How to apply for probate in the UK: a step-by-step guide
This guide covers what a grant of probate is, whether you need one at all, the bank thresholds that often decide the question, and the application itself: the steps, the forms, the cost and the timeline.
What is a grant of probate?
A grant of probate is a document issued by the Probate Registry, part of HM Courts and Tribunals Service, confirming that the will is valid and that the named executor has the legal right to administer the estate. Banks will not release large balances without it. Investment platforms will not transfer holdings. The Land Registry will not change property ownership. Once the grant is issued, the executor can collect the assets, pay the debts and any Inheritance Tax, and distribute what remains according to the will.
A grant of probate only applies when the deceased left a valid will naming an executor who is willing and able to act. If there is no will, the nearest entitled relative applies for letters of administration instead. The process and the fee are the same; only the form differs. Our guide on intestacy rules explains who is entitled to apply when there is no will. If you are new to the whole process, start with what is probate.
Do you need probate?
Not every estate needs probate. You usually need a grant if the person owned a house or flat in their sole name or as tenants in common, held shares, stocks or investment accounts in their own name, or held more with a single bank than that bank's own release threshold. Property nearly always requires a grant before it can be sold or transferred, whatever its value.
You can often deal with the estate without a grant if:
Everything was held jointly as joint tenants. Joint bank accounts and property held as joint tenants pass automatically to the surviving owner by survivorship.
All assets had a named beneficiary. A pension or life policy with a nominated beneficiary is paid directly to that person and falls outside probate.
The estate is small, with no property, and every balance sits below each provider's threshold.
Even then, a provider can still ask for a grant at its discretion, particularly with a large balance or a complicated family situation. There is no single national figure. Each bank sets its own limit, and the decision rests with the institution. Applying for probate you did not need is a common and avoidable delay, so settle this question before you start.
How much money can be in the bank before probate is needed?
As of 2026, most major UK banks release balances of up to £50,000 without a grant of probate, and the NatWest Group's limit is around £25,000. Below the threshold, the bank will usually pay out to the executor or next of kin on sight of the death certificate and proof of identity, often with a short declaration form. Above it, a grant is required.
The 2026 thresholds without probate, by bank or banking group, are:
Barclays: £50,000
HSBC: £50,000
Lloyds Banking Group (Lloyds, Halifax, Bank of Scotland, Scottish Widows): £50,000
Santander: £50,000
Nationwide: £50,000
NatWest Group (NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland, Ulster Bank): around £25,000, assessed case by case
Three points matter in practice:
The threshold applies per institution or banking group, not to the estate as a whole. Someone with £40,000 at Barclays and £20,000 at NatWest may fall below the limit at each, even though the combined figure is higher.
Within a group, balances are usually combined. Lloyds, Halifax and Bank of Scotland balances are added together because they sit inside the same group.
The figure is the balance at the date of death. Interest added afterwards does not count towards the threshold.
These limits are commercial decisions and can change without notice, so confirm the current figure with each provider's bereavement team before assuming a grant is or is not needed. The separate statutory small-payments figure of £5,000 is unchanged and sits well below most banks' own thresholds. NS&I and Premium Bonds use their own rules.
What you need before you apply
Four things need to be in place before you start the application.
The death is registered and you have certified copies of the death certificate. Most institutions will not accept a photocopy. For what they cost and where each one goes, see our guide on how many death certificates you need.
You have the original will, not a copy. The Probate Registry keeps the original once the grant is issued.
The estate is valued. Add up everything the deceased owned at the date of death, including their share of joint assets, then subtract mortgages, loans, unpaid bills and funeral costs. The net figure determines whether Inheritance Tax is due and which forms you need. Our guide on how to value an estate for probate walks through it.
The Inheritance Tax position is settled or reported to HMRC. Estates that may have tax to pay need form IHT400 and supporting schedules. For deaths on or after 1 January 2022, simpler estates no longer need form IHT205; the information is reported as part of the probate application itself. If Inheritance Tax is due, it must be paid, or instalments arranged, before the grant will be issued. For the current allowances, see our guide on the inheritance tax threshold.
How to apply for probate online
You apply for probate online through the probate service on GOV.UK. Online is the faster route for most estates. You complete the details, then send the original will and any supporting documents to the address the service gives you. You will need the estate value, the death certificate details, and the Inheritance Tax reference if one applies.
You sign a legal statement confirming the information is true. Take care over the figures and the names. The single biggest cause of rejected applications is small inconsistencies, such as a name on the will that does not exactly match the name on the death certificate.
How to apply for probate by post
To apply by post, you complete form PA1P if there is a will, or form PA1A if there is no will, and send it with the original will, the death certificate and the relevant Inheritance Tax form. The same legal statement and the same fee apply. Paper applications take longer to process than online ones.
How much does probate cost?
