Drafting a will in two languages, registration in the local court

How to Draft a Will in Northern Cyprus and Register it in Court?

• Why a Will is Necessary in TRNC?
• Requirements for Drafting and Language
• Registration and Taxes
• Required Documents

Drafting a will in Northern Cyprus is the only reliable tool to protect your assets and ensure that your property passes to the people you have chosen. Without this document, local inheritance laws apply, which may result in distribution of shares contrary to the owner’s wishes and prolonged court disputes among relatives.

Why a Will is Necessary in TRNC?

The main reason for legally establishing your last will is to avoid the application of standard statutory inheritance procedures. If a foreign citizen dies without leaving a will drafted in Northern Cyprus, their assets (real estate, bank accounts, vehicles) are distributed according to local law, which often mandates fixed shares for certain categories of relatives.

Advantages of drafting a will:

• Clearly defining the circle of heirs and their shares;
• Ability to exclude unwanted claimants;
• Minimizing family conflicts;
• Simplifying the probate procedure.

Requirements for Drafting and Language

To ensure the will is legally valid and cannot be contested, formal requirements must be strictly observed:

1. Legal capacity. The testator must be an adult of sound mind.
2. Written form. Oral instructions have no legal effect.
3. Witnesses. Two independent witnesses must be present at signing.

   Note: Witnesses cannot be heirs or spouses of heirs. Their role is to confirm that the testator acted voluntarily.

4. Language of the document. Given that Turkish is the official language, we recommend drafting a bilingual will (e.g., English/Russian and Turkish). This ensures that the testator fully understands the text, and local courts have no difficulties interpreting it.

Registration and Taxes

Simply signing the document and storing it is not enough. The procedure is considered complete only after the document is deposited.

• Court registration. The will must be officially registered at the District Court in the location of the property. The document is stored in the court archive, preventing loss or forgery.
• Modification of terms. The testator has the right to revoke or amend an existing will at any time by repeating the procedure.
• Taxation. Northern Cyprus has one of the lowest inheritance taxes in Europe, making the transfer of assets through a will a financially advantageous strategy.

Required Documents

For a visit to a lawyer and subsequent registration, you will need:

• The testator’s valid passport (and contact information and parents’ names);
• A complete list of assets (copies of property titles, bank account details, etc.);
• Heirs’ information (full names, dates of birth, passport copies, parents’ names);
• Information of two witnesses.

Lawyers at DeJure Consulting will help draft the will accurately, avoiding ambiguities, and assist with its registration in court.

Elvina Sabirova

Licensed Lawyer

Phone

+905391190555

Email

[email protected]

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