In short
Bitvavo pays out a deceased customer’s account to one heir, to one bank account or one Bitvavo account, after receiving the death certificate, the verklaring van erfrecht and the heir’s ID. The heirs divide it among themselves afterwards. Bitvavo also sends an overview of the balance on the date of death, which the Dutch tax return needs. You can’t take over the account.
Before you start
- The account can’t be taken over. “It is not possible to take over the Bitvavo account of a deceased user” (Bitvavo Support).
- One payee only. “We can transfer the balance to one heir only (one IBAN or one Bitvavo account).” Agree among the heirs who receives it, or let the notary handle it.
- No Bitvavo account is needed if the payout goes to a bank account.
The documents
- The death certificate.
- The verklaring van erfrecht, the notary’s declaration of who the heirs are and who may act.
- A photo of the heir’s valid passport or ID card.
- A photo of the deceased’s passport or ID card, if you have it.
- The email address the deceased used for Bitvavo.
- Where the money should go: an IBAN, or the email address of a verified Bitvavo account.
“If your documents are not in English, German, or Dutch, please provide a certified English translation before we can proceed.” Bitvavo’s page doesn’t mention foreign documents such as a European Certificate of Succession or an Erbschein; ask support before you rely on one.
Through a notary
A notary can claim instead, if the verklaring van erfrecht names them as authorised. The notary sends the death certificate, the verklaring, the deceased’s ID if available, the deceased’s Bitvavo email address and the IBAN for the payment.
Step by step
- Contact Bitvavo support by email at [email protected], or by chat in the app or at support.bitvavo.com, and send the documents (how to contact Bitvavo).
- Bitvavo checks the documents and transfers the balance.
- You receive an overview of the balance, the transaction history and confirmation that the account is closed.
Bitvavo takes no inbound phone calls. Its support aims to reply within 24 hours; the estate process itself has no published timeline.
What the estate receives
The payout is in euros: “The actual amount of euros you receive will depend on the value of the funds on the day we transfer them to you.” Bitvavo’s page doesn’t say whether crypto can be moved in kind to the heir’s Bitvavo account; if that matters to you, ask before the transfer.
The value on the payment day can differ a lot from the value on the date of death. For the Dutch inheritance tax return, use the overview: “The balance overview reflects the account on the date of passing, as this is needed for filing taxes.” See Crypto inheritance in the Netherlands.
Good to know
- Bitvavo says it “will never ask you to share passwords, 2FA codes, or install remote access software” (Bitvavo). If it ever calls, it books the call first by email from an @bitvavo.com address. Type bitvavo.com yourself rather than clicking search results. Recovery scams.
- Crypto sent out of Bitvavo earlier isn’t in the account. The transaction history shows withdrawals to outside wallets; those coins need the deceased’s own wallet and seed. Found a hardware wallet or seed phrase?