Can a Foreigner Make a Will in China?

Yes, a foreigner can make a PRC-form will — that is not the same as using a foreign will against PRC assets.

Capacity to make a will in China is not limited to Chinese citizens. A foreigner who owns a PRC house, account or shares can execute a holographic or notarial will that PRC notaries and registries understand. A foreign will already signed in London is the foreign-will page. The expat guide /making-will-china-expats-foreign-owners stays the long piece. This upgrade keeps the live alias.

The classification screen

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.

What assets are in the PRC?

House, bank, equity.

Assets

Will you use a PRC form?

Notarial is the practical default.

Form

Is a foreign will already in play?

Resolve the is a foreign will already in play question separately before choosing the route.

Foreign

Which law governs which asset?

Resolve the which law governs which asset question separately before choosing the route.

Law

Working rule: Capacity to make a will in China is not limited to Chinese citizens. A foreigner who owns a PRC house, account or shares can execute a holographic or notarial will that PRC notaries and registries understand.

What changes the answer

The signal ledger.

These facts move the question beyond a label and into a product, money-flow and control analysis.

Signal

Ask the operating question

Why it changes the route

Embassy will only

Assuming a consular will is enough for a Shanghai flat.

Registries want a PRC-usable file.

Confuse the two questions

Making a PRC will vs using a foreign will.

Different pages.

Broader Wills, Succession & Inheritance analysis needed

Rewriting the expat long guide.

Additional facts can change the Wills, Succession & Inheritance route, evidence and next step.

Prepare before you escalate

Bring a compact evidence docket—not a pitch deck.

Give a compliance team or counsel the operating facts that reveal the perimeter.

01Passport and asset listWhat you actually own in the PRC.

02Marriage and childrenForced-share / heir issues.

03Existing foreign willSo you do not accidentally revoke it.

Common confusions

Questions people ask before they build.

Short answers for orientation. The right result can change with the service model and current rules.

Must I be a PRC resident?

Residence helps practical notary KYC; it is not a neat statutory ban. Bring identity the notary will accept.

Where is the long guide?

Use the linked specialist resource when Can a Foreigner Make a Will in China turns on detailed evidence, procedure or risk assessment.

Primary authorities

Reviewed sources support orientation, not a fact-specific assessment.

PRC Civil Code (NPC laws database)

Ministry of Justice / notary

Gov.cn

National laws database (NPC)