The Checklist at a Glance
Probate paperwork splits neatly into two piles: what you need before you start, and what the application produces at the end. This guide works through both, then covers copies, the documents you don't need, and what to do when something is missing.
Documents you need before you start
- • The original will, plus any codicils
- • An official copy of the death certificate (or coroner's interim certificate)
- • Date-of-death figures for every asset and debt in the estate
- • Inheritance tax information (figures within the application for excepted estates, or a completed IHT400 sent to HMRC)
- • A debit card for the £526 fee (no fee at £5,000 or less)
1. The Original Will (and Any Codicils)
The will appoints the executors and says who inherits. The Probate Registry needs the original signed will, not a copy.
- Why the original: the registry keeps it as a permanent public record. Photocopies are not accepted for the application, so make copies for yourself before sending it.
- Where to find it: check the deceased's home and papers, their solicitor, their bank, or search the National Will Register. Our guide to finding the will covers each route.
- Codicils: these are amendments to the will. If any exist, the originals must go in with the will.
- Damaged wills: if the will is torn, marked or has staples removed, tell the registry. Damage can raise questions about whether it was revoked, and the registry may ask for an affidavit of plight and condition explaining it.
- Multiple wills: the most recent valid will is the one that counts. Keep every version you find — do not destroy any of them, because which one is valid may turn on the others.
What if there's no will?
If there is no will, the estate passes under intestacy rules and you apply for letters of administration instead, using form PA1A if applying on paper. The document list is otherwise the same, minus the will.
2. The Death Certificate
You need an official copy of the death certificate for the application, and further copies for banks, insurers and other organisations along the way.
- Where it comes from: certified copies are issued when you register the death, which happens within 5 days of being told you can register (the medical examiner's office tells you when).
- Coroner cases: if the death was referred to the coroner, registration can be delayed. The coroner can issue an interim certificate, which the Probate Registry and most institutions accept so the estate is not left waiting.
- Cost: certified copies currently cost £12.50 each in England and Wales. It is usually easiest to order several at registration.
- How many: see our dedicated guide on how many death certificates you need. A common rule of thumb is one per organisation that holds an asset.
3. Estate Valuation Figures
The application asks what the estate was worth at the date of death, so before applying you need a figure for every asset and every debt. You don't send all the underlying paperwork to the registry, but you need it gathered and kept, both to get the figures right and in case HMRC asks questions later. Our guide to valuing an estate goes deeper on each category.
Bank and building society accounts
- Date-of-death balance letters from each bank. Contact the bereavement team with a death certificate and most will provide these free
- Recent statements as a stopgap while you wait, and to spot unknown accounts, subscriptions or debts
Property and land
- A market valuation at the date of death. Estate agent appraisals are common; a RICS surveyor's valuation is worth paying for where inheritance tax may be due
- Land Registry title confirming ownership and whether it was held jointly (a title copy costs a few pounds from GOV.UK)
- Mortgage statement showing the balance outstanding at the date of death
Investments, shares and NS&I
- Date-of-death valuations from each platform, registrar or fund manager, and most provide probate valuations free
- Share certificates for paper holdings, and details of Premium Bonds or other NS&I products
Pensions and life insurance
- Statements from each pension provider. Note that many pensions pay death benefits directly to a nominated beneficiary and sit outside the estate, so check each scheme's position
- Life insurance policy details. Policies written in trust also pay out outside the estate
Vehicles, possessions and anything else
- Realistic secondhand values for vehicles and household contents. A sensible estimate is fine for ordinary contents, with professional valuations for genuinely valuable items such as jewellery, art or antiques
- Business paperwork (accounts, partnership agreements) if the deceased owned a business — valuing a business interest is a specialist job and HMRC will expect a reasoned figure
Debts
- Balances at the date of death for the mortgage, loans, credit cards, utilities and council tax
- Funeral costs (the invoice counts as a debt of the estate)
4. Inheritance Tax Information
Since 2022 the inheritance tax step is much simpler than most older guidance suggests. The old short form, IHT205, no longer exists for deaths on or after 1 January 2022. What you do depends on the estate:
- Excepted estates (most estates): you don't file a separate tax form at all. You simply report the estate's headline values within the probate application itself.
- Estates that need a full account: if the estate is not an excepted estate, for example where tax is due or there are trusts, large lifetime gifts or foreign assets, you complete the IHT400 and its schedules, send the pack to HMRC, and then wait 20 working days before applying for probate.
Not sure which side the estate falls on? The checker at GOV.UK gives a definitive answer, and our inheritance tax guide for 2026-27 explains the thresholds.
5. Extra Documents in Specific Situations
If claiming allowances from a late spouse or civil partner
- The marriage or civil partnership certificate, and the first spouse's death certificate
- Papers from the first estate (their will and grant, if there was one) to show how much nil-rate band went unused. Our guide to transferring the nil-rate band explains what HMRC wants to see
If assets were held jointly
- Evidence of how they were held, joint tenants or tenants in common. Joint-tenant assets pass to the survivor and stay out of the probate application; tenants-in-common shares go through the estate. See joint tenants vs tenants in common.
