You inherited property in Italy: the paperwork nobody explains

The chain that has to be completed

In outline: the succession is opened at the deceased's death; the heirs are identified under the applicable law; the dichiarazione di successione is filed with the Agenzia delle Entrate; the cadastral records are updated in the heirs' names (voltura); and — the step most often forgotten — the acceptance of the inheritance is entered in the land registers (trascrizione dell'accettazione, art. 2648 c.c.), which is what makes the chain of title continuous for anyone who later buys from you.

Miss that last entry and everything looks fine until the day of a sale, when the buyer's notary refuses to proceed and the buyer's bank refuses to lend. It is fixable, but on someone else's timetable.

Which country's law applies

For cross-border estates, EU Regulation 650/2012 determines the applicable succession law — as a rule the law of the deceased's habitual residence, unless they validly chose the law of their nationality — and provides the European Certificate of Succession, a document that proves your status as heir across member states. This is precisely the kind of question to put to an Italian notary early: it decides who the heirs are and in what shares, before any paperwork is worth filing.

Co-heirs: the practical problem

Italian estates commonly leave several relatives owning undivided shares of the same house. No one of them can sell the property alone: either all co-owners sign, or the shares are divided (divisione), or one buys the others out. Where an heir is a minor or under protection, court authorisation is needed. Distance makes this harder, which is why a properly drafted procura is the usual tool for heirs abroad.

Meanwhile the property has running costs and, if it is not the primary residence of anyone, property taxes to pay. Doing nothing is itself a decision with a price.

If you intend to sell

Get the succession fully settled and registered first, gather the cadastral and building documents, and be ready for the same compliance questions any buyer will raise — plans matching reality, permits, any amnesty history. An inherited property that arrives on the market with a clean, complete file sells faster and at a better price than one where the buyer has to wait for filings.

Do not rely on figures for inheritance tax or deadlines found online: they change, and thresholds depend on the relationship and the estate. Ask the notary and your accountant for the current position.

Where we can help

If you are being asked to sign something — a division, a power of attorney, a preliminary contract for the sale of the inherited property — upload it. Our analysis explains in plain English what you would be committing to and what the document leaves out. From $49.

Related guides

• Buying Italian property from abroad: how the procura (power of attorney) works
• Buying a property that was a gift: what the 2025 reform changed
• What an Italian home really costs per year (after you've bought it)