What documents do I need for probate?

• To apply for probate in England and Wales, you’ll normally need the original will and any codicils, details from the death certificate, information about everything the person owned and owed, and the estate’s Inheritance Tax figures.
• What you actually need to send depends on how you apply. Online applicants with a will usually need to send the original will after completing the application. 
• If you apply by post with a will, you’ll need to send the original will and official death certificate with your application.

To apply for probate, you’ll normally need the original will, details from the death certificate and a clear picture of what the person owned and owed when they died. You’ll also need to work out the estate’s Inheritance Tax position.

It can feel like a lot of paperwork, especially if you’ve never dealt with an estate before. But you won’t necessarily need to send everything to the Probate Registry. Some documents are important for the application itself, while others help you work out the value of the estate for Inheritance Tax purposes.

Whether you decide to apply by post or online, the idea is that the documents will prove that you have the legal authority to deal with the estate. Once the Probate Registry confirms this, you’ll be issued a new document saying so, known as a Grant of Probate.

Documents you may need to send to the Probate Registry include:

• The original will and any codicils (edits made to the original will after writing), if there is a will
• An official death certificate if you’re making a postal application with a will
• A copy of the death certificate if the death occurred outside England or Wales, or you have an interim death certificate from the coroner
• Form PA1P if there’s a will or PA1A if there isn’t, if you’re applying on paper

Information you may need to gather alongside this include:

• The person’s full name, address and dates of birth and death
• Values for bank accounts, property, investments, pensions and other assets on the date they died
• Details of debts, including any mortgage, loans, credit cards, household bills and funeral costs
• The estate’s Inheritance Tax figures or an IHT400 form, depending on the estate
• The unique code HMRC sends you if you need to report the full estate to HMRC
• Contact details for anyone applying with you
• A way to pay the probate application fee, if you need to pay one

What documents do you need to send for probate?

The documents you need to send for probate depend on whether you apply online or by post.

If you apply online

If you apply for probate online and there’s a will, you’ll normally complete the application and pay any fee, then send the original will to HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS).

All you need to do is follow the instructions you’re given as part of your online application. 

Importantly, the original will becomes part of the public probate record and won’t normally be sent back to you, so it’s a good idea to make a copy before sending it.

GOV.UK also says you’ll need a copy of the death certificate if the person died outside England or Wales or you have an interim death certificate from the coroner.

You can apply for probate online through GOV.UK.

If you apply by post

If you apply by post, you’ll need to complete form PA1P if there’s a will or PA1A if there isn’t.

Paper applications take longer to process, so GOV.UK recommends applying online if you can.

For a postal application where there is a will, you’ll need to send:

• Your PA1P form
• The original will and any codicils
• The official death certificate
• Payment for the fee, if you need to pay one

You can find the latest PA1P form here. If there isn’t a will, you can find the PA1A form here.

When do you need to send a death certificate?

You don’t always need to send a death certificate. But if you’re applying by post and there is a will, HMCTS asks you to send the official death certificate with your application.

For online applications, GOV.UK says you’ll need a copy of the death certificate if the person died outside England or Wales or you have an interim death certificate from the coroner.

You’ll probably still need copies of the death certificate to use in other situations. For example, banks, pension companies and insurers may ask for one before they’ll share information or close accounts.

If you need another copy, you can order a death certificate through the General Register Office. Certificates currently cost £12.50 in England and Wales.

Why does the Probate Registry need the original will?

The Probate Registry needs the original will because it becomes part of the official probate record.

Photocopies aren’t normally accepted in place of the original, so it’s a good idea to make a few copies for yourself before sending it.

Any codicils need to be sent with the will too, as they form part of the person’s final wishes.

If you only have a copy of the will rather than the original, it may still be possible to apply for probate, but you’ll need to explain what has happened to the original. GOV.UK has a page around guidance for probate applications where the original will has been lost, which you can read in more detail. 

If there is no will at all, the process is different. The person dealing with the estate applies for Letters of Administration instead, and our guide on what happens if there is no will explains who can apply in more detail.

What information do you need to value the estate?

