Resealing Foreign Grants of Probate

If you want to know how to reseal a foreign grant of probate, it is important to note that the Probate Registry is able to reseal one of the following:

• the original foreign grant
• an official copy of the foreign grant with the seal of the issuing Court
• a copy grant certified as correct under the authority of the issuing Court
• an exemplification of the original grant

If there is a will, it should ideally be officially attached to the grant. If it is not, a copy of the will certified, or sealed by the Court in which it has already been proved, must be lodged and it must be sufficiently identified as a copy of the proved will.

The Probate Registry application fee is currently £273 (only payable if the net estate in England and Wales is over £5,000). An additional £1.50 is charged for each additional copy grant required.

It will also be necessary to complete and file an inheritance tax return, even if no UK inheritance tax is payable. This will either be a long-form or short-form inheritance tax return, depending on the nature and value of the assets in England and Wales and the deceased’s former links with the UK.

Once the inheritance tax return and Probate Registry application have been completed, it will take approximately four to five months for the resealed grant of probate to be issued by the Probate Registry.

We have a leading private client practice with expertise in administering complex estates, including resealing foreign grants and administering cross-border estates.

We can:

• advise whether resealing is suitable and provide alternative options
• advise whether UK inheritance tax will be payable (including advice on any available exemptions or reliefs)
• prepare the documents required for the reseal (including the inheritance tax return and Probate Registry application) and submit these to the relevant organisations to expedite the process
• apply for permission from the Probate Registry to reseal a grant if the circumstances require prior approval