How to Complete a UK Probate Application Form (PA1P or PA1A)

To apply for a grant of representation in England and Wales, use Form PA1P if the person who died left a valid will, and Form PA1A if they did not. PA1P produces a grant of probate; PA1A produces letters of administration. You can complete either through the GOV.UK probate service or download the paper form and post it to HMCTS Probate, PO Box 12625, Harlow, CM20 9QE. The fee is £300 for estates worth more than £5,000, and the grant usually arrives within 12 weeks.¹

These forms cover England and Wales only. Scotland and Northern Ireland run separate processes.²

PA1P or PA1A: Which One You Need

The choice turns on one question: is there a will?

PA1P is for estates where the deceased left a valid will. It is normally filed by the executor named in the will. A beneficiary can apply instead if no executor is willing or able to act.³
PA1A is for estates where there is no will, or where the will does not cover assets in England and Wales. The closest living relative is the person eligible to apply.⁴

Both forms are published by HM Courts and Tribunals Service on the GOV.UK probate forms page.⁵ Confirm whether a will exists before you start; the wrong form will hold your application up.

What to Gather Before You Fill It In

Whichever form you use, and whether you apply online or on paper, you will be asked for the same core information. Have it in front of you before you open the form.

The deceased’s full legal name, last permanent address, and date of death exactly as printed on the death certificate.
Full name, address, and relationship to the deceased for each executor or administrator applying.
The gross value of the estate and the net value after debts, broken down across asset categories on the form.
The original will and any codicils, if there is a will. Photocopies are not accepted, and the registry keeps the original.⁶
An official death certificate, or the interim certificate issued by the coroner.
The unique HMRC code, if Inheritance Tax reporting was required (see below).

Names, dates, and figures are the most common source of registry queries, and a query stops the clock. Check each field against the source document rather than working from memory.

The Inheritance Tax Step That Comes First

You need an estimated total value of the estate before you can complete either form. That means adding up property, bank balances, investments, and personal possessions, then subtracting debts. The estimate is required even when no tax is owed.²

What happens next depends on whether the estate is “excepted.”

Excepted Estates

An excepted estate is broadly one with a gross value under £3 million and no complex tax issues. For deaths on or after January 2022, you do not send a separate inheritance tax form to HMRC. The tax information sits inside the probate application itself, and you can go straight to applying. The old IHT205 is no longer used.⁷

Estates That Are Not Excepted

If the gross value exceeds £3 million, or the estate involves certain trust property or lifetime gifts, you complete Form IHT400 and send it to HMRC before applying for probate. IHT400 must be submitted within 12 months of the death.⁸ If tax is actually due, you also need to start paying it and wait for HMRC to issue a unique code before the probate application can move forward.¹ Getting the payment reference number from HMRC takes at least three weeks, so build that time in.⁹

Submitting the Form

Online

The GOV.UK probate service walks you through each section and lets you pay the fee digitally. Even when you apply online, the original will has to go to the registry by post. You cannot upload it.¹

By Post

Download PA1P or PA1A from GOV.UK, complete it, and post it with the original will (if there is one), the death certificate, and payment of the fee to:

HMCTS Probate
PO Box 12625
Harlow
CM20 9QE¹⁰

Postal applications go through the same review as online ones and take the same time once received.

Fees and Sealed Copies

The application fee is £300 for estates worth more than £5,000. Estates worth £5,000 or less pay nothing.¹¹

At the same time as applying, you can order extra sealed copies of the grant for £1.50 each. Banks, financial institutions, and the Land Registry will each want to see one, so having several lets you deal with organisations in parallel rather than waiting for a single copy to travel between them.¹¹

After You Send It In

The grant of probate, or letters of administration, usually arrives within 12 weeks of submission. Complex estates or missing information will push that out, and the registry will contact you if it needs clarification.¹²

Once the grant is in your hands, you can approach banks, building societies, investment providers, and the Land Registry to access and transfer the deceased’s assets. Each organisation will want to see the grant, or a sealed copy, before releasing anything. From that point the executor or administrator is responsible for paying any remaining debts, distributing assets to beneficiaries, and filing a final account of the estate if required.

1
GOV.UK. Applying for Probate – Apply for Probate
2
GOV.UK. Applying for Probate
3
GOV.UK. Apply for Probate by Post if There Is a Will – Form PA1P
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GOV.UK. Apply for Probate by Post if There Is Not a Will – Form PA1A
5
GOV.UK. Probate Forms and Guidance
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GOV.UK. Applying for Probate – If There Is a Will
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STEP. Reminder – UK IHT Reporting Changes From January 2022
8
GOV.UK. How to Value an Estate for Inheritance Tax and Report Its Value
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GOV.UK. Pay Your Inheritance Tax Bill – Get a Payment Reference Number
10
HM Courts and Tribunals Service. PA1P – Probate Application
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GOV.UK. Applying for Probate – Fees
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GOV.UK. Applying for Probate – After You Have Applied