To value the estate, you need to work out what the person owned and what they owed on the date they died.

Our guide to what makes up a person’s estate explains what normally needs to be included.

You won’t necessarily send all of this paperwork to the Probate Registry, but you’ll need the figures for the probate application.

For most estates, that means gathering:

• Bank and building society accounts: statements or letters showing how much was in each account when the person died
• Property: a valuation of properties owned and details of any mortgage still owed
• Investments and savings: valuations for shares, funds, ISAs and Premium Bonds
• Pensions and life insurance: information from each company, as some payments may go directly to a person rather than forming part of the estate
• Personal items: realistic values for possessions, with professional valuations where needed for valuable items
• Debts: balances for any mortgage, loans, credit cards and other debts, as well as relevant funeral costs

This may feel overwhelming, especially if you are dealing with an estate that has a lot of moving parts. GOV.UK has a step-by-step guide to valuing an estate for probate and Inheritance Tax if you’re not sure which figures you need.

Which Inheritance Tax form do you need for probate?

Most estates don’t need a separate Inheritance Tax form before probate. If the estate qualifies as an “excepted estate”, you can normally just report the values as part of the probate application.

If you need to report the full details of the estate to HMRC, you’ll need to complete an IHT400.

When do you need an IHT400?

You’ll need to complete an IHT400 form if Inheritance Tax is due or the estate doesn’t qualify as an excepted estate.

An excepted estate is one where you don’t need to send HMRC a full Inheritance Tax account, but you still may have to send over figures for them to look into.

If you do need an IHT400, it must be sent to HMRC within 12 months of the death and before you apply for probate.

HMRC will send you a unique code that you’ll need for your probate application. You can find the current IHT400 form on GOV.UK.

Do you have to pay Inheritance Tax before probate?

If Inheritance Tax is due on the estate, you’ll normally need to start paying it before probate can be granted.

Inheritance Tax is generally due by the end of the sixth month after the person died. For example, if they died in January, the tax would normally be due by 31 July. Our guide on when Inheritance Tax is due explains this in more detail.

Tax on certain assets, including property, can sometimes be paid in instalments. Banks, building societies and some investment companies may also be able to pay Inheritance Tax directly to HMRC from the person’s accounts through the Direct Payment Scheme, using form IHT423.

The difficulty comes when the estate is worth a lot on paper but doesn’t have much cash available.

For example, an estate might be worth £900,000, but if most of that value is tied up in a house and there’s only £20,000 in the bank, finding the money to pay a big Inheritance Tax bill can be difficult. As an executor, you may be responsible for dealing with that bill even though you can’t yet access much of the estate’s value.

Provira’s Estate Advance can give executors access to up to 50% of the net value of an estate to help pay Inheritance Tax and other estate costs, without personal guarantees, personal credit checks or a charge over their own home.

Find out more about our Inheritance Tax loans.

How much does it cost to apply for probate?

It currently costs £526 to apply for probate in England and Wales if the estate is worth more than £5,000. There is no application fee if the estate is worth £5,000 or less.

You may also want extra official copies of the grant, as banks and other organisations can ask for these. Extra copies currently cost £2 each if you order them when you submit your application. If you need more copies after you’ve submitted it, they cost £16 each.

You can check the latest probate fees on GOV.UK before applying.

How Provira can help

Provira’s Estate Advance can give executors access to up to 50% of an estate’s net value when there are costs to pay but the estate’s money is still tied up.

This can happen before probate is granted. Inheritance Tax, professional fees and costs associated with looking after an estate property may all need dealing with while much of the estate’s value is still tied up in property or other assets.

With an Estate Advance, there are:

• No monthly repayments
• No personal guarantees
• No personal credit checks
• No charges over your own home. 

We charge simple rather than compound interest, and there are no early repayment fees if the estate is able to pay sooner than expected.

Before you decide anything, our compassionate team are on hand to explain how much the estate could access, what the advance would cost and how repayment works. If an Estate Advance isn’t right for you, we’ll tell you that too.

Get in touch with Provira today to find out how we can help.