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Farra is a death administration assistant for UK families. Get step-by-step guidance for registering a death, applying for probate, notifying banks, and managing bereavement admin. From essential documents to practical checklists, Farra simplifies estate paperwork and funeral-related tasks so you can focus on what matters.
Yes. There is no requirement to be UK-resident to apply for probate. As a non-resident executor, you can handle the whole process remotely. Since 2018 there is no oath to swear in person — you confirm a statement of truth as part of the application — so the main differences are postal delays and dealing with UK banks and assets from overseas.
Before starting the probate process, it is worth confirming that probate is actually required. Not every estate needs it.
Assets held in joint names — a joint bank account or a property owned as joint tenants, for example — pass automatically to the surviving owner by right of survivorship. No probate is needed for these. Small estates where all assets were held solely by the deceased may also fall below the threshold banks set before they require a grant of probate, which is typically £5,000–£50,000 depending on the institution.
Probate is most commonly needed when the deceased owned UK property in their sole name, held bank or investment accounts above the relevant threshold, or owned shares registered solely in their name.
For a full breakdown of when probate is and is not required, see our guide: Do you need probate in the UK?
Any individual named as executor in a valid UK will can take on that role, regardless of where they live or their nationality. There is no legal requirement to be a UK citizen or UK resident to apply for probate.
Foreign nationals are equally entitled to act as executor. Executors based in Australia, the USA, Singapore, Canada, the UAE, or anywhere else have the same legal standing as those based in the UK.
Where the deceased died without a will (intestate), the nearest relative is typically entitled to apply for letters of administration rather than a grant of probate. The same principles apply — residence and nationality are not barriers.
Multiple executors
If there are multiple executors named in the will, not all of them need to apply. One or more can apply whilst others formally reserve their power (known as ‘power reserved’). This is a useful option if some executors are overseas and one is based in the UK.
The probate process for an overseas executor follows the same fundamental steps as for a UK-based executor, but with some additional logistical arrangements at each stage.
You will need the original death certificate (or certified copies — order at least five), the original will, and your own identification documents. If the death was registered in England or Wales, you can order additional certified copies of the death certificate from the General Register Office by post or online.
If documents need to travel internationally, use tracked and insured courier services. Never send original documents via standard post.
You need an accurate valuation of all UK assets as at the date of death. For UK property, you can instruct a local UK estate agent or RICS-qualified surveyor remotely — most will conduct a valuation and send a written report without you needing to be present.
For UK bank and investment accounts, write to each institution with a copy of the death certificate and request a date-of-death valuation. Most banks will provide this by post or email. Keep records of all valuations as they will be needed for the IHT forms.
For deaths on or after 1 January 2022 there is no short-form IHT return. Most estates are excepted estatesand simply report their headline figures as part of the online probate application (PA1P) — there is no separate IHT form to complete. You only complete a full form IHT400, along with any relevant supplementary schedules, if the estate is not excepted — broadly where inheritance tax is due, the estate isn't covered by the spouse or charity exemption, or there are trusts, significant lifetime gifts or foreign assets.
The IHT400 deadline is 6 months from the date of death. Missing this deadline results in interest charges and potential penalties. If in doubt, submit early even if the figures are provisional.
This step is now the same for overseas and UK-based executors. The old requirement to swear the executor's oath in person before a solicitor, notary or consulate was abolished in 2018. Instead, you confirm a statement of truth as part of the application, verifying that the information you have given is correct.
For an online application via MyHMCTS this is confirmed electronically; for a postal PA1P you sign the statement of truth on the form itself. There is no appointment to arrange and no in-person swearing — a significant simplification for executors living abroad.
The probate application (form PA1P if there is a will, or PA1A if there is no will) can be submitted online via the MyHMCTS portal or by post to the Probate Registry. Online applications are generally faster to process.
You will need to pay the £300 court fee (for estates over £5,000) at the time of application. This can be paid by debit or credit card online, or by cheque if applying by post.
Once the Probate Registry has processed your application — which takes roughly 6–12 weeks — they will issue the grant of probate and return the original will. Order multiple certified copies of the grant (at £16 each) at the time of application. You will need to send copies to banks, the Land Registry, and other institutions when collecting assets.
With the grant in hand, you can close bank accounts, transfer or sell property, claim insurance payouts, and distribute assets to beneficiaries — all from abroad. Property sales require appointing a UK conveyancing solicitor. Many banks accept instructions by post or email. Allow more time than you would if you were based in the UK, as postal correspondence with UK institutions can be slow.
You may still see older guidance referring to swearing the executor's oath in person before a solicitor, notary or consulate. That requirement was abolished in 2018. It has been replaced by a statement of truth — a declaration, confirmed as part of the probate application, that the information you have given is true and that you will administer the estate faithfully.
For overseas executors this is a significant simplification. There is no appointment to arrange with a UK notary or British Consulate and no in-person attendance. If you apply online via MyHMCTS you confirm the statement of truth electronically; if you apply by post using form PA1P, you sign the statement of truth printed on the form itself.
The original will still travels
The Probate Registry needs the original will — not a copy — sent to it as part of the application. If you do not yet have the original, contact the solicitor who drafted it or the National Will Register. Send it by a tracked, insured postal service and keep a certified copy for your own records, as posting original documents from abroad carries a risk of loss or delay.
