Italy · Inheritance · Fixed-fee law firm
Releasing an Italian bank account after a death
When someone dies, an Italian bank freezes their account straight away — and by law it cannot release the money until the succession has been properly declared. If that account is all there is, you don't need a full estate service. We unfreeze and release it for you, for a fixed fee, without you leaving home.
You don’t have to become an expert in Italian banking law overnight — that’s our job. Where the person who died left only Italian bank accounts and no property, this is the service for you: smaller and simpler than settling a whole estate, and priced accordingly.
If there is also an Italian property to deal with, the account is handled as part of that work instead — see administering an Italian estate.
Why the account is frozen — and what it takes to release it
When a person dies, an Italian bank freezes their account — and this is not just bank caution: by law, the holder of a deceased person’s assets may not pay them out to the heirs until it has proof that the succession has been declared to the Agenzia delle Entrate (the dichiarazione di successione) — or a written declaration that no return was due. A death certificate on its own is never enough.
Alongside the tax proof, the bank needs proof of who the heirs are. Italy’s everyday instrument is the atto di notorietà — a declaration sworn before a notary or court clerk on the evidence of two independent witnesses. Some banks accept a lighter self-certification signed by the heirs, but they are entitled to insist on the full atto — so we prepare to the stricter standard from the start. Each heir also needs an Italian tax code (codice fiscale), which we obtain by proxy wherever they live. Once the bank has everything, it releases the funds — directly to the heirs; the money never passes through us.
The full picture, in plain English: the bank has frozen the account — what now?
What we do for you
- Identify the accounts. We establish the Italian accounts and balances the person held, obtaining the estate statements the filing needs.
- Prove the heirs. We prepare the atto di notorietà (or the self-certification where the bank accepts it), and obtain a codice fiscale for each heir.
- File the succession return. We make the dichiarazione di successione the bank requires — telematically, including the self-assessment of any tax for deaths since 1 January 2025 (spouse and children pay nothing below a €1,000,000 allowance each, but the return must still be made).
- Deal with the bank. We assemble each bank’s paperwork and compliance pack for foreign heirs, submit the release request, and chase it — escalating firmly if a bank drags its feet.
- Account to you. When the funds are released, we reconcile the balance and confirm everything to you in writing.
We act for you under a power of attorney with special powers, so you never need to travel to Italy, and everything is handled in plain English.
A typical situation
Margaret’s mother had retired to Liguria and died there. She rented her home, so there was no property — but she left one Italian bank account with about €30,000 in it, frozen the moment the bank learned she had died. Margaret, in Bristol, didn’t need a full estate service. We proved the heirs, made the succession filing, worked through the bank’s foreign-heir compliance checks, and the bank paid Margaret directly — without her leaving home. One account: €1,750 + VAT.
Our fee
A fixed fee, agreed in writing before we start, with third-party costs shown separately — never folded into our fee.
- One account: €1,750 + VAT.
- Two or more accounts: €1,000 + VAT per account.
Some estates are more involved — several accounts, a large balance, a joint account with a surviving spouse, securities rather than cash, or a creditor to deal with. If yours is, we’ll tell you at the outset and agree the right approach with you before any work begins.
VAT is charged at the Italian rate (currently 22%) and always shown separately, so our fee is clear.
How long it takes
Plan for three to six months from a complete file: Italian banks review foreign-heir releases slowly and thoroughly, with anti-money-laundering checks on each heir. We submit everything correctly the first time to keep it as short as possible, keep you updated, and press the bank if it falls quiet.
Common questions
Why has the Italian bank frozen the account?
When a person dies, an Italian bank freezes their account — and by law it may not pay out estate funds until it has proof that the succession has been declared to the Agenzia delle Entrate (or a written declaration that no return was due). It also needs proof of who the heirs are and their Italian tax codes.
What does it cost to release an Italian bank account?
A fixed fee: €1,750 + VAT for one account, and €1,000 + VAT per account where there are two or more. Third-party costs are shown separately.
How long does an Italian bank take to release an account?
Italian banks commonly take three to six months to review a foreign-heir release once a complete file is submitted — their compliance and anti-money-laundering checks on non-resident heirs are thorough. We submit everything correctly the first time, keep you updated, and press the bank if it falls quiet.
Do I need a full estate service if there is only a bank account?
No. Where the person left only Italian bank accounts and no property, this standalone service is all you need — smaller and simpler than settling a whole estate, and priced accordingly.