PRIA Logo™
Title 22 — Foreign Relations and IntercourseRelease 119-73not60

§4197 Following Testamentary Directions; Assistance to Testamentary Appointee

Title 22 › Chapter 52— FOREIGN SERVICE › Subchapter XIV— POWERS, DUTIES AND LIABILITIES OF CONSULAR OFFICERS GENERALLY › § 4197

Last updated Apr 5, 2026|Official source

Summary

When a U.S. citizen dies in another country and leaves legal instructions about their personal property there, the U.S. consular officer — or a diplomatic officer if no consul is available — must follow those instructions as far as the foreign country’s laws allow and if they do not conflict with U.S. law. If the citizen named someone else to take care of the property, the officer must help that person when asked. The officer should protect the property, seal it with an official mark, and only break that seal at the request of the person the deceased named, as allowed by local law or treaty.

Full Legal Text

Title 22, §4197

Foreign Relations and Intercourse — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

When a citizen of the United States dies in a foreign country and leaves, by any lawful testamentary disposition, special directions for the custody and management, by the consular officer, or in his absence a diplomatic officer, within whose jurisdiction the death occurred, of the personal property in the foreign country which he possessed at the time of death, such officer shall, so far as the laws of the foreign country permit, strictly observe such directions if not contrary to the laws of the United States. If such citizen has named, by any lawful testamentary disposition, any other person than a consular officer or diplomatic officer to take charge of and manage such property, it shall be the duty of the officer, whenever required by the person so named, to give his official aid in whatever way may be practicable to facilitate the proceedings of such person in the lawful execution of his trust, and, so far as the laws of the country or treaty provisions permit, to protect the property of the deceased from any interference by the authorities of the country where such citizen died. To this end it shall be the duty of the consular officer, or if no consular officer is present a diplomatic officer, to safeguard the decedent’s property by placing thereon his official seal and to break and remove such seal only upon the request of the person designated by the deceased to take charge of and manage his property.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Codification R.S. § 1711 derived from act Aug. 18, 1856, ch. 127, § 28, 11 Stat. 63. Section was not enacted as part of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 which comprises this chapter. Section was formerly classified to section 1177 of this title, and prior thereto to section 77 of this title.

Amendments

1940—Act July 12, 1940, amended section generally.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

22 U.S.C. § 4197

Title 22 — Foreign Relations and Intercourse

Last Updated

Apr 5, 2026

Release point: 119-73not60