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.
This guide has not been checked against its sources
We re-checked our most-read guides against GOV.UK and the other official sources in September 2026. This one was not among them, so nobody has confirmed its figures, deadlines or process steps since it was written. Treat it as a starting point and confirm anything that matters on GOV.UK before you act on it.
Only at £50,000 or above. Virgin Money asks for an original or certified copy of a grant of probate, letters of administration or a certificate of confirmation “if the balance of their Virgin Money accounts or Virgin Money Unit Trust Managers accounts (if they had an investment or pension with us) is £50,000 or more”. Below that, Virgin Money sends you a form to complete instead.
£50,000, and Virgin Money publishes it. The figure covers the balance of the Virgin Money accounts, including Virgin Money Unit Trust Managers accounts where there was an investment or pension. Below it, Virgin Money will not ask for a Grant of Probate. This is Virgin Money's own commercial policy rather than a legal rule, so check the current figure on its bereavement page before relying on it.
Virgin Money names the Scottish document explicitly: a certificate of confirmation is accepted in place of a grant of probate or letters of administration.
It was CYBG plc — the holding company for Clydesdale Bank and Yorkshire Bank — that bought Virgin Money in 2018 and then took the Virgin Money name, and Nationwide Building Society acquired Virgin Money in 2024. Virgin Money still asks whether the account was originally opened with Clydesdale or Yorkshire Bank, because a different team handles those. Nationwide accounts are dealt with separately: Virgin Money's own page says that if the person also held a Nationwide account you need to tell Nationwide too. For a comparison of thresholds across all major UK banks, see our probate threshold guide for 2026–27.
When notifying Virgin Money of a bereavement, you will typically need:
For estates above £50,000, Virgin Money requires the original Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration. Ensure you obtain sufficient certified copies when the grant is issued.
Virgin Money's bereavement support team is available via:
On notification, Virgin Money will freeze the deceased's accounts. Our guide on notifying banks after a death explains how to manage the process across multiple institutions.
We could not confirm that it does. Virgin Money does not appear among the member organisations listed by the Death Notification Service (DNS), and its own bereavement page does not mention the service. Tell Virgin Money directly, by phone or through its online form, and use the DNS for the banks that are members.
Virgin Money does not name the scheme, so we cannot confirm it. What Virgin Money does say is that it can release money from the accounts for urgent costs — the funeral, the fees for obtaining the grant, and inheritance tax — paying the provider directly against an invoice, or reimbursing whoever has already paid.
HMRC's Direct Payment Scheme itself works through form IHT423, submitted to the bank alongside the IHT400. Participation is voluntary for banks, so ask Virgin Money before relying on it. For guidance on IHT timing and interest, see our guide on probate delays and IHT interest.
Virgin Money publishes this: once it has all the information and documentation it needs, it aims to close the accounts and release any money within 5 to 10 working days. It adds that during busier times it may take a little longer.
Our estate administration checklist helps you track progress across multiple financial institutions simultaneously.
Where the balance of the Virgin Money accounts is under £50,000, Virgin Money does not ask for a grant. It sends you a form to complete instead, and tells you whether the form is needed once you have made contact. The same 5 to 10 working day target applies once everything is in.
Even where Virgin Money does not require probate, other parts of the estate may still require a grant — particularly if there is property or shares. Our guide on when you don't need probate explains what triggers the probate requirement.
For a full overview of UK probate, visit our complete UK probate guide for 2026. To decide how to handle probate, read our DIY probate versus solicitor costs guide. For inheritance tax questions, see our IHT guide for 2026–27.
Before you assume you need probate
Do you actually need a grant — and what would it cost?
A Virgin Money balance is only part of the picture. Whether the estate needs probate at all depends on the whole picture — property, other accounts, and how everything was owned — not a single threshold. It is worth checking before you start filling in forms.
Guide reviewed July 2026. Bank thresholds change and can vary by account type — always confirm the current figure with the provider before relying on it.
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