Inheriting property in Russia while living in the United States
An apartment, an account, a shareholding or land in Russia — and an heir abroad. You usually do not have to travel. What decides the case is the form of your application, the correct notary and a date inside the six-month period.
Six months from the date of death
Under Russian law the general period for accepting an inheritance is six months from the opening of the estate, which is the date of death; the count starts on the following day. A properly executed application filed within that period preserves your rights even if the supporting documents come later. What does not preserve them: an email, a scan, a message to a relative, or an application addressed to the wrong notary.
Travelling is usually unnecessary
Your signature on the application can be certified abroad — by a Russian consulate or by a local notary with an apostille and certified translation — and the application sent to the specific Russian notary handling the estate. For a mailed application, the date of dispatch is what counts. A representative in Russia can act under a power of attorney that expressly authorises acceptance of the inheritance; a general power is not enough.
Which law applies
Real estate entered in the Russian state register passes under Russian law. For movable property — accounts, shares, vehicles — the general rule is the law of the country where the deceased last lived (Article 1224 of the Russian Civil Code). When the deceased lived abroad, that question is settled before anything is filed, because it decides which notary or court can act.
This is work we do
Inheritance matters with a foreign element are part of the office's practice: identifying the competent notary and the applicable law, preparing the application and power of attorney so they are accepted first time, and rescuing the deadline when weeks remained. Estates differ in what is left, where, and what documents survive, so no outcome is promised — but the procedure, and the places it usually breaks, are familiar.
If the period has already passed
Without court, a late heir can be admitted only with the written consent of every heir who already accepted. In court, four things have to be shown: when you learned of the death, what genuinely prevented you from applying, how long that obstacle lasted, and that you came to court within six months of its ending. Restoration is neither automatic nor guaranteed, and the evidence is assembled before the filing, not during it.
When this applies
What the lawyer does
What to have ready
Where it usually goes wrong
How we start
- Send a short, non-confidential summary: the countries involved, the type and date of any existing court orders or documents, whether proceedings are pending and the next deadline.
- We run a conflict check on that summary. Until it is cleared, please do not send names, identity documents, account details or sealed filings.
- If there is no conflict, we agree the Russian-law scope and a secure way to transfer documents.
Please do not send the estate's documents or passports until the conflict check is cleared.
We practise Russian law and are not admitted in any U.S. state or federal court. Questions of U.S. law, admissibility and U.S. procedure belong to locally admitted counsel.
Questions and answers
- Can the outcome be guaranteed in advance?
- No. Documents, risks, deadlines and legal options can be assessed, but the result depends on the facts and on the decisions of the competent authorities. Everything depends strictly on the situation and the materials provided.
- Do you advise on U.S. law?
- No. The Russian lawyer advises on Russian law and handles Russian proceedings. Questions of U.S. state or federal law, procedure and admissibility are for counsel admitted in the relevant U.S. jurisdiction.
- What happens first?
- A conflict check on a short, non-confidential description of the matter. Sensitive documents are exchanged only after scope and a secure channel are agreed.
Consultation
Discuss your situation
Briefly describe the situation, the countries involved and any deadlines. The fee and format are agreed before the consultation.
Or write directly — your first message will already say which page you came from: