Permit for the renunciation of inheritance, for the surrender of one’s share of an inheritance or an agreement on the joint administration of an estate

This page contains information on what you as a guardian must take into consideration when you renounce an inheritance on behalf of your client, surrender your client’s share of an inheritance or enter into an agreement on the joint administration of an estate.

As a guardian, you will need a permit when you renounce an inheritance on behalf of your client. The same applies to property obtained by a will. The uncompensated renunciation of an inheritance is generally only possible in the case of over-indebted estates or if the client has received their share of the inheritance in advance. The same provisions apply to the parents of a minor who act as the child’s guardian.

You will also need a permit for the renunciation of a share of an inheritance. Because a guardian may not gift their client’s property, the renunciation of inheritance is only possible, if the client receives compensation for this. The renunciation of one's share of an inheritance can be done when there is no desire to divide the estate, but the client must receive their share of the estate.

The stakeholders to an estate may conclude an agreement according to which the estate will remain a shared benefit and will remain undivided indefinitely or for a fixed period. As a guardian, you will enter into such an agreement on the joint administration of an estate on behalf of your client. An estate’s joint administration agreement can specify, for example who will use the estate’s property, what type of compensation will be performed on its use and how the estate’s profit will be divided. An estate can remain undivided for a long period of time even without an agreement and no permission is required for this.

Before making any decisions concerning the tasks you are charged with, ask for your client's opinion, if it is important to do so and the hearing can be arranged with significant difficulty. However, a hearing will not be necessary, if your client is unable to understand the meaning or significance of the action.

This is what to do

Fill in the permit application and submit it and its attachments to the Digital and Population Data Services Agency.

Permit application

• The processing of your permit application will be faster if you submit all the necessary attachments at the same time with your application. Where necessary, we will ask you for supplementary data.
  We will send any request for supplementary data electronically to the Suomi.fi Messages service or via email, by post as a letter or by phone.

Required documents

Required attachments for renouncing an inheritance or for surrendering one’s share of an inheritance.

• A notice of renunciation or an agreement of surrender or its draft
• A copy of the estate inventory deed or a confirmed list of the stakeholders of estate, a copy of the deceased person's potential will, including a service of notice or a certificate of validity, and a copy of any prenuptial agreement
• A statement on the status of the estate including receipts, if changes have taken place after the estate inventory.
• A statement on the fair value of the property (an expert's assessment/other reliable statement)
• If your client is a minor aged 15 or over or an adult whose functional capacity is not limited and they understand the significance of the matter, attach the client’s written opinion on the action to the application.

Required attachments for an agreement on the joint administration of an estate

• An agreement on joint administration or its draft
• A copy of the estate inventory deed or a confirmed list of the stakeholders of estate, a copy of the deceased person's potential will, including a service of notice or a certificate of validity, and a copy of any prenuptial agreement
• A statement on the status of the estate including receipts, if changes have taken place after the estate inventory.
• If your client is a minor aged 15 or over or an adult whose functional capacity is not limited and they understand the significance of the matter, attach the client’s written opinion on the action to the application.

Frequently asked questions