Heirs in Fiji can obtain a succession certificate without travelling. They sign affidavits and no-objection consents before a Fiji notary, have them apostilled, and we file the petition in the civil court where the deceased lived or held assets. The court publishes a notice, and if no one objects it grants the certificate, typically in four to eight months. Court fee is a percentage of the value of the debts and securities covered, set by state law.
- Document route
- Fiji notary public or commissioner, then apostille (we confirm the current issuing office)
- Time difference
- IST is 6h30 behind Fiji time (Fiji has not used daylight saving in recent years)
- Law
- Part X, Indian Succession Act 1925
- Court
- District Judge where the deceased lived
Succession Certificate from Fiji: how it works
We first list each asset with its holder: the bank, branch and account number, the company and folio for shares, the provident fund office. We then prepare the petition, the death certificate in proper form and a family tree showing every legal heir under the applicable law, whether the Hindu Succession Act, the Indian Succession Act or Muslim personal law. Heirs who are not petitioning sign no-objection affidavits in Fiji. All Fiji documents, including the death certificate if the death occurred there, are apostilled before they leave Fiji.
In court, the petition is listed, notice goes to known heirs, and a general notice is published in a newspaper. If the deceased lived in Fiji, a death certificate from the Fiji Registrar with apostille is required, and an Indian court may want proof that the person had assets in its area. Banks often ask for an indemnity bond from the certificate holder. Where the main asset is land, a succession certificate is not the right tool, and mutation or letters of administration are usually needed instead.
What clients in Fiji should know
- Where heirs are spread across Fiji, Australia and New Zealand, each country has its own apostille authority, so we coordinate documents from all of them.
- Bank deposits with a registered nominee may be released to the nominee without a certificate, but the nominee holds the money for the legal heirs.
- If the deceased left a will proved in Fiji, letters of administration with the will annexed may be needed in place of a succession certificate.
Step by step from Fiji
Video consultation
A call at a time that suits Fiji, after we have read your documents.
Documents signed in Fiji
Fiji notary public or commissioner, then apostille (we confirm the current issuing office)
Work in India
Our team files, appears and follows up in India, and shares scans of everything filed.
Result and handover
Certified copies and originals are couriered to you in Fiji where needed.
The full guide
This page covers what changes when you are in Fiji. For the law, the documents and the step-by-step procedure, read our main page on Succession Certificate, or see all services for clients in Fiji and the Inheritance & Documents practice area.
Questions from clients in Fiji
Can a Fiji citizen be granted an Indian succession certificate?
Yes. Nationality is irrelevant; the court grants the certificate to the person entitled to the estate under the applicable succession law.
Which court do we apply to?
The district or civil court where the deceased ordinarily lived at death, or, if they lived abroad, where any part of the property is located.
Can one heir in Fiji collect for everyone?
Yes, if the others give consent. The certificate can be granted to one heir, who then holds the money for all heirs according to their shares.