How to Get UK Probate After a Death in Greece Without Hiring a Solicitor

If you are the executor for someone who died in Greece and you need to apply for UK probate, here is what matters: you can do it yourself, but the document chain is different from a domestic death, and the Probate Registry rejects approximately one in three foreign-death applications on the first attempt. The rejections are almost always for the same handful of document errors — wrong translation format, missing Apostille, incomplete Form PA19. Knowing the exact requirements before you submit avoids a six-to-twelve-week resubmission delay.

The process is not legally complex. It is administratively precise. A solicitor can manage it for you, but the actual work is assembling a specific package of documents in the correct format. If you understand what the Probate Registry needs and in what order, you can do this yourself.

The Document Chain: Greece to UK Probate

This is the sequence. Each step depends on the one before it — you cannot skip ahead.

Step 1: Greek death certificate from the Lixiarcheio. The municipal Civil Registry in the area where the death occurred issues the official death certificate (Ληξιαρχική Πράξη Θανάτου). Request three to five certified copies with the blue municipal stamp. The funeral director typically handles the registration within 24–48 hours of medical certification.

Step 2: Hague Apostille from the Decentralised Administration. The Apostille certifies the signature, capacity, and seal of the Greek registrar. It is issued by the Secretariat General of the Decentralised Administration (Αποκεντρωμένη Διοίκηση) in the region where the death was registered — the Attica office for Athens, Heraklion for Crete, Corfu for the Ionian Islands. The Apostille must be on the original certified copy, not a photocopy. Getting it from the wrong regional office invalidates it for UK legal use.

Step 3: Certified translation into English. The apostilled Greek death certificate must be translated through an official route that meets the stated UK court and HMCTS standard. The research identifies:

• A certified translator registered on the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs database
• A practicing Greek lawyer who is an active member of a local Greek Bar Association and can certify linguistic competency
• A graduate of the Ionian University's Department of Foreign Languages, Translation and Interpreting

A translation by a hotel employee or an unregistered freelancer — no matter how accurate — may be rejected.

Step 4: Form PA19 submission. Form PA19 ("Foreign death certificate") is the mandatory supplementary form for any probate application involving a death outside England and Wales. The translator must sign a declaration on the form certifying their professional credentials under penalty of contempt of court.

Step 5: Submit the probate application. The original apostilled Greek death certificate, the certified English translation, and the signed Form PA19 must be physically mailed to HMCTS alongside the standard probate application. Online probate applications still require the physical documents to be mailed separately.

The Common Rejection Points

The Probate Registry sends approximately one in three foreign-death applications back. The usual reasons:

Translation not in an accepted official format. Use one of the approved Greek routes above and confirm any separate receiving-institution requirements before sending. A standard translation from an unregistered private translator may be rejected, even if it is accurate.

Apostille from the wrong authority. The Apostille must come from the Decentralised Administration office for the specific region where the death was registered. If the death occurred in Crete but the family obtained an Apostille from the Attica (Athens) office, the Probate Registry may reject it.

Incomplete Form PA19. The translator's declaration section must be fully completed — name, professional credentials, registration number, and signature. A partially completed form is returned without processing.

Missing original documents. Photocopies, scans, and certified copies of the apostilled certificate are not accepted. The Probate Registry requires the physical original apostilled death certificate and the physical original certified translation. These are returned after processing, but you cannot proceed without sending them.

When You Do Need a Solicitor

A probate solicitor is genuinely useful in specific situations:

• Complex estates: if the deceased had assets in multiple countries (UK, Greece, and elsewhere), the estate may require separate probate proceedings in each jurisdiction
• Contested wills: if beneficiaries are disputing the will or its validity, legal representation is advisable from the start
• Greek inheritance: if the deceased owned property or bank accounts in Greece, Greek succession law is governed by Law 5303/2026 for deaths on or after 16 September 2026 and requires a separate inheritance process administered by a Greek notary — a UK probate solicitor cannot handle the Greek side, and vice versa
• Intestacy with unclear beneficiaries: if there is no will and the family tree is complex (blended families, estranged relatives, children from multiple relationships), a solicitor navigates the intestacy rules
• Estate with potential UK inheritance-tax liability: professional advice on IHT planning and unilateral relief for Greek inheritance tax can be worthwhile

For a straightforward estate — one jurisdiction, one clear beneficiary, a valid will, and no Greek assets — the cost of a solicitor is difficult to justify. The actual work is the document chain described above.

