How Long Does Probate Take in the UK? A Realistic 9-Month Timeline With Bottlenecks
Once a clean application reaches the Probate Registry, you'll usually receive the grant within about 12 weeks, though HMCTS works to a 16-week target and complex cases run longer. But the grant is only the middle of the story: for a typical estate that pays Inheritance Tax, expect 9 to 12 months from death to the point where money actually reaches the beneficiaries.
The phrase "how long does probate take" hides three very different clocks running at once, and confusing them is what causes most of the anxiety I see from executors. There is the grant clock (how long the Probate Registry takes to issue the grant), the tax clock (the strict six-month deadline to pay Inheritance Tax), and the estate clock (the year or more it takes to collect everything in, settle debts, and distribute). This guide walks all three, with a fully-worked example so you can see exactly where the months go.
The short answer, by estate type
The single biggest driver of how long probate takes is whether the estate has to file a full Inheritance Tax account (form IHT400) or qualifies as an excepted estate with no tax to report. The full-account path adds a mandatory HMRC step before you can even apply for the grant.
| Estate type | Death → grant | Death → distribution (typical) |
|---|---|---|
| Excepted estate (no IHT, no full account) | ~6–10 weeks | 4–8 months |
| IHT400 estate (tax to pay or full account required) | ~4 months | 9–12 months |
| Complex estate (property sale, business, contested will) | 4–6 months+ | 12–24 months |
Official guidance from HM Courts & Tribunals Service states you'll "usually get the grant of probate or letters of administration within 12 weeks of submitting your application" — but note the words submitting your application. For an IHT400 estate, a lot has to happen before you're allowed to submit. (gov.uk: After you've applied.)
The two clocks that don't run together: the 6-month tax deadline vs the probate timeline
This is the trap. Inheritance Tax must be paid by the end of the sixth month after the month the person died. If someone dies on 12 January, the IHT is due by 31 July. (gov.uk: Pay your Inheritance Tax bill.)
But the grant of probate — the document that lets you access the deceased's bank accounts and sell their property — often isn't ready by month six. That creates the classic chicken-and-egg problem: you usually have to start paying Inheritance Tax before probate is granted, even though the money to pay it is locked inside the estate you can't yet touch.
There are legitimate ways to fund the tax before the grant: the Direct Payment Scheme (banks pay HMRC directly from the deceased's frozen accounts), releasing funds from National Savings, or paying tax on land and certain assets in ten annual instalments — though instalments on most assets carry interest. (gov.uk: Pay in yearly instalments.)
Why an IHT400 estate takes longer than an excepted estate
An excepted estate is one where there's no Inheritance Tax to pay and no requirement to send HMRC full details. Broadly, an estate is excepted when (among other conditions):
- its value is below the £325,000 nil-rate band threshold; or
- it's worth £650,000 or less and the unused threshold of a late spouse or civil partner is being transferred; or
- everything passes to a UK spouse/civil partner or a qualifying charity and the estate is worth less than £3 million; or
- the person lived permanently outside the UK and their UK assets are £150,000 or less.
(Source and full conditions: gov.uk: Check the type of estate. Note: even an otherwise-excepted estate can be forced onto the full-account path if, for example, the deceased gave away more than £250,000 in the seven years before death, held certain trusts, or had foreign assets over £100,000.)
For an excepted estate, you skip the IHT400 entirely and go more or less straight to applying for the grant — which is why these estates can reach the grant in six to ten weeks.
For an IHT400 estate, there's an extra gate. Since January 2024, where a full Inheritance Tax account is required, HMRC must first process the IHT400 and issue a unique code confirming enough tax has been paid (in Northern Ireland, form IHT421). You enter that code into the online probate application — and without it you cannot submit. HMRC says you'll "usually get this within 20 working days" of receiving your IHT400 or your tax payment, whichever is later. In practice, practitioners are advised to wait those 20 working days before applying so the Registry can match your application to HMRC's data. (gov.uk: If Inheritance Tax is due or full details are needed.)
So the IHT400 path stacks two waits in series: ~4 weeks of valuation work, then ~4 weeks for the HMRC code, then ~12 weeks for the grant. That's how a "12-week" grant turns into a four-month death-to-grant reality.
A realistic worked timeline: death to distribution
Margaret Whitfield, 81, dies on 4 February 2026 in Leeds. Her estate: a £420,000 house, £95,000 in savings and ISAs, and £15,000 of personal possessions — gross estate £530,000. She's a widow whose late husband left everything to her, so her executor (her daughter, Claire) can transfer his unused nil-rate band.
The tax position. Margaret's own nil-rate band is £325,000. Adding her late husband's transferred nil-rate band of £325,000 gives £650,000. Because she's leaving the home to her children, the residence nil-rate band may also apply (up to £175,000 each, potentially £350,000 combined). Her £530,000 estate sits below the available allowances, so on these facts there is no Inheritance Tax to pay. (Thresholds per gov.uk: Inheritance Tax.)
