Situation · PROPERTY

“I inherited property in Ukraine and need to deal with it from Canada?”

The short answer: Inherited property in Ukraine can be taken into ownership and then kept, rented, or sold while you remain in Canada. The critical fact is the six-month window from the date of death to formally accept the inheritance before a Ukrainian notary, which can be done by a representative under a power of attorney. The main caveat: once that window passes, the route shifts from a notary's office to a court.

Apartment inherited in KharkivHeir lives in TorontoSix-month deadline runningKeep it, rent it, or sell it

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What this situation usually means

This situation usually means working through one notarial inheritance case: acceptance, collection of documents, and eventually a certificate of inheritance that lets you register ownership. After registration the property behaves like any other you own abroad — manageable or sellable remotely. The deadline and the document collection are the parts that cannot drift.

Questions that determine the route

How much of the six-month acceptance window has already passed since the death?
Are there other heirs, and is there a will or does the legal order of succession apply?
Are the deceased's title documents in hand, or does the notary's file need to be built from the registers?
Do you intend to keep the property, rent it out, or sell it once ownership is registered?

Likely route

I inherited property in Ukraine and need to deal with it from Canada

STEP 1

Deadline check and acceptance

We establish the date of death and the remaining window, then file your acceptance with the notary handling the inheritance case — directly or through a representative under a power of attorney.

STEP 2

Case assembly

The notary's file is built: death certificate, kinship or will evidence, and the property's title and registry documents.

STEP 3

Canadian-side documents

Your power of attorney and any required statements are notarized in Canada, apostilled — Ontario's Official Documents Services for provincial documents, Global Affairs Canada for federal ones — and translated into Ukrainian.

STEP 4

Certificate and registration

After the statutory period, the notary issues the certificate of inheritance and your ownership is entered in the State Register of Property Rights.

STEP 5

Onward route

With ownership registered, the property moves onto the standard track: remote management, rental, or a sale with a proceeds route to Canada.

What usually has to happen

The acceptance of inheritance is filed inside the six-month window.

The notarial inheritance case is assembled and other heirs are accounted for.

The certificate of inheritance is issued once the statutory period runs.

Your ownership is registered and the register extract confirms it.

The property moves onto a keep, rent, or sell track with its own timeline.

What can complicate the matter

A six-month window close to running out, which compresses every Canadian-side step.
Missing kinship documents — birth or marriage certificates that link you to the deceased.
Other heirs who contest, or a will surfacing after the file has opened.
Title documents for the property that never existed in clean form, forcing archive searches first.

What LexRoota coordinates here

The acceptance filing and the notarial inheritance case with licensed notaries in Ukraine.

Your Canadian-side power of attorney, apostille, and certified translations.

Sourcing missing kinship and title documents from Ukrainian archives.

Registration of your ownership in the State Register of Property Rights.

The onward route: property management setup or a sale with documented proceeds.

Common questions

What happens if the six months have already passed?

Your rights as an heir continue, but the route changes: instead of the notary issuing a certificate administratively, a court confirms the inheritance. It is a longer, costlier path, and the court route is coordinated through a Ukrainian lawyer — another reason the acceptance step belongs at the top of the list.

Can I refuse the inheritance instead?

Yes, an heir can renounce within the same six-month window, and that is sometimes the right call where debts attach to the estate. The renunciation is also filed through the notary, remotely with the same power-of-attorney chain.

Do I pay Ukrainian tax on the inherited property?

Tax treatment depends on your kinship to the deceased and your Ukrainian tax status; close family members often fall under preferential rates. A Ukrainian tax adviser confirms the position for your case before the onward steps.

Can I sell the apartment before the inheritance is finalized?

The property becomes sellable once your ownership is registered following the certificate of inheritance. Marketing it earlier is possible, but a buyer and a notary will only close against a registered title in your name.