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Processing estates over $15,000

If you’ve already notified us about a bereavement, next we’ll need certain details and documents from the executor, administrator, or lawyer.

Here’s what we need if the estate has assets^ worth over $15,000, or if it has any property.

What we need

If a valid will exists, we need a certified copy of probate.

If no will exists, the will is invalid, or the executors named in the will have died or cannot or will not act as executors, we need letters of administration.

The High Court grants probate or letters of administration to:

confirm that a will is valid (if one exists)
confirm or appoint the person who will administer the deceased’s estate.

You can apply for probate and get a copy of a will by visiting the Ministry of Justice’s website.

We also need:

a signed Letter of Authority^ from all executors, telling us which of the person’s accounts to close, where to send the funds, and whether to break any term deposits, or pay them out when they mature
all executors’ photo ID and proof of their physical address (certified by a trusted referee less than 3 months ago, and including the referee’s phone number or email address).

For more information about using a trusted referee to prove ID and address, visit our identification requirements page.

Non-residents of New Zealand

If the person has a total estate worth over $15,000 and was:

a resident of a non-Commonwealth country — probate or letters of administration must be applied for in New Zealand
a resident of a Commonwealth country or Republic of Ireland — probate or letters of administration from that country must be validated (or ‘resealed’) in the High Court of New Zealand.

If more than one executor, administrator, or lawyer exists

To close the person’s accounts, each executor, administrator, or lawyer must sign a Letter of Authority or a Deceased estates indemnity and claim form (PDF 86KB). If only one has signed, we need:

a letter from the others giving permission for the person who’s signed to act for them
photo ID for each of them.

Transferring funds

You will still be able to deposit money into the person’s frozen accounts if you need to. However, you can’t move any funds from the deceased’s accounts into their other accounts, or into new term deposits until their estate is paid out to the correct people. You also won’t be able to change the IRD number of the deceased. This is to avoid tax issues for the estate and so we meet our legal obligations under the relevant estate laws.

We may be able to release some funds earlier for funeral costs.

Bereavement support