How to invoke the 2015 EU inheritance regulation

As explained here, if you want to make use of the EU inheritance regulation to choose the law of your nationality to apply to your whole estate instead of French inheritance law, this should be done in a will.

The right to make this choice, and the validity of such wills, is not affected by Brexit because the regulation applies whatever the nationality of the person making the will.

If you want to make use of the regulation, a testament olographe with suitable wording is one option for doing this. Appropriate opening wording for a Briton in France to include for these purposes might be as follows, says honorary avocat Gerard Barron (always bearing in mind that for peace of mind it is ideal to be assisted by a notaire):

Je soussigné né (soussignée née if you are a woman) le [insert date] à [insert place of birth], demeurant [current address] ai fait ainsi qu'il suit, mon testament : 

Je révoque tous testaments antérieurs [include this if you wish to annul all previous wills – if not, eg. because a British one is still operational for British property, do not include this wording and preferably take advice from a notaire who has a UK solicitor contact].

Je déclare que je suis de nationalité britannique et né(e) en [insert precise country of birth: eg. Angleterre, Ecosse, Pays de Galles or Irlande du Nord].

Je déclare en conséquence et en vertu du règlement européen relatif à la compétence et à la loi applicable en matière de successions, choisir le droit anglais [or écossais or de l'Irlande du Nord etc] pour régir l’ensemble de ma succession, écartant ainsi expressément le droit français sauf pour ce qui concerne la validité formelle du présent testament, rédigé entièrement de ma main en France où je demeure.

Such wording would then be followed by the bequests you wish to make. The will should then conclude with wording such as: Fait et écrit entièrement de ma main, à [place of signing will], ce [date].

Translation

I, the undersigned, born in.... living at.... have made my last will and testament as follows.

I revoke all previous wills [only include if relevant]. 

I declare that I am of British nationality and born in [...]. I declare that as a result of and by virtue of the European regulation relating to jurisdiction and applicable law in matters of succession, I choose [English/Scottish/Welsh/Northern Irish] law to apply to the whole of my estate, deliberately setting aside French law apart from as concerns the formal validity of this present will, written entirely in my own handwriting in France where I live. Drawn up and written entirely in my own hand, at.... on ....

NOTE: If you are making a French will because you live in the UK and have a property in France, then you would omit the words “en France où je demeure”.