Section 249: Succession to property of foreigner died in Nepal

1) If a foreigner who dies in Nepal has property without an heir in Nepal, a person who performs his or her obsequies or maintains his or her books and accounts shall immediately give notice thereof to the nearby Local Level.

2) If a notice is received pursuant to sub-section (1), the Local Level shall prepare an inventory of the properties of the deceased in witness of at least two local persons and forward the inventory, accompanied by a copy of the memorandum (Muchulka) executed to that effect, to the concerned district level administrative office.

3) If a memorandum, along with the inventory of properties, is received pursuant to sub-section (2), such an office shall immediately give information thereof to the Federal Ministry of Home Affairs.

4) If information referred to in sub-section (3) is received, the Federal Ministry of Home Affairs shall also send a notice, in accordance with law, through the diplomatic channel of the concerned country, to the heir of the dead person to appear to receive the properties of the deceased within four months.

5) If information under sub-section (3) is received upon the death of a citizen of a country having no diplomatic relations with Nepal, the Federal Ministry of Home Affairs shall publish a notice in a national daily English newspaper for receiving such property within six months, and the Federal Ministry of Home Affairs shall also put such notice on its website.

6) If the heir of the deceased appears within the time-limit referred to in sub-section (4) or (5), the property that remains after deducting therefrom the expenses incurred in the performance of obsequies of the dead person or providing such expenses to the person having performed such obsequies, and ten percent of the property, shall be returned to the concerned heir.

7) If no heir of the dead person appears within the time-limit referred to in sub-section (4) or (5) or his or her address is not traced out, the property that remains after providing the expenses incurred in the performance of obsequies of the deceased to the person having performed such obsequies shall devolve on the Local Level.

8) The property received by the Local Level pursuant to this Section shall be used only for public interest.