As of 13 July 2026, the probate application fee in England and Wales is £526 for estates worth more than £5,000, following the fee increase announced in the court and tribunal fee update for July 2026. The increase went ahead as planned and is confirmed in force on GOV.UK's live probate fees page. There is no fee for estates of £5,000 or less. The fee is flat; it does not rise with the size of the estate. The fee that applies is the one in force on the date the probate service receives your application, so check the current figure on GOV.UK before you submit.
Application, estate over £5,000: £300 before 13 July 2026; £526 from 13 July 2026
Application, estate of £5,000 or less: no fee before 13 July 2026; no fee from 13 July 2026
Extra sealed copy of the grant: £16 before 13 July 2026; £2 from 13 July 2026 when ordered with the application
Order enough sealed copies upfront. Each bank, pension provider and registrar usually requires its own original, and most executors need between 5 and 10 copies.
If you are on a low income or receive certain benefits, you may be able to reduce or remove the fee through the Help with Fees scheme (form EX160).
Solicitor or probate specialist fees are separate. Fixed-fee services start at around £1,000 for straightforward estates. Solicitors charging a percentage of the estate value typically take 1% to 5% plus VAT, which can run into tens of thousands of pounds on larger estates.
How long does probate take?
A straightforward online probate application is currently issued in around 6 to 8 weeks once the application is submitted and any documents received. HM Courts and Tribunals Service aims to issue grants within 16 weeks of receiving a complete application, so build slack into your plans. Paper applications and more complex estates take longer. Errors on the form, missing Inheritance Tax forms and coroner involvement are the common causes of delay. Our guide on how long does probate take sets out each stage and what realistically affects the timeline.
What to do once the grant arrives
The grant of probate is your legal authority to deal with the estate. With the sealed copies, the executor can send a copy to each financial institution to release funds, sell or transfer property, collect investment proceeds, settle debts and the Inheritance Tax balance, and distribute what remains according to the will or the intestacy rules.
This is the point where the volume of work becomes clear. Every organisation the person held an account with needs to be contacted, one at a time, and each has its own bereavement process. Tell Us Once notifies government bodies from a single submission, but it does not cover a single bank, insurer, pension provider or utility. Most estates also have at least one account the family did not know about. Our guide on who to notify when someone dies sets out the full list.
How do you apply for probate in Scotland or Northern Ireland?
The process described here applies to England and Wales. To apply for probate in Scotland, you apply for Confirmation, the Scottish equivalent, through the local Sheriff Court. There is no fee for estates under £36,000, then a sliding scale above that. In Northern Ireland, the document is also called a grant of probate but is administered through the Probate Office in Belfast. The principles match across all three nations; the forms, fees and offices differ.
Notifying everyone once the grant is through
The grant gives you the authority, but it does not do the work. A typical estate touches dozens of organisations, each with its own bereavement form, its own call queue and its own request for the same details you have already given everyone else. Legacy Trail finds the accounts and services the person held and notifies them centrally, so you avoid weeks of repeated phone calls and duplicate paperwork while you handle the rest of the estate.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. For a straightforward estate with no Inheritance Tax to pay and no disputes, many executors apply themselves and pay only the application fee. A solicitor or probate specialist is worth considering where there is property to sell, tax to calculate, business assets, overseas assets, or any disagreement among beneficiaries.
No. A joint account held as joint tenants passes automatically to the surviving holder under the right of survivorship. The bank will usually update the account into the survivor's sole name on sight of the death certificate, without a grant of probate and without freezing the money.
Usually not, if a beneficiary was nominated. A pension with a nominated beneficiary is paid directly to that person and falls outside the estate for probate purposes. Without a nomination in place, the position can be different, so check with the pension provider before assuming a grant is not needed.
Yes. The threshold is a guideline the bank chooses to apply, not a legal rule. A bank can still request a grant of probate below its published figure where the circumstances warrant it, for example a large balance elsewhere in the group or a complicated family situation.
No. The funeral can go ahead before probate. Most banks will release money from the deceased's frozen account directly to the funeral director to cover the invoice, even while the accounts are otherwise frozen, because the funeral is a recognised first call on the estate.
The fee is paid from the estate. In practice an executor may need to cover the fee upfront if the accounts are frozen, then reimburse themselves once funds are released. Some banks will pay the probate fee directly to the Probate Registry from the deceased's account.
Speak to the Probate Registry. A copy may be accepted in limited circumstances, but this adds steps and time. Check with the deceased's solicitor, their bank, and any will-storage service they may have used before assuming the original is lost.
This article is for general information only and does not constitute legal advice. Individual circumstances vary. If you are dealing with an estate, consider taking advice from a solicitor who specialises in probate. For other guidance specific to your circumstances, speak to a funeral director, Citizens Advice, or a regulated financial adviser.