Important: For general educational information only. This is not legal, tax or financial advice, and reading it does not create a professional-client relationship. Laws and procedures vary by jurisdiction and can change. Consult a qualified professional in each place relevant to you and your assets before making decisions.
Check the instrument before applying a conflict rule
The Czech Ministry of Justice publishes an English translation of the Act Governing Private International Law. Its Section 2 says that the Act operates within the boundaries of applicable international treaties and directly applicable EU law. That qualification is important: an English-language section of the national Act should not be read in isolation when an estate has links to other countries.
This guide concerns international succession questions connected with Czechia, not a full account of domestic inheritance law, tax or the rules of any other country. The Ministry’s translated statute is a primary-source starting point, but a qualified professional should verify the current legal framework before it is applied.
Questions to bring to an adviser
- Which countries are connected through residence, nationality, property or documents?
- Does an EU instrument or international treaty affect the issue being considered?
Separate court jurisdiction from applicable law
The translated Act addresses jurisdiction in Sections 74–75 and legal inheritance relationships in Section 76. These are different questions: which court may deal with an estate is not automatically the same as which law governs inheritance relationships. The text also treats Czech and foreign property differently in its jurisdiction provisions.
Do not use those section headings to decide where an estate must be administered. Give counsel a list of the deceased person’s last usual residence, citizenship, Czech and foreign assets, and any proceedings or decisions already underway.
Questions to bring to an adviser
- Where was the person’s usual residence at death?
- Are any assets or court proceedings outside Czechia?
Have wills and their form reviewed in context
Section 77 of the translated Act addresses capacity to make or revoke a will, effects of defects, and rules about form, including possible links to citizenship, residence, place of execution and the location of real estate. It also refers to a possible statement in a will selecting a body of law in specified circumstances. These provisions raise review questions; they do not validate any particular document or guarantee recognition abroad.
Czechia is a single national jurisdiction for this guide; it does not cover foreign rules or tax treatment. This guide has not been reviewed by a lawyer or human editor; consult qualified local counsel in Czechia and any other country connected to the estate.
Questions to bring to an adviser
- Where and when was each will made, and has it been changed or revoked?
- Which current EU, treaty and national rules should a Czech adviser check?
Official starting points
Check these sources for updates; their guidance may have changed since our last source check.
This guide cannot determine which rules apply to you. Speak with a qualified professional in each jurisdiction relevant to your family and assets.