Legislative Proposal No. 272, adopted by Monaco’s National Council on 6 November 2025, seeks to modernise certain provisions of Monaco’s Private International Law Code relating to succession and lifetime gifts in an international context.
The proposal is intended in particular to clarify a number of rules applicable to cross-border wealth transmission.
Succession: reaffirming the unity of the applicable law
In succession matters, the proposal would remove the provision referring to the deceased’s national law for the purposes of determining forced heirship protection.
This would reaffirm the principle that a single law governs the succession as a whole.
The proposal would also clarify the powers of Monaco’s courts to take the steps necessary to administer an estate in certain international situations, irrespective of the law governing the succession.
Lifetime gifts: clarification of the applicable law
The proposal also addresses the rules governing lifetime gifts.
It would clarify how the applicable law is determined and provide expressly for Monaco law to govern gifts of real estate located in the Principality.
The text would also clarify Monaco’s international public policy exception, while taking account of rights lawfully acquired abroad.
A reform still in the legislative process
On 7 May 2026, the Prince’s Government confirmed its support for converting the legislative proposal into a government bill.
The bill must be submitted by 10 May 2027.
At this stage, the proposed measures are not yet in force.
Their final scope will depend on the future government bill and the subsequent legislative process.