The bank pays on a PRC notarial certificate or court document — not on a UK grant and not on a WeChat family vote.
Deposits form part of the estate. A foreign heir can be the person entitled, but commercial banks freeze the account on death and release against a succession certificate, judgment, or their internal legal-heir process. Small-balance exceptions exist in some bank rules and are not a national slogan. Remitting the money out is a later SAFE related pages. Joint accounts need characterisation (survivor vs estate). Bring the passbook/card numbers; do not expect the bank to search by surname only.
4 questions before you choose the route.
This page identifies the right question and evidence. It does not determine the legal outcome on a reader’s facts.
Identify every account
Bank, branch, number.
FindHeirship path
Notary vs court.
PathBank’s own checklist
Each bank adds paper.
BankKeep onshore or remit?
Later remittance page.
FXWorking rule: Map the regulated role before marketing or launch in China.
The signal ledger.
These facts move the question beyond a label and into a product, money-flow and control analysis.
Bring a compact evidence docket—not a pitch deck.
Give a compliance team or counsel the operating facts that reveal the perimeter.
Questions people ask before they build.
Short answers for orientation. The right result can change with the service model and current rules.
Can I use an ATM if I still have the PIN?
Using a dead person’s card is a legal and practical trap. Use the succession path.
Is remittance automatic after release?
No. See the later SAFE/remittance page and /repatriate-inherited-funds-china-safe.
Primary authorities
Reviewed sources support orientation, not a fact-specific assessment.