February 5, 2026
If someone passes away owning assets in Jersey (such as a bank account or investment portfolio) their estate may need to go through probate in Jersey, even if they lived abroad and already have a Will and Grant of Probate (or equivalent) from another country.
This process often comes as a surprise to foreign executors and advisers, who reasonably assume that a foreign Grant will be accepted everywhere. But Jersey is a separate legal jurisdiction, and it has its own probate requirements. In this article, we explain when a Jersey Grant is needed, why foreign documents alone aren’t enough, and how the process works in practice.
A foreign estate is simply the estate of someone who died living outside Jersey (e.g. in the UK, Europe, the US or further afield) but who owned assets located in Jersey at the time of their death.
This might include:
To deal with those assets, the executor or personal representative will often need to apply for a separate Jersey Grant of Probate (if there’s a Will) or Letters of Administration (if there isn’t).
While it can feel like duplication, the reason lies in Jersey's status as a distinct legal system. Unlike some other jurisdictions, Jersey does not “reseal” foreign Grants. That means you can’t use a Grant of Probate issued elsewhere (even from the UK) to automatically deal with Jersey-based assets.
Instead, a separate application must be made to the Jersey Probate Registry, and a local Grant must be issued before any assets can be accessed or distributed.
A Jersey Grant will generally be required if:
If the value of the deceased’s Jersey assets does not exceed £30,000, an exemption may apply such that Jersey probate or Letters of Administration may not be required. However, the asset holder (e.g. the bank or investment provider) is still entitled to insist on probate being obtained before releasing any funds.
Note: “Movable estate” includes most personal property, such as bank accounts, company shares, and tangible assets located in Jersey, it does not include land or property (immovable estate).
Where someone dies without leaving a valid Will, their estate is considered intestate, and an application for Letters of Administration will need to be made. This still involves a formal court process and appropriate documentation, including evidence of entitlement under the law of the deceased’s domicile.
If the deceased died domiciled in:
…and a Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration has already been issued in that jurisdiction, then a fast-track application can be made in Jersey. This streamlined process is similar in concept to a "reseal" under English law and can significantly reduce delays. More information on fast-track applications is available on request.
No. If the executor or administrator is based outside Jersey, they can appoint a Jersey lawyer under a Power of Attorney to make the application on their behalf. This is a common approach and allows the process to be managed entirely remotely, without the need to appear in person at the Probate Registry.
If a person dies owning assets in Jersey, their estate may need a Jersey Grant, even if foreign probate has already been obtained.
Jersey does not reseal foreign Grants, and a separate application is usually required.
If the total value of Jersey assets is £30,000 or less, a Grant may not be required, but this is always subject to the institution’s discretion.
A fast-track process may be available if the deceased was domiciled in the UK, Guernsey or the Isle of Man.
Executors based abroad can appoint a local lawyer to handle everything on their behalf.
At BCR Law LLP, we regularly assist foreign clients and professional advisers with Jersey probate applications and can guide you through the process from start to finish. Please get in touch if you would like to know more or visit our Foreign estate page.
If someone passes away owning assets in Jersey (such as a bank account or investment portfolio) their estate may need to go through probate in Jersey, even if they lived abroad and already have a Will and Grant of Probate (or equivalent) from another country.
This process often comes as a surprise to foreign executors and advisers, who reasonably assume that a foreign Grant will be accepted everywhere. But Jersey is a separate legal jurisdiction, and it has its own probate requirements. In this article, we explain when a Jersey Grant is needed, why foreign documents alone aren’t enough, and how the process works in practice.
A foreign estate is simply the estate of someone who died living outside Jersey (e.g. in the UK, Europe, the US or further afield) but who owned assets located in Jersey at the time of their death.
This might include:
To deal with those assets, the executor or personal representative will often need to apply for a separate Jersey Grant of Probate (if there’s a Will) or Letters of Administration (if there isn’t).
While it can feel like duplication, the reason lies in Jersey's status as a distinct legal system. Unlike some other jurisdictions, Jersey does not “reseal” foreign Grants. That means you can’t use a Grant of Probate issued elsewhere (even from the UK) to automatically deal with Jersey-based assets.
