Can a Foreign Will Be Used in China?

Sometimes — form, applicable law and a PRC-usable probate/notary file all have to work. A foreign grant of probate is not a Shanghai deed.

A will executed abroad may be recognised for Mainland assets if it is valid under the law that governs form and succession for that asset (immovables in China generally look to PRC law). In practice, notaries and housing bureaus want Chinese translations, authentication/apostille, and often a notarial succession certificate or a PRC judgment — not the foreign probate packet alone. This is distinct from a foreigner making a PRC-form will. The long piece /foreign-will-chinese-assets-validity stays the guide.