Competence for the publication of a will depends on when the testator died and on whether an application had already been filed with the Court of First Instance. Certificates of non-renunciation and non-contestation are issued by the Court of First Instance. The certificate of inheritance (κληρονομητήριο) can be issued following a lawyer’s deed.

1. Publication of a will: who is competent

Situation	Where the will is published
Death on or after 1.11.2025	Exclusively before a notary.
Death before 1.11.2025, with an application filed at the Court of First Instance by 19.12.2025	The procedure continues at the Court of First Instance. The applicant may withdraw the application with a certificate from the court registry and apply to a notary instead.
Death before 1.11.2025, with no application filed by 19.12.2025	Before a notary, even though the death occurred before 1.11.2025.

 

The procedure before the notary

• Record of publication: the notary draws up a record of publication of the will.
• Entry in the Wills Registry: the will is registered digitally in the Wills Registry (Μητρώο Διαθηκών, diathikes.gr), which belongs to the notarial associations of Greece.
• Certificates: for wills published before a notary, certificates are drawn from the digital Registry.

If someone disagrees: anyone with a legitimate interest may challenge the record of publication (or the refusal to publish) by filing an objection (ανακοπή) before the court of the succession.

2. Certificate of non-publication of a will

Deaths on or after 1.11.2025: the certificate is issued by the digital Wills Registry (diathikes.gr).

Deaths before 1.11.2025: two certificates are required:

Issued by	How
A. Court of First Instance	gov.gr offers the service «Πιστοποιητικό περί μη δημοσίευσης διαθήκης» (Certificate of non-publication of a will).
B. Wills Registry	Through the diathikes.gr platform.

Note, this also applies to older deaths: even if the death occurred years ago (for example in 2023), if no application for publication had been filed with the Court of First Instance by 19.12.2025 and the application was later made to a notary, both certificates are required, from the Court of First Instance and from the Wills Registry. The same applies where an application had been filed with the Court of First Instance but was withdrawn and transferred to a notary. A publication before a notary appears only in the Wills Registry, not at the Court of First Instance.

3. Certificates of non-renunciation and non-contestation

A. Certificate of non-renunciation of inheritance

Confirms that the heir has not renounced the inheritance. Declarations of renunciation are made at the registry of the Court of First Instance, which also issues the certificate.

Application: gov.gr offers the service «Πιστοποιητικό περί μη αποποίησης κληρονομιάς» (Certificate of non-renunciation of inheritance).

B. Certificate of non-contestation of inheritance rights

Confirms that the right of inheritance has not been contested or challenged. It is issued by the Court of First Instance (in Athens, by the Athens Court of First Instance).

4. Issuing a certificate of inheritance through a lawyer’s deed

Step 1. Instructing a lawyer and gathering documents

You instruct your own lawyer, who gathers the supporting documents:

• death certificate
• certificate of next of kin (gov.gr)
• certificate of non-publication of a will (for deaths before 1.11.2025, from the Court of First Instance and the Wills Registry)
• certificate of non-renunciation of inheritance
• certificate of non-contestation of inheritance rights

Step 2. Filing the application

The lawyer drafts the application and files it with the court of the succession, that is, the Court of First Instance for the area where the deceased lived. The application is accompanied by a court fee receipt (γραμμάτιο προείσπραξης) and a special receipt for the advance payment of the fee of the lawyer who will issue the deed.

Step 3. Appointment of a lawyer from a list

The lawyer who will issue the deed is appointed from a list that the Bar Association compiles and sends to the court registry before the start of each judicial year.

Step 4. Posting for 10 days

The application is posted for 10 days in a designated area of the court building. During this period a third party may file an intervention (παρέμβαση).

Step 5. Lawyer’s deed and issue of the certificate of inheritance

If no intervention is filed, the lawyer issues the deed, and the certificate of inheritance is granted on that basis.

If an intervention is filed: issue of the certificate is suspended and a hearing date is set. In that case the certificate of inheritance is issued by court decision.

Please note: these procedures have changed several times since 2024. Before any application, it is advisable to confirm the competent authority and the documents currently required.

Our office can handle cases of inheritance law. Contact us for legal advice