If there were gifts in the last 7 years
- Records and bank statements showing significant gifts, with dates and amounts. These affect the inheritance tax position and are declared on the IHT400 where one is needed
If there are foreign assets
- Deeds, statements and valuations converted to sterling at the date of death. Foreign assets can mean a separate process in the other country; the UK grant does not, by itself, give authority there.
What You Don't Need
People often gather far more than the application asks for. You do not need:
- Beneficiaries' documents. No ID, birth certificates or bank details from the people inheriting are needed to apply
- Your own bank statements. Your finances as executor are not part of the application
- Every underlying valuation letter. The registry wants the figures, not the whole file. Keep the paperwork safely in case HMRC asks, rather than posting it all off.
On identity: how executors are verified differs between the online and paper routes, and can change, so follow the instructions in the application itself rather than gathering certified ID documents in advance.
Documents the Application Produces
Once the application is processed, you receive:
- The grant of probate (or letters of administration where there is no will), the legal document proving your authority to collect assets, sell property and distribute the estate
- Official copies of the grant, sealed copies that institutions accept in place of the original
Official copies cost £2 each when ordered with the application and £16 each afterwards, so order what you need up front. A good rule of thumb is one copy per institution you will deal with (each bank, insurer, platform and the Land Registry), so you can send them out simultaneously rather than waiting for one original to circulate.
How Many Copies of Everything?
| Document | How many |
|---|
| Original will | One, the original itself. Photocopy it for your records first; the registry keeps it. |
| Death certificates | Several. One per organisation holding an asset is the common rule of thumb. Many banks accept the free Death Notification Service or return certificates, so 3-6 is enough for many estates. |
| Official copies of the grant | One per institution. £2 each ordered with the application, £16 each afterwards. |
| Valuation letters and statements | Keep the originals in your own file. HMRC can ask for evidence later, so hold everything until the estate is finished. |
What to Do If Documents Are Missing
Missing will
Search thoroughly first (home, solicitor, bank, the National Will Register). If no will can be found, the estate passes under intestacy and you apply for letters of administration instead. See what happens when the will is missing.
Missing death certificates
Order additional certified copies from the General Register Office at GOV.UK. Allow a couple of weeks for standard delivery.
Missing asset paperwork
Contact each organisation directly with a death certificate and ask their bereavement team for a date-of-death valuation. This is routine for them, and most provide it free.
Unknown assets
Check bank statements for payments that hint at unknown accounts or policies, and use the free tracing services:
Timeline: When to Gather Each Document
Week 1-2 after the death:
- Register the death and order certified copies
- Find the original will and any codicils
- Start a simple file or spreadsheet for the estate
Week 2-6:
- Write to every bank, insurer, platform and pension provider for date-of-death figures
- Arrange the property valuation
- Request the mortgage and loan balances
Week 6-10:
- Total up the assets and debts
- Check whether the estate is excepted or needs the IHT400, and if it needs the IHT400, send that pack to HMRC now, because of the 20 working day wait
Then:
- Apply for probate (online for most people), pay the £526 fee, and send in the original will and death certificate as directed
- Order official copies of the grant with the application
Key Takeaways
- Four core items: original will, death certificate, date-of-death valuation figures, and the inheritance tax information
- The original will is kept: photocopy it before sending, because the registry retains it permanently
- No more IHT205: excepted estates report figures within the application; only non-excepted estates complete the IHT400, with its 20 working day wait
- Fees: £526 to apply (free at £5,000 or less), plus £2 per official copy of the grant ordered with it, so order one per institution
- Less than you might fear: no beneficiary documents and none of your own financial paperwork are needed
- Start requests early: valuation letters take weeks to arrive, and they are what everything else waits on
Gathering probate documents is slow but very doable. Work through the checklist steadily and keep everything in one file. Where an estate involves trusts, a business, foreign assets or a disputed will, the paperwork stops being a checklist exercise and a professional is usually involved.
Frequently asked questions
What documents do I need to apply for probate?
Four things cover most applications in England and Wales: the original will plus any codicils, an official copy of the death certificate (or the coroner's interim certificate), figures showing what every asset and debt was worth at the date of death, and the inheritance tax information. Most estates report their tax figures within the probate application itself; estates that need a full account send an IHT400 to HMRC first and wait 20 working days before applying.
Do I need the original will for probate or will a copy do?
You need the original signed will. Photocopies are not accepted for the application, and the Probate Registry keeps the original permanently as a public record, so make copies for your own file before sending it. If only a copy can be found, the registry can admit it, but that needs a separate application supported by evidence rather than the ordinary process.
How many death certificates do I need for probate?
One official copy for the probate application, plus roughly one per organisation that holds an asset, such as each bank, insurer and pension provider. Many banks accept the free Death Notification Service or return certificates after use, so 3 to 6 copies is enough for many estates. It is easiest to order them when registering the death.
Do beneficiaries need to provide documents for probate?
No. The probate application does not ask for ID, birth certificates or bank details from beneficiaries, and you do not need your own bank statements as executor either. Beneficiaries' details only come into play later, when you distribute the estate and want receipts for payments.
How much does a probate application cost?
The fee is £526 in England and Wales, and there is no fee if the estate is £5,000 or less. Extra official copies of the grant cost £2 each when ordered with the application and £16 afterwards, so order them with it, one per institution you will deal with.