Instead, a separate application must be made to the Jersey Probate Registry, and a local Grant must be issued before any assets can be accessed or distributed.
A Jersey Grant will generally be required if:
If the value of the deceased’s Jersey assets does not exceed £30,000, an exemption may apply such that Jersey probate or Letters of Administration may not be required. However, the asset holder (e.g. the bank or investment provider) is still entitled to insist on probate being obtained before releasing any funds.
Note: “Movable estate” includes most personal property, such as bank accounts, company shares, and tangible assets located in Jersey, it does not include land or property (immovable estate).
Where someone dies without leaving a valid Will, their estate is considered intestate, and an application for Letters of Administration will need to be made. This still involves a formal court process and appropriate documentation, including evidence of entitlement under the law of the deceased’s domicile.
If the deceased died domiciled in:
…and a Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration has already been issued in that jurisdiction, then a fast-track application can be made in Jersey. This streamlined process is similar in concept to a "reseal" under English law and can significantly reduce delays. More information on fast-track applications is available on request.
No. If the executor or administrator is based outside Jersey, they can appoint a Jersey lawyer under a Power of Attorney to make the application on their behalf. This is a common approach and allows the process to be managed entirely remotely, without the need to appear in person at the Probate Registry.
If a person dies owning assets in Jersey, their estate may need a Jersey Grant, even if foreign probate has already been obtained.
Jersey does not reseal foreign Grants, and a separate application is usually required.
If the total value of Jersey assets is £30,000 or less, a Grant may not be required, but this is always subject to the institution’s discretion.
A fast-track process may be available if the deceased was domiciled in the UK, Guernsey or the Isle of Man.
Executors based abroad can appoint a local lawyer to handle everything on their behalf.
At BCR Law LLP, we regularly assist foreign clients and professional advisers with Jersey probate applications and can guide you through the process from start to finish. Please get in touch if you would like to know more or visit our Foreign estate page.
If someone passes away owning assets in Jersey (such as a bank account or investment portfolio) their estate may need to go through probate in Jersey, even if they lived abroad and already have a Will and Grant of Probate (or equivalent) from another country.
This process often comes as a surprise to foreign executors and advisers, who reasonably assume that a foreign Grant will be accepted everywhere. But Jersey is a separate legal jurisdiction, and it has its own probate requirements. In this article, we explain when a Jersey Grant is needed, why foreign documents alone aren’t enough, and how the process works in practice.
A foreign estate is simply the estate of someone who died living outside Jersey (e.g. in the UK, Europe, the US or further afield) but who owned assets located in Jersey at the time of their death.
This might include:
To deal with those assets, the executor or personal representative will often need to apply for a separate Jersey Grant of Probate (if there’s a Will) or Letters of Administration (if there isn’t).
While it can feel like duplication, the reason lies in Jersey's status as a distinct legal system. Unlike some other jurisdictions, Jersey does not “reseal” foreign Grants. That means you can’t use a Grant of Probate issued elsewhere (even from the UK) to automatically deal with Jersey-based assets.
Instead, a separate application must be made to the Jersey Probate Registry, and a local Grant must be issued before any assets can be accessed or distributed.
A Jersey Grant will generally be required if:
If the value of the deceased’s Jersey assets does not exceed £30,000, an exemption may apply such that Jersey probate or Letters of Administration may not be required. However, the asset holder (e.g. the bank or investment provider) is still entitled to insist on probate being obtained before releasing any funds.
Note: “Movable estate” includes most personal property, such as bank accounts, company shares, and tangible assets located in Jersey, it does not include land or property (immovable estate).
Where someone dies without leaving a valid Will, their estate is considered intestate, and an application for Letters of Administration will need to be made. This still involves a formal court process and appropriate documentation, including evidence of entitlement under the law of the deceased’s domicile.
