheritance tax | €58,194 |
- France taxes French property — homes, land, shares of companies that own mainly French property — whoever inherits it; everything else only when the deceased lived in France, or when you live in France and have for 6 of the last 10 years.
- Gifts the deceased made you in the 15 years before the death use up your allowance first — not counted here.
- File the declaration within 6 months of the death, or 12 months when the death happened abroad; heirs abroad file with the non-residents' tax office. The tax can be paid in instalments over 1 year — 3 years when at least half the estate is property or other non-liquid assets — if the tax office agrees.
- Life insurance follows its own rules: premiums paid before 70 are free up to €152,500 per beneficiary, then 20% and 31.25%; after 70 the premiums above €30,500 join the estate.
- A tax treaty can change what France taxes — France has inheritance treaties with, among others, the UK, the USA, Germany, Italy, Spain, Belgium, Austria, Sweden and Canada (not Switzerland since 2015).
An estimate for planning, not legal or tax advice. Figures checked 30 Oct 2026. Sources: Service-public — droits de succession (F14198): allowances, scales, exemptions, BOFiP — what France taxes, art. 750 ter (BOI-ENR-DMTG-10-10-30), Service-public — the declaration and its deadline (F80), Service-public — paying in instalments or later (F36432), impots.gouv — life insurance of a non-resident, BOFiP — France's inheritance tax treaties (BOI-ANNX-000306).
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What our clients say about our service in France
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In 2021 my wife and I moved from America to Spain, where we found out that Spanish law required each of us to have a will if one of us died, so the survivor could reach the cash in our Spanish bank accounts. In 2025 we contacted the lawyer to get this done. She speaks good English and carried out the task expertly and efficiently, even joining us at the notary's office to finalize the paperwork. We were so pleased that we also hired her for our Spanish taxes for 2025. They were done perfectly too, and we even received a refund. I would definitely recommend her for any need under Spanish law. The fees were very reasonable and well earned.
— Lucky17 Aug 2026Make a Will (Last Will & Testament) -
She was always very helpful, and I would recommend her.
— Jeffrey07 Jul 2026 -
Professional advice sorted out all my requests; I am very satisfied.
— Michael03 Jul 2026 -
The lawyer was exemplary. A matter concerning a will needed immediate attention during my stay in the country, and he handled the legal review, the notarial consultation and the procurement of witnesses fast, reliably and efficiently, with professional expertise. When you need legal advice in Portugal, he is the person to go to.
— Steve11 Jun 2026Make a Will (Last Will & Testament) -
The lawyer in Oviedo gave us great service, with a professional and friendly manner. His English is excellent, and he planned everything well, including the help with the notary. Thank you!
— Goe30 Jan 2026Make a Will (Last Will & Testament) -
The lawyer has helped my family for many years, always fantastic and consistent, with good communication throughout. She is very professional and knowledgeable, and always on hand to answer questions and offer good advice. I would recommend her; she is first class.
— Kate10 Dec 2025Make a Will (Last Will & Testament) -
What a service! The lawyer is by far the most professional, thorough and helpful lawyer or solicitor I have dealt with, and my international affairs mean I have worked with plenty. When we wanted our wills drawn up, we did not want them under Spanish law. He saw to it that they were prepared and secured under the laws of our home countries and yet fully valid here in Gran Canaria under Spanish law. My wife is 78 and needed to sell her apartment while keeping the right to live in it for the rest of her life (at least 30 years), at an agreed lower rent and with usufruct rights, so that she would get cash from the sale without losing her home. He sorted that out too. He arranged everything, the notary included, and provided us with English translations of the Spanish contract. I cannot stress enough that he was available at any time by phone, email or WhatsApp. He even went through everything with us at the notary's office, and whenever something was unclear or not in our favour, he had it redrafted again and again. His integrity, professionalism and commitment to his clients are the best I have ever met. If you need a lawyer in Gran Canaria who speaks excellent English and keeps cool under the heaviest pressure, he is the one to have beside you. Simply the best is what you get, as the song says. If you fear he will be expensive, there is no need: I paid more in the UK and Germany, among other countries where I needed legal representation. Both my British wife and I have hired him several times by now, and we will always keep returning to him, whatever else comes up. This review is long, I know, but I could say much more about his superb work. If you are not yet convinced, there is nothing more I can say. Until next time, to a legal-knowledge computer on two legs, and a wonderful one!
— Michael27 Jun 2025Make a Will (Last Will & Testament) -
She was very professional and knowledgeable about the law, and also kind and empathetic when we discussed my options on a very personal point. The assistance was excellent and I would recommend her without hesitation.
— Jennifer29 May 2025 -
The lawyer was personal and professional while writing and filing my Will. She is friendly, and she could advise me on the complexities of a Will in Portugal and on the legal requirements, which differ from those of Australia, where I am a national.
— Michael24 Mar 2025Make a Will (Last Will & Testament) -
Friendly, patient and easy to understand.
— Darren26 Feb 2025Make a Will (Last Will & Testament) -
The lawyer handled my request very well, and his English was perfect. I am completely satisfied.
— Carl18 Feb 2025 -
I needed a Will covering my Spanish assets and so returned to the lawyer who had already done an excellent job when we bought our property. She was just as professional this time: she listened to what I needed and then drafted a Will that fitted it. Within days it was all finished, an amazing job. I would gladly use these services again, and without any hesitation.
— Robert27 Jan 2025Make a Will (Last Will & Testament)