Sending us documents

Please follow the below instructions on the best way to send us your documents.

1. Notify us before sending documents

Before sending any documents, please ensure you’ve notified us of the death using our online form.

2. Email an image of the death certificate and other documents

We need to see the death certificate to close any accounts and transfer funds. There are other documents we may need to see detailed below.

It’s okay if you don’t have them all right now. Send us what you have, and we'll write to you if we need more information.

3. Send clear, colour image of all documents

How to prepare your documents:

So we can verify your documents, please make sure they are:

Clear and readable.
Full-colour, not black and white.

A photo or scanned copy of original documents, not an image of a screenshot or a photocopy (unless certified by a solicitor).

Image tips:

Avoid direct overhead lighting.
Avoid reflection.
Make sure all four document corners are visible in the image.

4. Email us your documents

Send the document photos as an email attachment to this no-reply email address: berdocuments@rbs.com

We won’t be able to answer any questions or action any queries sent to this email box, it’s for documents only.

So that we can process your documents quickly, please make sure to:

Include the first name, surname, account number and sort code in the subject line (if you don’t have the account number and sort code, please include the date of death of the person who has died).
Add documents as attachments.
Attach documents in one of these formats: pdf, jpeg, jpg. We can also accept BMP; doc; docx; gif; png, or tif
Attach as many documents as possible to the same email.

Some common issues to avoid:

Don’t embed the image into the body of the email.
Don’t link to cloud-based files/documents.
Don’t send zipped folders/files.
Avoid password-protected files/documents
Don’t include special characters such as -|\) in the document name.

Avoid sending by post if possible

We recommend you send any documents via email, by going into any of our branches or asking a solicitor to send certified copies. Sending original documents by post is not as secure, and when we return them to you, we can’t track the letter, which could result in lost documents.

Write to us at:

Bereavement Services
PO Box 5612
Manchester
M61 0WN

If you have any questions or any related urgencies, speak to us via Webchat here or call us on 0800 161 5904. Or search for RBS/Bereavement.

Bereavement account(s) closure form

If the deceased had one or more accounts which is in credit, we’ll need the Next of Kin or executor(s) to complete, sign and return a Bereavement Account(s) Closure form. This form enables us to close the account and transfer funds. Please check everything is clear and readable before sending.

To complete this form, you’ll need to know approximately how much funds are left in the account(s). It’s okay if you don’t know this now, the initial letter we send to you will include this. You can download the Bereavement Account(s) Closure Form here (PDF, 152.7KB)

Death certificate

A death certificate is a government-issued legal document stating the date, location and cause of death.

When sending us a death certificate, please check that all signatures and seals are clear and readable.

Non-English death certificate

If you have a death certificate which is written in a language other than English, we also need to see an officially translated version. Sometimes translations can be found incorporated in the certificate itself. If not, please check the list of translations we accept

Will / Codicil

A will contains a person's wishes as to how any assets, property or care for any dependents should be handled.

A will also appoints an Executor of the will. This person will act on behalf of the estate to ensure all assets and requests are handled and distributed correctly.

By viewing the will we can be sure we are dealing with the correctly appointed person/people.

If the deceased customer left a will, we will need to see it as we can then be sure we’re dealing with the correctly appointed person/people.

A Codicil is a legal document that acts as an addition to a will. It may contain changes to the will which can be made without having to rewrite the original will.

If the deceased customer had a will/Codicil, please send us a copy ensuring the signatures are clear and readable.

Grant of probate/certificate of confirmation/ letter of authorisation

A Grant of Probate/Resealed Grant of Probate/Letter of Administration/Certificate of Confirmation is a legal document giving the right to deal with someone’s property, money and possessions when they die. They are collectively known as a Grant or Representation.

Proof of identification

Proof of personal identity: We’ll need to see proof of identity from the Next of Kin or Executor to confirm we’re dealing with the correct person.

We'll need to see ID for the person we are releasing funds to before we can proceed. This ID could be a passport, or photo driving licence or OAP / concessionary travel pass. If you don't have these, we do include a full list of what we can accept in the initial letter we send you. We can accept a photo of the passport or driving licence via email, all other personal ID will need to have either a certified copy sent to us through the post, or you can take the original document into any local branch to be certified.

Please ensure images, photos and text are clear and readable.

Proof of address:

We’ll need to see proof of address from the Next of Kin or Executor to confirm we’re dealing with the correct person.

Your proof of address could be:

Original bank statement from the last 6 months
Original council bill dated in the last 12 months
Original utility bill/statement dated within the last 6 months

Please ensure images, photos and text are clear and readable.

Final funeral bill invoice

If there are sufficient funds in the deceased customer’s sole estate, we can use those funds to pay the final funeral bill on behalf of the Next of Kin/Executor.

If you would like us to do this, please send us the final funeral bill invoice. Please ensure that it's on the funeral directors headed paper.

Important:

Payment can only be made to the funeral director for the final invoice. We will be unable to reimburse you directly

Inheritance tax - IHT form

If you have to pay Inheritance Tax, we can make the payment on your behalf, subject to sufficient funds being available.

We’ll need to see a signed IHT423 form.

For England & Wales - For further help or guidance & to obtain the IHT423 form, please visit the Website - www.gov.uk/inheritance-tax.

For Scotland - For further help or guidance & to obtain the IHT423 form, please visit the website – www.mygov.scot/inheritance-tax-support.

Letter of renunciation

If an Executor would like to give up their responsibility to manage the estate, we’ll need to see a copy of their signed renunciation letter with their ID.

Birth certificate

If you’re using a birth certificate to prove kinship or change of name, we’ll need to see a copy.

Name change document(s)

If you’re using additional documents to prove kinship or change of name, we’ll need to see a copy of them.

Marriage certificate

If you’re using a marriage certificate to prove kinship or change of name, we’ll need to see a copy.

Other

If you have documents you wish to share with us that aren't listed, please send them to us, ensuring images, words and signatures are clear and readable.