If the deceased died domiciled in:
…and a Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration has already been issued in that jurisdiction, then a fast-track application can be made in Jersey. This streamlined process is similar in concept to a "reseal" under English law and can significantly reduce delays. More information on fast-track applications is available on request.
No. If the executor or administrator is based outside Jersey, they can appoint a Jersey lawyer under a Power of Attorney to make the application on their behalf. This is a common approach and allows the process to be managed entirely remotely, without the need to appear in person at the Probate Registry.
If a person dies owning assets in Jersey, their estate may need a Jersey Grant, even if foreign probate has already been obtained.
Jersey does not reseal foreign Grants, and a separate application is usually required.
If the total value of Jersey assets is £30,000 or less, a Grant may not be required, but this is always subject to the institution’s discretion.
A fast-track process may be available if the deceased was domiciled in the UK, Guernsey or the Isle of Man.
Executors based abroad can appoint a local lawyer to handle everything on their behalf.
At BCR Law LLP, we regularly assist foreign clients and professional advisers with Jersey probate applications and can guide you through the process from start to finish. Please get in touch if you would like to know more or visit our Foreign estate page.
If someone passes away owning assets in Jersey (such as a bank account or investment portfolio) their estate may need to go through probate in Jersey, even if they lived abroad and already have a Will and Grant of Probate (or equivalent) from another country.
This process often comes as a surprise to foreign executors and advisers, who reasonably assume that a foreign Grant will be accepted everywhere. But Jersey is a separate legal jurisdiction, and it has its own probate requirements. In this article, we explain when a Jersey Grant is needed, why foreign documents alone aren’t enough, and how the process works in practice.
A foreign estate is simply the estate of someone who died living outside Jersey (e.g. in the UK, Europe, the US or further afield) but who owned assets located in Jersey at the time of their death.
This might include:
To deal with those assets, the executor or personal representative will often need to apply for a separate Jersey Grant of Probate (if there’s a Will) or Letters of Administration (if there isn’t).
While it can feel like duplication, the reason lies in Jersey's status as a distinct legal system. Unlike some other jurisdictions, Jersey does not “reseal” foreign Grants. That means you can’t use a Grant of Probate issued elsewhere (even from the UK) to automatically deal with Jersey-based assets.
Instead, a separate application must be made to the Jersey Probate Registry, and a local Grant must be issued before any assets can be accessed or distributed.
A Jersey Grant will generally be required if:
If the value of the deceased’s Jersey assets does not exceed £30,000, an exemption may apply such that Jersey probate or Letters of Administration may not be required. However, the asset holder (e.g. the bank or investment provider) is still entitled to insist on probate being obtained before releasing any funds.
Note: “Movable estate” includes most personal property, such as bank accounts, company shares, and tangible assets located in Jersey, it does not include land or property (immovable estate).
Where someone dies without leaving a valid Will, their estate is considered intestate, and an application for Letters of Administration will need to be made. This still involves a formal court process and appropriate documentation, including evidence of entitlement under the law of the deceased’s domicile.
If the deceased died domiciled in:
…and a Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration has already been issued in that jurisdiction, then a fast-track application can be made in Jersey. This streamlined process is similar in concept to a "reseal" under English law and can significantly reduce delays. More information on fast-track applications is available on request.
No. If the executor or administrator is based outside Jersey, they can appoint a Jersey lawyer under a Power of Attorney to make the application on their behalf. This is a common approach and allows the process to be managed entirely remotely, without the need to appear in person at the Probate Registry.
If a person dies owning assets in Jersey, their estate may need a Jersey Grant, even if foreign probate has already been obtained.
Jersey does not reseal foreign Grants, and a separate application is usually required.
If the total value of Jersey assets is £30,000 or less, a Grant may not be required, but this is always subject to the institution’s discretion.
A fast-track process may be available if the deceased was domiciled in the UK, Guernsey or the Isle of Man.
Executors based abroad can appoint a local lawyer to handle everything on their behalf.
At BCR Law LLP, we regularly assist foreign clients and professional advisers with Jersey probate applications and can guide you through the process from start to finish. Please get in touch if you would like to know more or visit our Foreign estate page.