The Timeline

With the correct documents assembled in Greece:

Allow 6–12 additional weeks if a rejection requires resubmission. This is why getting the document chain right the first time matters more than speed at any individual step.

The Bank Problem

UK banks (NatWest, HSBC, Barclays, Lloyds) will not freeze or release accounts based on a phone call. They require documentary proof of death and proof of executor authority. For a death in Greece, they accept:

• The original apostilled Greek death certificate with an official certified English translation that meets the bank's requirements, or
• A Consular Death Registration Certificate issued by the FCDO (timing varies and it is not necessary if you have the apostilled original), or
• A UK Solicitor's Death Verification Form supported by the foreign death certificate

The grant of probate is what actually releases the accounts. But banks will typically freeze the accounts and prevent withdrawals as soon as they are notified — so you need the death certificate package to be correct when you notify them, because an incorrectly documented notification may trigger a freeze without giving you access to resolve it.

Who This Is For

• Executors of an estate where the deceased died in Greece and the primary assets are in the UK
• Family members trying to understand the probate timeline before making financial commitments (funeral costs, repatriation)
• Anyone who has already had a probate application rejected and needs to understand what went wrong
• Families considering whether to hire a solicitor or handle probate themselves

Who This Is NOT For

• Executors dealing with Greek assets (property, bank accounts) — Greek succession law requires a separate process with a Greek notary
• Families where the death is under forensic investigation — probate cannot proceed until the death certificate is issued, and the forensic timeline is controlled by the Greek prosecutor
• Scottish estates — the confirmation process has different requirements from English/Welsh probate

Where the Guide Fits

The British Person Dies in Greece — Family Emergency Guide includes a dedicated chapter on UK probate with Form PA19, covering the exact document package, the translation standards each UK bank accepts, the specific errors that trigger rejection, and a document status tracker worksheet that maps every certificate, apostille, and translation through the chain. It starts from the moment of death and follows the document trail through to probate completion — the probate chapter builds on the registration and legalisation steps covered in earlier chapters, so every document you collected in Greece is already in the correct format when you reach the UK application stage.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I apply for probate online if the death was in Greece?

You can start the application online through GOV.UK, but you must still physically mail the original apostilled Greek death certificate, the certified translation, and the signed Form PA19. The online system does not accept uploaded copies of foreign documents.

How long does it take to get the Apostille in Greece?

Typically 1–3 working days at the Decentralised Administration office. Processing times vary by region and season — tourist season on the islands can slow government offices. Athens (Attica) is usually faster. The funeral director or a local lawyer can submit the document on your behalf if you have returned to the UK.

What if the forensic autopsy delays the death certificate?

A forensic investigation can delay the official death certificate by weeks or months. During this period, the family can request interim clinical documents — the hospital's medical death certification — which may satisfy certain UK requirements (such as bank notifications) on a provisional basis. However, probate cannot proceed without the official registered death certificate from the Lixiarcheio.

Do I need to register the death in the UK as well?

You can optionally register a foreign death with the British Consulate in Greece, which produces a Consular Death Registration Certificate. This is not required for probate (the apostilled Greek certificate with Form PA19 is sufficient), and the consular registration timing varies. Most executors proceed with the Greek certificate directly.

What if the will names a Greek executor?

If the deceased appointed a Greek resident as executor in their UK will, that executor can still apply for UK probate — but they may need a UK solicitor to act as their agent for the English courts. The document chain from Greece remains the same regardless of who serves as executor.