How to Apply for Probate in the UK: The Full Step-by-Step With a £300 Fee Example

To apply for probate in England and Wales you work in a fixed order: value the estate, report Inheritance Tax to HMRC, and only then apply for the grant — online or on paper form PA1P (with a will) or PA1A (no will). The application fee is £300 for estates worth more than £5,000 (free below that), with extra copies of the grant at £16 each. Below I walk through a real worked example for a £450,000 estate, step by step, with every figure checked against GOV.UK.

The order matters: value, report, then apply

The single most common mistake I see is people rushing to the application form first. The probate service and HMRC expect the work to happen in a specific sequence, and the application itself asks for numbers you can only fill in once the earlier steps are done. Here is the order, with no shortcuts:

You cannot apply for probate until any Inheritance Tax that is due has been paid (or arrangements made), and the application requires the IHT figures, so step 2 genuinely has to come before step 3. GOV.UK sets out this exact sequence on its Applying for probate guide.

Step 1 — Value the estate

"Valuing the estate" means establishing what everything was worth on the date of death. You will need date-of-death balances from each bank and building society, a property valuation (an estate agent's written valuation is usually fine for a straightforward estate; a RICS "red book" valuation is safer where the figure is near a tax threshold), holdings from any share registrars, and a sensible value for personal possessions and any vehicle. Deduct debts — the mortgage, loans, credit cards, and the funeral bill. The net figure drives both the tax step and whether a fee applies.

Step 2 — Report Inheritance Tax to HMRC

Most estates pay no Inheritance Tax. The standard nil-rate band is £325,000, tax above the threshold is charged at 40%, and there is normally nothing to pay where everything passes to a UK spouse or civil partner, or to a charity (GOV.UK: Inheritance Tax). If the deceased left their home to children or grandchildren, an extra residence nil-rate band of up to £175,000 can apply, lifting the effective threshold to as much as £500,000 (GOV.UK: passing on a home).

Practically, you are deciding between two routes:

• Excepted estate — if there is no Inheritance Tax to pay and the estate meets the excepted-estate conditions, you do not file a full account; you simply give estate values inside the probate application itself.
• Full account (IHT400) — if tax is due, or the estate is large or complex, you complete form IHT400 and its schedules first. HMRC issues a reference code that the probate registry checks before issuing the grant.

Step 3 — Apply for the grant

Now — and only now — you apply. Most personal applicants apply online; you can also apply by post using PA1P if there is a will or PA1A if there is not (GOV.UK: apply for probate). You pay the fee, and then you post the original will and death certificate to the probate registry (covered below).

Worked example: applying online for a £450,000 estate with a will

The fee: £300, plus £16 per extra copy

The application fee is the same whether you apply online or by post:

• £300 if the estate is worth more than £5,000.
• No fee if the estate is £5,000 or less.
• £16 for each extra (sealed/certified) copy of the grant.

These figures are taken directly from GOV.UK's probate fees page. A practical tip on copies: count how many separate organisations hold assets — each bank, investment platform, pension provider, and the Land Registry typically wants to see an original grant. Ordering enough copies up front at £16 each is far cheaper, in time, than chasing one document around the country. If you are on certain benefits or a low income, you may be able to apply for help with the fee.

Sending the original will and death certificate

Applying online does not finish the job — the probate registry needs the physical original will. When you submit online (or post your PA1P/PA1A), you send:

• the original will and any codicils — not a photocopy (the registry keeps it and it becomes a public record);
• the death certificate, or interim certificate / coroner's authority where an inquest is involved;
• any documents the application flags, such as a renunciation or evidence supporting the will.

The online service prints a coversheet with the correct postal address for HM Courts & Tribunals Service and a reference number — always use that coversheet so your documents are matched to your application. Do not staple, punch holes in, or write on the will. Send by a tracked or recorded service; you cannot get a replacement original will. The probate registry's processing clock effectively starts once it has your documents, so post them promptly after applying.

Typical timeline: from application to grant

GOV.UK's guidance is that you "usually get probate within 12 weeks of submitting your application" — but in practice the calendar depends on how much groundwork happens before you press submit.

So a clean, well-prepared estate like Margaret's might see the grant arrive roughly three months after applying; an estate with a full IHT400, a property valuation dispute, or a "stopped" application can run considerably longer. The fastest applications are the ones where steps 1 and 2 were finished properly before applying.

Frequently asked questions