涉外继承的常见问题分析解答 Questions and Answers for Foreign-Related Inheritance 

Question 1: 

涉外继承的认定标准是什么？What is the standard of foreign-related inheritance?

Answer 1:

民事关系具有下列情形之一的，法院可以认定为涉外民事关系：

（一）继承诉讼的一方或双方是外国公民、外国法人或者其他组织、无国籍人；

（二）继承诉讼的一方或双方的经常居所地在中华人民共和国领域外；

（三）继承诉讼的标的物在中华人民共和国领域外；

（四）产生、变更或者消灭继承民事关系的法律事实发生在中华人民共和国领域外；

（五）可以认定为涉外民事关系的其他情形。

Under any of the following circumstance, the people's court may determine a civil relation as a foreign-related civil relation:

1. Where either party or both parties are foreign citizens, foreign legal persons or other organizations or stateless persons;

2. Where the habitual residence of either party or both parties locate outside the territory of the People's Republic of China;

3. Where the subject matter is outside the territory of the People's Republic of China;

4. Where the legal fact that leads to establishment, change or termination of the civil relation happens outside the territory of the People's Republic of China; and

5. Other circumstances that may be determined as a foreign-related civil relation.

Q2: 继承案件能否适用仲裁吗？Can arbitration process be applied to succession cases?

A2: 不能。No.

Q3: 如果中国女友和外国男友同居，男女双方能够互相继承吗？Can Chinese girlfriends and foreign boyfriends (or the opposite) inherit each other if they live together (cohabiting relationship)?

A3: 

因为是同居关系，无法像夫妻一样互为“第一顺序继承人”。但符合下面两种情形之一，才可以分得适当遗产。具体数额可以由继承人之间互相协商，协商不成，由法院判决，按具体情况可多于或少于继承人。

（1）一方缺乏劳动能力又没有生活来源，主要依靠另一方（被继承人）扶养的；

（2）一方对另一方（被继承人）扶养较多的。

Due to the nature of the cohabiting relationship, couples cannot serve as the first inheritor in line for each other like marriage couples do. However, only when one of the following two situations is met can the appropriate inheritance be shared. The specific amount can be negotiated between the heirs. If the negotiation fails, the court will make a judgment. According to the specific situation, it can be more or less than the heirs.

(1) One party lacks the ability to work and has no source of livelihood, and mainly depends on the other party (the heir);

(2) One party has more support for the other party (the decedent).

Q4: 【管辖】继承遗产诉讼管辖的法院是哪些? [jurisdiction] which court has the jurisdiction over inheritance litigation?

A4: 继承遗产诉讼属于专属管辖。由被继承人死亡时住所地或者主要遗产所在地人民法院管辖。

专属管辖是地域管辖的一种。法律规定某些案件必须由特定的法院管理，当事人不能以协议的方式加以变更，管辖具有强制性和排他性。世界各国对于专属管辖权的规定，主要表现在继承和不动产等案件方面。

Inheritance litigation belongs to the Court's exclusive jurisdiction. It shall be under the jurisdiction of the people's Court of the place where the decedent had his domicile at the time of his death or where his main estate was located.

Exclusive jurisdiction is a kind of territorial jurisdiction. The law stipulates that some cases must be managed by a specific court, and the parties can't change this by agreement. The jurisdiction is compulsory and exclusive. The provisions of exclusive jurisdiction around the world are mainly reflected in inheritance and real estate cases.

Q5:

【管辖】1、中国法院和外国法院都有管辖权的案件，一方当事人向外国法院起诉，而另一方当事人向中华人民共和国法院起诉的，人民法院如何处理？

2、外国法院判决后，外国法院申请或者当事人请求人民法院承认和执行外国法院对本案作出的判决、裁定的，人民法院如何处理？

3、外国法院判决、裁定已经被人民法院承认，当事人就同一争议向人民法院起诉的，人民法院如何处理？

[jurisdiction] 1. In cases where both Chinese and foreign courts have jurisdiction, if one party brings a suit to a foreign court and the other party brings a suit to a court of the people's Republic of China, how should the people's court handle it?

2. After the judgment of a foreign court, if the foreign court applies or the parties request the people's court to recognize and enforce the judgment or ruling of the foreign court on the case, what shall the people's court do?

3. If the judgment or written order of a foreign court has been recognized by the people's court, and the party concerned brings a suit to the people's court for the same dispute, how will the people's court handle it?

A5: 

1、人民法院可予受理。

2、人民法院不予准许；但双方共同缔结或者参加的国际条约另有规定的除外。

3、人民法院不予受理。

1. The people's court may accept it.

2. The people's court shall not grant such permission, unless otherwise provided in the international treaties concluded or acceded to by both parties.

3. The people's court will not accept it.

Q6: 【适用法律】涉外法定继承，如何确定适用法律？[applicable law] how to determine the applicable law of foreign legal succession?

A6: 法定继承，适用被继承人死亡时经常居所地法律，但不动产法定继承，适用不动产所在地法律。Legal succession applies to the law of the place where the decedent's habitual residence is at the time of death, but legal succession of real estate applies to the law of the place where the real estate is located.

Q7: 【适用法律】如何确认涉外遗嘱成立、效力及适用法律？[applicable law] how to confirm the formation, validity and applicable law of foreign-related wills?

