What happens to your digital accounts when you die (EU guide)

There is no single EU rule that unlocks every account

For many cross-border estates, the EU Succession Regulation helps determine which country’s law applies and which authorities handle the inheritance. The usual starting point is the deceased person’s habitual residence, with a possible choice of the law of their nationality. Denmark and Ireland do not participate in these EU succession rules. Inheritance tax is a separate national question.

That framework does not create a universal right to log into every service. Local succession law, contracts, the nature of an asset and other people’s rights may all matter. An account may contain inheritable property without its login being transferable. For valuable assets, several countries or a disputed estate, ask a local notary or succession lawyer rather than relying on a generic checklist.

Privacy does not simply disappear

GDPR Recital 27 says the Regulation does not apply to the personal data of deceased people, while allowing member states to provide their own rules. That is not permission for anyone to read their messages. A conversation also contains information about living people, and confidentiality, national law and provider policies may still restrict what can be disclosed.

Decide what your family actually needs. A folder of insurance documents and a selected photo archive may be useful; an unrestricted mailbox may reveal private material about friends or colleagues. You can ask for some records to be passed on, others deleted and some decisions left to your representative. Be clear about preferences without promising that a provider must follow every instruction.

Use the provider’s tools while you can

Apple’s Legacy Contact feature lets you choose someone who can request certain account data after your death. They generally need the access key and a death certificate, although documentation requirements vary by country or region. It does not provide everything: purchased media and subscriptions, passwords, passkeys and payment information stored in iCloud Keychain are excluded.

Google’s Inactive Account Manager is different. You choose an inactivity period and decide which contacts should receive selected data or notifications. It responds to inactivity, not proof of death, so consider extended travel or illness when choosing settings. Without a plan, Google may review requests from relatives or representatives, but it does not provide passwords or other login details.

Other providers have their own memorialisation, closure and disclosure processes. Read the current official instructions for each important service. Make sure the people you choose understand their role and know where to find any required access document.

Create an inventory, not a password spreadsheet

Start with the accounts whose loss would create the most difficulty: primary email, cloud storage, mobile service, banking, investment platforms, domains, subscriptions and any business tools. Record the provider, account identifier, purpose and where relevant documents are kept. Note recurring payments and who should contact the provider. Leave actual passwords and recovery secrets out of this general list.

For each entry, choose a simple intention: preserve selected material, request a lawful transfer, memorialise, cancel or close. Include a second contact in case your first choice is unavailable. If an employer owns an account or device, identify the organisation’s contact rather than treating it as personal property. Do not include confidential work files in a family archive.

Keep legal authority and technical access separate

A will can identify beneficiaries and appoint the appropriate representative under local law. It does not necessarily bypass a provider’s security process. Likewise, possessing a phone or password does not automatically establish legal authority. Your representative may need identity documents, proof of death and evidence of their role before a provider reviews a request.

Keep sensitive access arrangements separate from the will itself. Depending on the jurisdiction and procedure, estate documents can be disclosed to other people. A lawyer can help reference a separate, securely maintained inventory without placing reusable secrets in a document that may circulate. Review the arrangement whenever you move country, change your representative or acquire a significant new asset.

If you are helping after someone has died

You do not have to solve every account at once. Locate any existing instructions and speak with the estate’s authorised representative. Preserve devices and important paperwork safely, avoid resetting or disposing of them immediately, and do not guess passwords or approve unexpected security prompts. For essential bills and financial accounts, use the institution’s bereavement or estate process.

Request copies of important material before asking a provider to close an account, because closure can affect later retrieval. Keep a record of requests and documents supplied. Never send death certificates, identity papers or account details to an unsolicited message claiming to be support; find the official provider website independently.

A manageable first step this week

Choose five important accounts, write down what you want to happen to each, and set up one provider’s legacy feature. Tell a trusted person where the inventory lives, without handing them all your credentials. Put a reminder in your calendar to review it annually and after major life changes.

The aim is not to remove every uncertainty. It is to leave your family a lawful, understandable starting point so they are not searching through years of digital life without knowing what matters.