Who inherits without a will in Kazakhstan?
In Kazakhstan 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. A child who has died is replaced by their own children.
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 inherit only if there is no first-rank heir.
No spouse: who comes next
Heirs are called in ranks, a nearer rank excluding a farther one: first, the children and the parents; then the siblings and the grandparents; then the uncles and aunts; and so on. If there is no heir, the estate passes to the state.
A partner who is not married
An unmarried partner does not inherit by law. They inherit only if there is a will.
What a will cannot take away
Some close relatives, such as minor or disabled children and dependants, have a protected share that a will cannot take away. The size is set in the civil code.
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
Kazakhstan 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 Kazakhstan legal-system profile in the Legal Families Atlas →
Who owns what in a marriage in Kazakhstan? →
Official sources
Take it further
The family and property rules of a European country in one PDF, with questions for a local lawyer.
A complete, editable will in Word and PDF.
Keep property out of probate, with clear fill-in fields.
How trusts work and why courts enforce them.
A short PDF reference book with self-check questions.
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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.
