Whether you want to hand over your account to a family member or need to take over the account of a loved one who has passed away, this article walks you through both scenarios.
Scenario 1: Transferring your own account to another person
If you want to give someone else full control of your MyHeritage account, the process depends on what level of access you'd like them to have.
Granting site manager or editor access
You can invite a family member or trusted person to your family site and assign them manager-level privileges, which allows them to make changes to your tree, manage members, and more.
Note: If you need a full ownership transfer (not just shared access), please contact our Support team and we'll assist you directly. Our team will guide you through the process and may ask you to verify your identity.
Scenario 2: Taking over or closing the account of a deceased family member
We are sincerely sorry for your loss. We understand this is a difficult time, and we want to make managing your loved one's digital presence as easy as possible.
Please click on the relevant title below to open the collapsible instructions.
✅ I already have access to the account
✅ I already have access to the account
Your options
1. Transfer ownership — Gain access to the account and keep the website running.
2. Close the account — Permanently delete the site and all its data.
1. Transfer ownership
If you have already have access to the account and email address, you can take over the account by changing the account profile to your own and making yourself the home person of the tree. Making yourself the home person will open your own profile in the family tree by default and display the relationships in the family tree from your point of view.
You can find instructions in the following articles:
2. Close the account
If you already have access to the account and email address, you can delete the account and all its data on your own. You can find instructions here: How do I delete my account on MyHeritage?
Don't know the password of your loved one? You can reset the password, log back in and then proceed with the account deletion.
❌ I have no access to the account yet
❌ I have no access to the account yet
Who can submit this request?
This request can only be submitted by a first-degree relative (spouse, sibling, parent, child) or a legal heir.
What you can request
Transfer ownership — Gain access to the account and keep the website running.
Close the account — Permanently delete the site and all its data.
How to submit a request
To protect the account's security, please contact our Support team. To help us assist you quickly, please include:
The registered email address associated with your family member's MyHeritage account.
The death certificate.
Don't know the registered email address? Please mention this when contacting us — our team will do their best to locate the account using other details you can provide.
If there is DNA on the account
If the account includes a DNA kit, you will also need to provide:
A legal document confirming you are the legal heir, such as a marriage certificate (if you are the spouse) or a legal heir certificate.
⚠️ A birth certificate alone is not sufficient to confirm legal heir status.
A copy of your personal ID (to confirm your identity as the person who contacted us).
Let us know if you wish to take over or close the account.
In case you wish to take over the account, please also provide us with the email address you used to create your own MyHeritage account (if you don’t have one yet, please create one). This is necessary in order to transfer the account of your loved one to you.
Our team will review your request and guide you through the final steps to ensure the transition is handled with care.
📋Before you contact us - document checklist
✅ Death certificate
✅ Registered email address of the account (if known)
✅ If DNA is on the account: Legal heir document (e.g. marriage certificate or legal heir certificate)
✅ If DNA is on the account: A copy of your personal ID
✅ If taking over the account: Your own MyHeritage account email address