Because there is no oath appointment to book, the main sources of delay for overseas executors are simply the post — getting the original will and any supporting documents to the Registry — and the extra time UK banks and institutions take to respond to correspondence from abroad. Allow generous margins for both.
The inheritance tax rules are the same whether the executor is based in the UK or overseas. What changes is the practical challenge of meeting deadlines and paying the tax when you do not have direct access to UK bank accounts.
IHT400 must be submitted to HMRC within 6 months of the date of death. If the death occurred on 15 January, the deadline is 15 July. Interest accrues on any unpaid tax from the 6-month anniversary of death onwards, regardless of whether probate has been granted.
This creates a chicken-and-egg problem. You need probate to access the deceased's bank accounts, but you need to pay the tax before probate is granted. There are two main solutions:
HMRC requires a UK bank account for repayments
If HMRC owes the estate a refund (for example, if the estate is later valued lower than originally declared), HMRC will only repay to a UK bank account. If the estate has no UK account remaining open at that point, you will need to arrange one. This is a frequently overlooked issue for overseas executors.
For a full explanation of inheritance tax rates, thresholds, and exemptions, see our UK inheritance tax guide 2026/27.
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Instructing a UK probate solicitor is entirely optional for most estates, but it becomes a more sensible option when you are managing things from abroad and the estate is not straightforward.
Typical cost: £300–£800 (court fees + valuations + death certificates)
Typical cost: £2,000–£5,000+ depending on complexity
A UK probate solicitor can handle the entire process on your behalf — from valuing the estate to distributing assets — with minimal input required from you. Many are accustomed to working with overseas executors and can manage document signing by post or with electronic signatures where permitted.
For more detail on the costs and process of applying for probate, see how to apply for probate in the UK and our complete UK probate guide 2026.
If you are finding it difficult to manage the practical side of estate administration from overseas, you can grant a power of attorney to someone in the UK to act on your behalf for specific tasks.
Important limitation: a person holding your power of attorney cannot apply for probate in your name. The probate application must be made by the executor personally. However, once probate is granted and you have the authority, you can then instruct an attorney to deal with banks, manage the property, handle post, and carry out other practical tasks on your behalf.
A power of attorney granted abroad may need to be apostilled (a form of international certification) before UK institutions will accept it. Check with each institution in advance, as requirements vary.
These are the issues that most commonly cause delays and complications for executors managing UK probate from abroad.
Missing the IHT400 deadline
The 6-month deadline from date of death is easy to miss when you're dealing with grief, time-zone differences, and postal delays. Calendar the deadline immediately on being notified of the death. For deaths on or after 1 January 2022 there is no separate IHT205 form — an excepted (non-taxable) estate reports its figures within the probate application itself, while a full IHT400 is only needed where the estate is not excepted.
Not ordering enough death certificate copies
Each institution — bank, building society, investment platform, pension provider — typically requires its own certified copy. Order at least eight to ten copies at the outset. Additional copies can be ordered later from the GRO, but this adds weeks of delay.
Assuming you must attend in person to swear an oath
Older guidance still refers to swearing the executor's oath before a UK notary or British Consulate. That requirement was abolished in 2018 — you now confirm a statement of truth as part of the application, with no in-person appointment. Don't waste time and money booking one.
Forgetting that HMRC requires a UK bank account for repayments
If HMRC owes the estate money — because the estate was overvalued, for example — it can only make payments to a UK bank account. Keep at least one UK account open throughout the administration, even if it holds a minimal balance.
Underestimating timescales
UK institutions are not accustomed to the pace of digital communication that overseas executors may expect. Many banks and solicitors still communicate primarily by post. Build in additional weeks for every stage of the process.
Was the deceased also a non-UK resident?
If the deceased lived outside the UK, different inheritance tax rules may apply depending on their domicile status. See our companion guide: UK inheritance tax when the deceased was a non-UK resident.
Closing UK bank accounts from abroad
Once you have the grant of probate, you will need to contact each UK bank and building society to close accounts and transfer funds. See our guide: how to close UK bank accounts after a death from abroad.
Yes. Residency and nationality are irrelevant to your legal entitlement to act as executor. Any person named in a valid UK will can take on the role. Since 2018 there is no oath to swear in person — you confirm a statement of truth as part of the application — so the practical steps can all be handled from overseas.
No. The entire probate application can be submitted online or by post from abroad. There is no longer any oath to swear in person — you confirm a statement of truth as part of the application, so there is no appointment to attend at a notary or consulate.
Expect the process from submitting your application to receiving the grant to take 12–20 weeks, compared to 8–16 weeks for UK-based executors. Allow additional time at every stage for postal delays and institutional processing times. If inheritance tax is due, the overall timeline extends further.
IHT400 must be submitted within 6 months of death, and at least some tax must be paid before probate is granted. If you can't access estate funds, use the HMRC Direct Payment Scheme — most UK banks will pay inheritance tax directly from the deceased's account to HMRC on your instruction.
A local solicitor in your country cannot apply for UK probate on your behalf — only a UK-qualified solicitor or the executor personally can do this. However, a local lawyer can assist with notarisation, document preparation, and advice on any local tax implications.
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