If you own property, assets, or bank accounts outside Canada, a standard Canadian will may not be sufficient to transfer them. An international will — drafted and executed in Canada but structured to be recognized abroad — protects your estate across borders.
You likely need an international will if any of the following apply:
An international will is structured to comply with the Convention Providing a Uniform Law on the Form of an International Will (the Washington Convention). Canada's common law provinces are signatories, meaning an international will executed in Ontario or BC has a legally recognized form in all signatory countries.
The Convention standardizes the formal requirements — signatures, witnesses, the authorized person (a notary or lawyer) who certifies it. This certificate is what makes the will recognizable across borders.
Yes, and in many cases it is the right approach. A primary Canadian will covers your Canadian assets. A separate international will covers your foreign assets.
Each will should explicitly state which assets it covers and should not accidentally revoke the other. Willbeing drafts international wills with this co-existence language built in.
Willbeing is the only online will platform in Canada that offers international wills. Our International Will package starts at $149.99 for a single will.
After completing the questionnaire we prepare a Washington Convention-compliant will executed by a Canada Notary authorized person, with country-specific provisions for your target jurisdiction.