Illegal exit abroad - what will happen to the inheritance in Ukraine.

Receiving an inheritance is a challenging task, especially during wartime. Whether due to leaving the country, issues with documents or legal questions, many have to seek help from professionals. Furthermore, in such conditions, doubts often arise whether the inheritance can be taken away from those who left Ukraine illegally.

Can 'refugees' be denied inheritance?

According to lawyers, illegal border crossing does not affect the right to inheritance. This is justified within the framework of criminal proceedings.

'For example, if it concerns illegal border crossing, fleeing is a crime. It is necessary to conduct a preliminary investigation and hold the person accountable precisely for this. And this absolutely has nothing to do with inheritance.'

explained Stanislav Boris, managing partner of the VIDAR Law Firm, in a comment to Novyny.LIVE.

Only in cases of high treason or other serious crimes can the heir's property be confiscated. But this only applies to those instances when the person already has the right to inherit.

Can inheritance be received abroad in 2025?

If a person cannot return to Ukraine, they can still receive inheritance. The Ministry of Justice of Ukraine explained that this can be done in two ways:

• personally by contacting a Ukrainian notary, if possible;
• by mail, by sending a statement to a notary in Ukraine. The signature on the statement must be certified by a notary abroad or at the Ukrainian consulate.

A representative by power of attorney cannot submit a statement for accepting the inheritance. It is important to adhere to the deadline - 6 months from the moment of the heir's death. The date of sending the letter by mail is considered the date of submission, not the day of receipt by the notary.

If you need help with a foreign notary, you may need:

• an apostille or consular legalization of the document;
• an official translation into Ukrainian, notarized.

It is easiest to contact the Ukrainian consulate. There, the document is immediately drawn up in the state language, without the need for translation or apostille.

Earlier, we wrote about how, thanks to a will, one can distribute property in advance after death. However, situations change, and it may be necessary to update or cancel the will. We also discussed the increase in cases of people going missing in wartime, where there is often a question about the possibility of opening an inheritance case and the necessary actions for this.