A7: 

1、遗嘱方式，符合遗嘱人立遗嘱时或者死亡时经常居所地法律、国籍国法律或者遗嘱行为地法律的，遗嘱均为成立。

2、遗嘱效力，适用遗嘱人立遗嘱时或者死亡时经常居所地法律或者国籍国法律。

1. If the form of a will is in accordance with the law of the testator's habitual residence, the law of the country of nationality or the law of the place where the will is made or died, the will shall be established.

2. The law of the testator's habitual residence or the law of the country of nationality shall apply to the validity of the will.

Q8: 【适用法律】1、诉讼进行中夫妻双方能够协议选择或者变更选择适用的法律吗？

2、各方当事人援引相同国家的法律且未提出法律适用异议的，法院如何处理？

[applicable law] 1. Can the husband and wife choose or change the applicable law by agreement during the litigation?

2. If the parties invoke the laws of the same country and do not raise any objection to the application of the law, what should the court do?

A8: 

1、当事人在一审法庭辩论终结前协议选择或者变更选择适用的法律的，人民法院应予准许。

2、法院可以认定当事人已经就涉外民事关系适用的法律做出了选择。

1. If the parties agree to choose or change the applicable law before the end of the debate in the court of first instance, the people's court shall allow it.

2. The court can determine that the parties have made a choice on the applicable law of foreign-related civil relations.

Q9: 

1、涉外诉讼离婚，外籍当事人可以委托本国人为诉讼代理人吗？

2、涉外诉讼离婚，外籍当事人不再中国境内，如何委托诉讼代理人？

1. Can a foreign party appoint a native party as the legal representation for the foreign-related divorce litigation?

2. How to deal with the legal representation when the foreign litigant is no longer in China?

A9: 

1、涉外民事诉讼中的外籍当事人，可以委托本国人为诉讼代理人，也可以委托本国律师以非律师身份担任诉讼代理人；外国驻华使领馆官员，受本国公民的委托，可以以个人名义担任诉讼代理人，但在诉讼中不享有外交或者领事特权和豁免。

2、涉外民事诉讼中，外国驻华使领馆授权其本馆官员，在作为当事人的本国国民不在中华人民共和国领域内的情况下，可以以外交代表身份为其本国国民在中华人民共和国聘请中华人民共和国律师或者中华人民共和国公民代理民事诉讼。

1. A foreign party in a foreign-related civil action may appoint a person in his or her own country as his or her legal representation, or a lawyer in his or her own country as an agent ad litem in the non-lawyer capacity; an official of a foreign embassy or consulate in China, entrusted by his own citizens, may act as an agent ad litem in his own name, but he does not enjoy diplomatic or consular privileges and immunities in the action.

2. In foreign-related civil litigation, foreign embassies and consulates in China authorize their own officials to employ lawyers of the people's Republic of China or citizens of the people's Republic of China to represent their nationals in the people's Republic of China as diplomatic representatives when their nationals are not within the territory of the people's Republic of China.

Q10: 涉外继承案件审理期限？What is the time limit for hearing foreign-related inheritance cases?

A10: 

1、人民法院适用普通程序审理的案件，应当在立案之日起六个月内审结。有特殊情况需要延长的，由本院院长批准，可以延长六个月；还需要延长的，报请上级人民法院批准。

2、人民法院审理对判决的上诉案件，应当在第二审立案之日起三个月内审结。有特殊情况需要延长的，由本院院长批准。

人民法院审理对裁定的上诉案件，应当在第二审立案之日起三十日内作出终审裁定。

1. A case tried by a people's court under ordinary procedure shall be concluded within six months from the date of filing. If the extension is necessary under special circumstances, it shall be approved by the president of the people's court, and may be extended for six months; if the extension is still necessary, it shall be reported to the people's court at a higher level for approval.

2. When a people's court tries a case of appeal against a judgment, it shall conclude the trial within three months from the date of filing the case of the second instance. If the extension is necessary under special circumstances, it shall be approved by the president of the court.

The people's court shall make a final judgment within 30 days from the date of filing the case of the second instance when trying the appeal case against the ruling.

Q11: 

1、对外国法院作出的发生法律效力的判决、裁定或者外国仲裁裁决，需要中国法院执行的，当事人如何提出申请？

2、申请执行期间是多长？

1. If a legally effective judgment, ruling or foreign arbitral award made by a foreign court needs to be enforced by a Chinese court, how can the parties apply?

2. How long is the application period?

A11: 

1、当事人应当先向人民法院申请承认。人民法院经审查，裁定承认后，予以执行。

2、申请执行的期间为二年。申请执行时效的中止、中断，适用法律有关诉讼时效中止、中断的规定。

前款规定的期间，从法律文书规定履行期间的最后一日起计算；法律文书规定分期履行的，从规定的每次履行期间的最后一日起计算；法律文书未规定履行期间的，从法律文书生效之日起计算。

1. The party concerned shall first apply to the people's court for recognition. After examination, the people's court makes an order to recognize it and then execute it.

2. The application period is two years. The suspension and interruption of the limitation of application for execution shall be governed by the provisions of the law on the suspension and interruption of the limitation of action.

The period specified in the preceding paragraph shall be calculated from the last day of the period of performance specified in the legal document; if the legal document provides for performance by stages, it shall be calculated from the last day of each period of performance; if the legal document does not provide for the period of performance, it shall be calculated from the effective date of the legal document.