Accreditation of heir status

Banks have to verify whether those requesting information on the deceased customer’s accounts and balances at the bank are entitled to that information.

Generally, heirs are entitled to have access to the information on the deceased’s account balances, although there may be exceptions.

In order to act as an heir and exercise the related rights vis-à-vis a credit institution, heirs must prove their status of heir.

Usually, the documentation to be submitted to the credit institution to accredit heir status is: the customer’s death certificate, the certificate from the Register of Wills and an authorised copy of the latest will, if there is one, or the declaration of heirs if there is not. The declaration of heirs is a procedure conducted before a Notary Public whose aim is to declare which of the deceased’s relatives have heir status in cases where there is no will.

The fact that the information may have already been provided by the bank to an heir does not prevent any other heir from requesting the same information, which must be provided by the bank once their status is accredited.