Who inherits without a will in Russia?
In Russia the spouse, the children and the parents of the person inherit equal shares, as the first rank of heirs.
Updated October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
A spouse and children survive
The spouse, the children and the parents are the first rank and inherit in equal shares. The spouse's half of the marital property is taken out first.
A spouse survives, but no children
The spouse is in the first rank. With no children and no parents the spouse takes everything. Siblings and grandparents come in only if there is no first-rank heir.
No spouse: who comes next
Eight ranks, the nearer excluding the further: children and parents first; then siblings and grandparents; then uncles and aunts; and so on. If there are none, the estate passes to the Russian Federation or the municipality.
A partner who is not married
An unmarried partner is not an heir by law. Dependants who lived with the person for at least a year and were unable to work can inherit with the heirs of the rank in question.
What a will cannot take away
Minor or disabled children, a disabled spouse or parent, and dependants are owed at least half of what they would have received by law, whatever the will says.
If the person or the property is abroad
The country has its own rules on which law governs an estate. An estate with a foreign element needs advice in each country involved.
Understand the legal system first
Russia belongs to the Civil law family. Succession law grows out of the legal tradition, so it helps to know how the system works.
Read the Russia legal-system profile in the Legal Families Atlas →
Who owns what in a marriage in Russia? →
Official sources
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TheLawToKnow Tools’s inheritance guide is an educational overview of general rules. It is not legal advice, and it does not replace the official source or a lawyer in the country. Report a mistake.
