UK estate figures › Probate fees

Probate · application fee

£526

to apply for a grant of probate · estates over £5,000

The fee is paid to HMCTS once — not a percentage, not per asset class. Estates worth £5,000 or less pay nothing.

Verified against GOV.UK on 17 Sept 2026

Figure history

13 Jul 2026 — Probate application fee: £300 → £526 · GOV.UK — Probate fees ↗

HMCTS raised the flat probate application fee for estates over £5,000 (confirmed by HMCTS 19 June 2026, took effect 13 July 2026).

§1What it means

A flat fee of £526 — not a percentage of the estate.

To close an estate, banks, land registries, and pension providers typically require a grant of probate (or grant of letters of administration if there is no will). This grant is issued by the Probate Registry. The application fee is £526, paid once regardless of how large the estate is.

Estates worth £5,000 or less pay no application fee. There is no sliding scale above that — it is £526 whether the estate is worth £6,000 or £6,000,000.

Once HMCTS receives a complete application, the grant typically issues in 4–12 weeks. Estates that require IHT to be paid first, or where paperwork is incomplete, take longer.

Worked example

A daughter is sole executor of her mother's estate, valued at £310,000. The estate is a property and two bank accounts. She applies for probate personally through HMCTS, without a solicitor.

Probate application feeestate over £5,000£526

Inheritance tax dueestate is below the £325,000 nil-rate band£0

Solicitorpersonal application allowedNot required

Expected grantfrom a complete application4–12 weeks

§2Common questions

Probate fees, answered.

The probate application fee is £526 for estates worth more than £5,000.

Estates below that threshold pay no probate fee. The fee is payable to HMCTS when you submit your application.

Once a complete application is received, a grant of probate typically takes 4–12 weeks.

More complex estates — those with IHT to pay, foreign assets, or missing paperwork — often take longer. The clock starts from the date HMCTS receives a complete application.

No. Probate is not required for assets that pass outside the estate: jointly-owned property passing to the survivor, named-beneficiary pensions, and assets held in trust all bypass the process.

Banks and other institutions each set their own threshold below which they will release funds without a grant — often £5,000–£50,000.

The executor named in the will applies for a Grant of Probate.

Where there is no will, the next of kin applies for a Grant of Letters of Administration. Both applications are made to the Probate Registry through HMCTS.

Yes. A personal application (sometimes called DIY probate) can be made online or by post via the HMCTS Probate Service.

You do not need a solicitor, though one is commonly used when the estate is large, there is no will, or disputes are expected.

§3Related next steps

Informational, not advice. Confirm against GOV.UK before acting. Figure verified 17 Sept 2026.

Cite this figure: Valoren, “Probate Application Fees,” https://valoren.uk/figures/probate-fees (verified 17 Sept 2026).

Figures checked against gov.uk 17 SEPT 2026 · The Figure Watch