China Expands One-Stop Inquiry System for Deceased Estates Nationwide

China is expanding a "one-stop" financial account inquiry service for deceased individuals nationwide, following pilot programs in Zhejiang province and Qingdao, according to a joint notice by the National Financial Regulatory Administration, the Ministry of Civil Affairs, and the Ministry of Justice reported by People's Daily Online. The system allows bereaved relatives to check banking and insurance holdings through integrated municipal government platforms and simplifies withdrawals for qualifying small-sum deposits, tackling long-standing administrative burdens involving extensive paperwork and multiple agency visits.

Bereaved families in China have historically faced significant friction when identifying and claiming deceased relatives' financial assets, often encountering procedural barriers or notarization costs that could exceed the value of small dormant bank deposits. Standardizing cross-agency data access across commercial banks and insurers lowers compliance costs for citizens while preventing unclaimed assets from lingering indefinitely in financial institutions.

China is rolling out a unified, "one-stop" inquiry service nationwide to help families locate and claim the financial assets of deceased relatives, People's Daily Online reported. The initiative expands on pilot mechanisms developed in Zhejiang province and the coastal city of Qingdao. It was formalized through a joint circular issued by the General Office of the National Financial Regulatory Administration, the General Office of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, and the General Office of the Ministry of Justice. Under the pilot model, municipal authorities in Zhejiang and Qingdao established "post-mortem personal affairs" service modules built on local digital government platforms. These systems coordinate multiple government departments to incorporate posthumous financial matters into a single administrative pipeline. The mechanism enables heirs to conduct comprehensive inquiries into a deceased individual's banking and insurance holdings in one place. It also facilitates the streamlined withdrawal of eligible small-sum bank deposits, resolving persistent complaints over redundant paperwork, evidentiary burdens, and the need to visit multiple financial institutions in person. The three central government agencies designated the Zhejiang and Qingdao practices as templates for national adoption. According to the notice, regions with mature government data-sharing infrastructure and strong inter-departmental coordination capabilities are encouraged to spearhead local implementation. Local authorities adopting the model must draft detailed implementation blueprints, establish clear departmental divisions of responsibility, secure necessary administrative funding, and optimize inter-agency collaboration. The directive also mandates strict compliance with legal frameworks governing data security, requiring robust controls over data acquisition, usage, transmission, and storage throughout the inquiry process. The central authorities stated that they will oversee provincial rollouts to ensure measures are adapted to local circumstances while continually optimizing public service efficiency.