If you live in Norway and own property or investments in India, make an Indian will limited to those assets. It is signed before two witnesses and can be certified by a notarius publicus and apostilled for stronger proof. Indian immovable property passes under Indian succession law regardless of Norwegian rules. The Indian will should state that it does not revoke your Norwegian will. Probate in India may be needed depending on where the property is and what banks and registrars ask for.
- Document route
- Notarius publicus, then apostille from Statsforvalteren
- Time difference
- India is 3h30 (summer) to 4h30 (winter) ahead
- Law
- Indian Succession Act 1925
- Witnesses
- Two attesting witnesses
Wills & Probate from Norway: how it works
We list your Indian assets, confirm how each is held, and check nominations on bank and demat accounts, which do not override a will but help with transfers. Your personal law determines how much you can leave freely; for example Muslims are generally limited to one third. The will is drafted in English, names an executor in India, and is signed by you and two independent witnesses in Norway. Notarial certification is optional but helps prove execution if the will is later disputed.
On death, the executor applies for probate where the Indian Succession Act requires it, such as for property in Mumbai, Chennai or Kolkata, or where institutions insist. Your heirs in Norway need apostilled death certificates and identity documents. Norway has no inheritance tax, and India has none either, but heirs pay capital gains tax in India when they later sell. Coordinate with your Norwegian lawyer because Norwegian compulsory shares for children may apply to your Norwegian estate.
What clients in Norway should know
- Norway applies compulsory inheritance rules for children to the estate it governs; Indian property is usually governed by Indian law, so plan both together.
- A Norwegian probate court certificate (skifteattest) may help heirs in India but does not replace Indian probate where it is required.
- If one heir lives in India and others in Norway, a family settlement after death may be simpler than court proceedings.
Step by step from Norway
Video consultation
A call at a time that suits Norway, after we have read your documents.
Documents signed in Norway
Notarius publicus, then apostille from Statsforvalteren
Work in India
Our team files, appears and follows up in India, and shares scans of everything filed.
Result and handover
Certified copies and originals are couriered to you in Norway where needed.
The full guide
This page covers what changes when you are in Norway. For the law, the documents and the step-by-step procedure, read our main page on Wills & Probate, or see all services for clients in Norway and the Inheritance & Documents practice area.
Questions from clients in Norway
Can my Norwegian will cover my Indian flat?
It may be proved in India, but a separate Indian will is clearer and quicker for Indian registrars and banks.
Is registration of the Indian will necessary?
No, but it can help as evidence.
Can witnesses in Norway be Norwegian nationals?
Yes. Any adult who is not a beneficiary can witness.