But because she's transferring a deceased spouse's allowance on an estate over £325,000, Claire must still check the excepted-estate conditions carefully and report the right figures. Here's how the months actually unfold:
| When | Step | Elapsed |
|---|---|---|
| Feb 2026 | Death; register death; obtain death certificates; locate the will | Week 0–2 |
| Feb–Mar | Write to banks, pension providers, the building society, HMRC; value the house with two agent appraisals; total the estate | Week 2–8 |
| Apr | Confirm estate qualifies as excepted (worth £650k or less, unused threshold transferred); prepare and submit the online probate application | ~Month 2.5 |
| Apr–Jul | Probate Registry processing (~12 weeks for a clean application) | Month 2.5–5.5 |
| Jul | Grant of probate issued; send office copies to each institution; close accounts and collect funds | ~Month 5.5 |
| Jul–Oct | List and sell the house (typical 8–12 weeks to completion); settle any final bills and the funeral account | Month 5.5–8.5 |
| Oct–Nov | Prepare estate accounts; pay legacies; distribute the residue to beneficiaries | ~Month 9 |
Result: roughly nine months from death to the children receiving their money — and this is a clean example with no tax to pay and no disputes. The single biggest chunk of time isn't the grant; it's the property sale. If Margaret's estate had instead owed Inheritance Tax, Claire would have added the IHT400 valuation, the six-month payment deadline, and the 20-working-day HMRC code on top — pushing distribution toward 12 months.
What actually delays probate (and how to pre-empt it)
1. Missing or unknown assets
The estate can't be finalised until you're confident you've found everything: forgotten share certificates, an old workplace pension, a NS&I premium-bonds holding, a second bank account. Each "we found another account" letter restarts part of the valuation. An asset search and a thorough trawl of the deceased's post and emails early on saves weeks later.
2. Property sales
As the worked example shows, selling a house is often the longest single phase — typically two to three months from listing to completion, and far longer in a slow market or with a chain that collapses. You can list before the grant arrives, but you can't complete the sale until the grant is issued, because the buyer's solicitor needs proof of your authority to sell.
3. A full IHT400 and the HMRC code
The 20-working-day wait for HMRC's probate code is a hard gate for taxable estates. Errors on the IHT400 — undervalued property, missed gifts, wrong reliefs — trigger HMRC queries that can add months and, occasionally, penalties.
4. Contested or unclear wills
A challenge to the will's validity, a missing original will, or a claim under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975 can freeze distribution entirely. Beneficiaries can also enter a caveat at the Registry to stop a grant being issued. These cases routinely run 18–24 months or longer.
5. Registry "stops"
The Probate Registry will pause ("stop") an application for mismatched names, an incorrectly completed statement of truth, or a missing original will. A stopped application drops out of the normal queue and waits for you to respond — which is why getting the paperwork right first time is the cheapest time-saver available.
- The grant ≈ 12 weeks from submission (HMCTS target 16 weeks; complex cases longer) — but that clock only starts once a clean application is filed.
- Excepted estates are fastest (death→grant ~6–10 weeks). IHT400 estates add an HMRC step: a unique code issued in ~20 working days that you must enter before applying.
- Inheritance Tax is due by the end of the sixth month after death — usually before the grant. Late payment accrues interest at 7.75% (Jan 2026 rate).
- For a typical taxable estate, plan for 9–12 months death-to-distribution; property sales and contested wills are the biggest delays.
- The cheapest way to speed probate is accuracy: a correct valuation, the right IHT route, and a clean application avoid Registry stops and HMRC queries.
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Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to get a grant of probate after applying?
HM Courts & Tribunals Service says you'll "usually get the grant of probate or letters of administration within 12 weeks of submitting your application." HMCTS works to a 16-week service target, and applications needing extra information or queries can take longer. Online applications are generally faster than paper ones. (gov.uk.)
Why does my estate need an IHT400 when my friend's didn't?
An estate only needs a full Inheritance Tax account (IHT400) if there's tax to pay or full details are otherwise required. Smaller estates, and those passing entirely to a UK spouse/civil partner or charity under set limits, often qualify as "excepted estates" and skip the IHT400 — which is why they move faster. The conditions are set out on gov.uk: Check the type of estate.
Do I really have to pay Inheritance Tax before I get probate?
Usually, yes. Inheritance Tax is due by the end of the sixth month after the person died, which is often before the grant is issued. HMRC and the banks operate a Direct Payment Scheme so tax can be paid from the deceased's frozen accounts, and tax on land and some assets can be paid in ten annual instalments. (gov.uk: Pay your Inheritance Tax bill.)
What happens if I miss the six-month Inheritance Tax deadline?
HMRC charges interest on the unpaid tax from the due date until you pay. As of 9 January 2026 the late-payment rate is 7.75% (base rate plus 4 percentage points). The longer the tax stays unpaid, the more interest erodes the estate. (gov.uk: HMRC interest rates.)
What's the single biggest cause of probate delays?
For most ordinary estates it's selling property — typically two to three months from listing to completion, longer in a weak market. For taxable estates it's the IHT400 stage and the 20-working-day wait for HMRC's probate code. For disputed estates, a will challenge or a caveat at the Registry can add a year or more.
Can I speed things up by applying online?
Online applications are generally processed faster than paper ones, and most grants are now applied for digitally. The bigger time-saver, though, is accuracy: a correct valuation, the right IHT route, and a complete statement of truth avoid the "stops" and HMRC queries that add months.
Sources: gov.uk — Applying for probate: after you've applied; Pay your Inheritance Tax bill; Pay in yearly instalments; Check the type of estate; If Inheritance Tax is due; Inheritance Tax; HMRC interest rates. Figures verified June 2026.