- In order for the funds to be validly released in favour of the heirs, the Bank shall ask for the following documents to be submitted:
- a death certificate;
- a document stating the devolution of inheritance and designating the heirs;
- in general, the status of heir is officially certified by providing an estate affidavit prepared by a notary. For German residents it is an Erbschein, issued by a court.
Depending on the country of residence of the deceased and the amount of the account assets, the Bank may have occasion to request the submission of supplementary documents that can validly replace an estate affidavit. These could be a certificate of devolution delivered by a registry – accepted in Belgium in certain cases – or a certificate of inheritance issued by a court, as practised in France in Alsace and the Moselle, and so on.
Based on the submission of these documents, the heirs shall be invited to an ING branch to sign an internal document allowing the Bank to release the funds.