If a family member has passed away and left property, bank accounts, or other assets in Iran, Canadian heirs typically need to go through a formal Iranian inheritance process before anything can be transferred, sold, or divided. This page summarizes what that involves for someone handling it from Canada.
The starting point: انحصار وراثت (certificate of inheritance)
Before any inherited asset in Iran can legally change hands, an Iranian court (or, in simpler cases, a notary office) must issue a certificate confirming who the legal heirs are and what share each one holds. Without this certificate, banks and land registries in Iran generally won’t process a transfer, even with a death certificate alone.
What complicates cases involving Canadian heirs
- Heirs are often spread across several countries, which makes coordinating consent and paperwork slower
- A power of attorney is usually needed from each heir living outside Iran so a lawyer can act on their behalf
- If any heir disagrees on how to proceed — for example, whether to sell an inherited property — the case may need to go through a formal partition process in court
What the process typically looks like
- Confirming the heirs and obtaining the certificate of inheritance
- Identifying and verifying the deceased’s assets in Iran (property, bank accounts, vehicles, and so on)
- Arranging powers of attorney for heirs who cannot be present in Iran
- Proceeding with transfer, sale, or division of the assets, and settling any applicable inheritance tax beforehand
See the full Persian-language guide to inheritance and estate matters for more detail on documentation and timelines, or the page on selling inherited property in Iran if that is the next step.
Frequently asked questions
Do all heirs need to travel to Iran?
In most cases, no — a power of attorney from each heir is usually sufficient.
What if we don’t know exactly what assets the deceased had in Iran?
A lawyer in Iran can typically help identify registered property and accounts as part of the process.
Does OLAW handle the Canadian side of an estate?
No — OLAW’s role is limited to the Iran-based part of the matter. Canadian estate and tax questions need a lawyer or accountant licensed in Canada.
This page is part of OLAW’s broader guide to Iran-related legal services for Canadian residents, which also covers divorce recognition, property, and power of attorney matters.
Related resources: the checklist of documents typically needed for an Iranian inheritance case, and a page on inheritance tax in Iran for heirs abroad.
To start a review of an inheritance matter in Iran, call +1 647 283 9003 or submit a consultation request.