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:
Without an international will, your foreign assets may be subject to intestacy laws in that country — meaning the local government decides how they are distributed, not you. In some countries this process takes years and costs a significant portion of the estate.
An international will is a will 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, BC, Alberta, or most other provinces has a legally recognized form in all signatory countries.
The Convention standardizes the formal requirements for the will — signatures, witnesses, the authorized person (a notary or lawyer) who certifies it. This certificate is what makes the will recognizable across borders without needing to be re-proved in each jurisdiction.
In addition to the Convention framework, Willbeing structures the substantive provisions of your will to reflect the inheritance laws and requirements of your target country.
Willbeing has priority templates and country-specific guidance for:
Any country not listed is available on request. We work through the requirements with you before preparing the document.
Depending on the target country, your international will may need to be apostilled, notarized, or legalized through the country's embassy in Canada.
An apostille is a certificate issued under the Hague Apostille Convention that authenticates the document for use in another signatory country. Canada joined the Hague Apostille Convention in 2024, significantly simplifying the process for Canadians with foreign assets.
Countries that are not Hague signatories require legalization — a multi-step process through Global Affairs Canada and the target country's embassy. Willbeing guides you through whichever process applies and can arrange apostille services where required.
Yes, and in many cases it is the right approach. A primary Canadian will covers your Canadian assets. A separate international will (or country-specific will) covers your foreign assets.
Having two wills is cleaner than a single will trying to address multiple jurisdictions. It avoids the risk that probating your Canadian will triggers a review of your entire global estate in every country where you have 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.
These are the international estate planning mistakes we see most often:
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 and $249.99 for a will and international power of attorney.
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. We advise on apostille, notarization, and any local steps that may be required.