Genealogy report for the estate inventory
A statutory genealogy report for an estate inventory typically requires several official certificates from different registers. An incomplete report holds up both the estate inventory and banking matters, because it can't be said with certainty whether all the heirs are known.
Through our service you get every certificate your situation calls for. Reviewed by our specialists.
A statutory genealogy report for an estate inventory typically requires several official certificates from different registers. An incomplete report holds up both the estate inventory and banking matters, because it can't be said with certainty whether all the heirs are known.
Through our service you get every certificate your situation calls for. Reviewed by our specialists.
What does a genealogy report require?
The genealogy report, that is the full set of official certificates, has to show the deceased's life from age 15 onwards, document the spouse's details for the duration of the marriage and state which of the heirs are alive.
Compiling this information typically requires official certificates from several registers.
An incomplete genealogy report affects many things: the estate inventory cannot be completed, the banks won't open the deceased's accounts, and other dealings with the authorities don't move forward until all the certificates are found.
What's more, the registers only deliver exactly what you know to ask for. If some essential piece of information is left out, you have to order additions later, which delays the estate inventory.
The hardest part isn't ordering the official certificates, but knowing which certificates are needed, from where and how to read them.
Below you'll see situations that affect the number of official certificates needed. Each situation requires different certificates, and through us you get them all included in the same order.
Situations that affect the set of certificates
The deceased or the surviving spouse may have been outside the church for certain periods. Gaps are left in the parish certificates, and they have to be covered from other registers.
An heir's living details don't necessarily appear in the other documents. Separate certificates are needed for them.
An heir died before the deceased. The share of the inheritance passes to the deceased heir's children, and an unbroken genealogy report is needed for the deceased heir.
By law the inheritance goes to the parents or siblings. A separate report is needed for each, and if one of them has died, the chain continues to the next generation.
If the deceased or a spouse has lived part of their life in Sweden or elsewhere abroad, official certificates are needed from Sweden or other countries.
Those who disclaim need their own unbroken genealogy reports, so that their children can be established. Separate certificates may also be needed for those children.
In certain cases information is needed from the National Archives, which requires a separate archive request.
We wanted to make compiling a genealogy report effortless, so you don't have to work out from where you need official certificates and how to read them.
What does a genealogy report typically cost?
If the deceased has living children, the authority fees typically total 120–250 euros.
Costs grow as the circle of heirs widens: if one of the heirs has died, they too need their own certificate chain, and if the deceased is childless, the report extends to the parents, siblings and their descendants. Living abroad, for example in Sweden, also adds to the certificates needed.
The authority fees are the same whether you order the official certificates yourself or through us, and we add no margin to them. We bill them at actual cost only when the finished genealogy report is delivered.
The costs are a debt of the estate, meaning they are paid from the deceased's assets, and they are deductible in inheritance taxation. If the estate has no funds to pay the bill, the orderer is responsible for the authority fees.
Our own service fee follows the same logic, that is, the scope of genealogy report your situation requires:
You don't need to choose the price yourself. The correct service fee is determined automatically from the details you give when ordering, and you see the final amount before paying.
All prices include value added tax. When a law firm or bank charges typically 150–400 euros for compiling and verifying a genealogy report, we do the same work more affordably, because we focus on this alone. The service fee you pay is reimbursed to you at the latest in the distribution of the inheritance.
The delivery includes a completeness guarantee. If we cannot deliver a complete genealogy report, you get back the service fee you paid.
How the order proceeds
The estate inventory must be carried out within three months of the death, and the registers' processing times run to weeks, so the official certificates are worth ordering in good time. We only need basic details about your situation. If some detail isn't known right now, you can add it later, and we'll be in touch with you if needed. Below you'll see what happens after ordering:
IYou get an order confirmation
An order confirmation and a receipt for the service fee arrive in your email.
IIWe order everything needed
We order the required official certificates for the deceased, any spouse and the heirs. Depending on the situation, certificates are ordered from Evangelical Lutheran and Orthodox parishes, the Digital and Population Data Services Agency, the National Archives and where needed from Sweden's Skatteverket and Riksarkivet.
IIIWe deliver the finished material to you
We deliver to you the finished, verified genealogy report and the bill for the authority fees, securely.
Once you've received the finished genealogy report, you can give it to the estate inventory administrator. After the estate inventory you can handle the deceased's banking and deal with the authorities without worrying that things will stall because of an incomplete genealogy report.
At the same time you get one big task off your own list and can tell the other shareholders that the genealogy report is now done.
Frequently asked questions
Is the service right for my situation?
The service also covers more complex than usual situations, such as foreign registers, childless deceased persons, substitute inheritance through deceased heirs, will beneficiaries, disclaimers of inheritance, adoptions and a surviving spouse's certificates for the duration of the marriage.
The order form adapts to your situation, and if some detail needs further clarification, we'll be in touch with you.
How do I know whether certificates from Sweden are needed?
Certificates from Sweden are needed in three situations: the deceased lived in Sweden at some point in their life, a spouse lived in Sweden during the marriage, or one of the heirs currently lives in Sweden. If an heir lives in Sweden, we order a certificate of being alive for them from the Swedish authorities.
The certificates are issued by two Swedish authorities: Skatteverket (the Swedish tax authority, which maintains the population register) and Riksarkivet (the Swedish National Archives). Skatteverket holds the modern register data, Riksarkivet the older church records.
Can you provide a genealogy report for the distribution of the inheritance?
Yes. Through us you get all the official certificates required for the distribution of the inheritance. If you have already ordered some certificates yourself or already have part of them, choose a completion order in the order service.
How does the service speed up the estate inventory?
The estate inventory must be carried out within three months of the death, so the official certificates are worth ordering promptly. We order all the required certificates at once from the right registers, which avoids ordering them one after another.
Delivery time depends on the different registers' processing speed, which varies, typically 2–6 weeks. For this reason we cannot promise a fixed delivery date.
How does the service save on the total cost of the estate inventory?
Estate inventory administrators typically charge 150–400 euros for compiling the official certificates, receiving them and verifying that the chain has no gaps. We do the same work for a service fee of 79–159 euros depending on the scope of the case. The registers' authority fees are the same whether you order the certificates yourself or through us, and we add no margin to them.
Is the genealogy report accepted in the estate inventory and at banks?
Yes. We order the official certificates from every required register and verify that everything needed is included before delivery. The genealogy report we compile is accepted as is in estate inventories and at banks.
Does the service work even if a bank or law firm handles the estate inventory?
Yes, and contrary to what many people think, a genealogy report ordered in advance often makes the estate inventory administrator's work easier. When all shareholders are known from the outset, they can focus on drafting the deed of estate inventory.
What does the expert fee include?
The service includes assessment of the case, ordering the required official certificates from every required register, verifying the set and delivering the finished material securely. The registers' authority fees are billed separately at actual cost, and we provide instructions for paying them from the deceased's account.
How long does delivery of the genealogy report take?
Delivery time depends on the different registers' processing speed, which varies, typically 2–6 weeks. We track the arrival of the documents on your behalf and deliver the finished genealogy report as soon as everything needed is in and verified.
How is my data handled?
We handle the information you provide confidentially and use it only for preparing the genealogy report. The data is encrypted and stored in Finland.
Payment is handled via the Finnish Paytrail, and your card details are not passed to us. We deliver the finished genealogy report to you securely through a protected download link.
Want it all at once?
Want to finish off the set?
Fill in the order form, and we'll handle the rest.
Tell us your situation, and we'll check the material and order the missing official certificates.
Start the order Start a completion order