DECEASED ESTATES - A RECAP ON HOW MERJ DEALS WITH YOUR ESTATE

 

Seychelles recognises a foreign will, but MERJ is enforcing compliance with Seychelles Law, which requires the probate order in your country of domicile (where the will is effective) to be “resealed” locally by a Seychelles lawyer before your shares can be transferred to your beneficiaries. Resealing probate means that a probate order issued in the deceased person's country, where the will is effective, is officially validated in Seychelles. In other words, if someone passed away and their probate was done in South Africa, Seychelles needs to “recognize” that foreign probate so the executor can deal with any assets the person owned in Seychelles.

To reseal the probate in Seychelles, we need a local attorney (whom we have identified and negotiated a special rate with) must apply to the Curator. This includes a petition and an affidavit. Your executor will need to supply the lawyer with the original probate documents, so the Lawyer can prepare the documentation for the executor to sign.
 

Any documents signed outside Seychelles must be apostilled (certified with a special certificate that verifies their authenticity).  This rule also applies to foreign death certificates, birth certificates, and marriage certificates. The deceased's executor will also need to give their evidence by video call. The Curator usually confirms about two weeks after the hearing. Once the order to reseal the probate is registered and published in the official government gazette, the executor can instruct MERJ to go ahead and transfer the shares.

 

See some basic fee guidance:

 

We are always available to assist with this process, so please reach out to support@orbvest.com for assistance.