The ANZ discharge form, formally the Discharge and Variation Authority (DAVA), is a printed document you sign and send to ANZ to release a property from your mortgage, refinance to another lender, remove a guarantor, or otherwise change your loan security. Download the PDF from ANZ’s settlements and discharges page, complete it on screen, print it, wet-sign it with every borrower and guarantor, then email it to releasesdava@anz.com or post it. ANZ aims to process a complete request within ten business days.1ANZ. Settlements and Discharges
When the DAVA Is the Right Form
ANZ uses the same form for a wide set of transactions, not only paying off a mortgage. You need a DAVA if you’re selling a property that secures an ANZ loan, refinancing to another lender, closing out a fully repaid loan, closing a term deposit or other linked security, removing a guarantor, varying loan terms, or substituting one property for another as collateral. Different sections of the same form apply depending on which of these you’re doing.1ANZ. Settlements and Discharges
What to Gather Before You Start
Have this ready before opening the PDF. Chasing details after the fact is what turns a ten-day process into a month.1ANZ. Settlements and Discharges
- Full names of every borrower and guarantor, plus company details if the loan is in a business name.
- Your ANZ loan account number, the property title reference, and any PPSR registration numbers linked to the loan.
- Name, direct phone number, and email of the solicitor, conveyancer, settlement agent, or incoming lender’s representative who will coordinate settlement.
Pull the account number and title reference from a recent ANZ statement or your original loan documents so they match ANZ’s records exactly. If you’re selling or refinancing, your solicitor or conveyancer usually has the title reference from the contract of sale.
Filling Out the Form
ANZ recommends completing the form on screen before printing so the text stays legible. The form asks you to select the type of transaction first, then collects the details specific to it.
Pick the Transaction Type
The option you choose determines what ANZ does with your security:
- Full discharge releases all properties and securities on the loan. Use it when you’re paying the loan off entirely, selling the only property on the mortgage, or refinancing the full debt to another lender.
- Partial release removes one property while keeping others as security. ANZ will assess whether the remaining properties provide enough collateral before approving.
- Substitution of security swaps one property for another on the same loan, so a new property takes over as collateral.
- Variation covers changes that don’t fit the other categories, such as altering terms or removing a guarantor’s obligation.
Settlement Contact Details
Enter the person handling settlement on your side, usually your solicitor, conveyancer, or the incoming lender’s settlement team. Give a direct phone number rather than a general office line so ANZ’s discharge team can resolve minor issues quickly. Private Banking and Relationship Managed customers should contact their Relationship Manager directly instead of using the standard submission process.2ANZ. Loan Closure Request
Signing the Form
This is where forms most often get sent back. Every party to the loan must sign the printed form in pen. ANZ does not accept electronic signatures on the DAVA.1ANZ. Settlements and Discharges
On a joint loan, both borrowers sign. Where a guarantor’s property or financial guarantee secures the loan, the guarantor signs too. A missing signature bounces the form and restarts the processing clock. If guarantors live in another city or state, plan for overnight mail or a coordinated signing day with your solicitor rather than a last-minute scramble.
Submitting the Form
Once printed and signed, you have three options:2ANZ. Loan Closure Request
- Email a scan of the signed form to releasesdava@anz.com. This is the fastest route for most people.
- Post the original to Releases & Security Variations, Locked Bag 38002, Docklands VIC 8012.
- Have your mortgage broker, solicitor, or ANZ Customer Representative submit it on your behalf.
ANZ aims to process the request within ten business days of receiving a complete form with all required signatures and supporting documents.2ANZ. Loan Closure Request The clock only starts when everything is in order. If a signature is missing or details don’t match ANZ’s records, the timeline resets. Submit well ahead of your settlement date.
PEXA Settlement Timing
In most Australian states and territories, settlement now runs electronically through PEXA (Property Exchange Australia) rather than around a physical table. PEXA handles discharges of mortgage in NSW, VIC, QLD, WA, SA, ACT, TAS, and the NT.3PEXA Help Centre. Discharge of Mortgage – NSW, VIC, WA, SA, ACT, TAS, NT You still submit the paper DAVA to ANZ, but the exchange of funds and lodgement of discharge documents happens digitally between the legal practitioners.
ANZ’s PEXA workspace invitation should reach them at least fifteen days before the scheduled settlement date. A later invitation may push settlement out, and if pre-settlement conditions haven’t been met within five business days of settlement, expect a delay.4PEXA Help Centre. ANZ Transfer Checklist Your solicitor or conveyancer handles PEXA, but you help the timing by lodging the DAVA as early as you can.
Fees and Payout Figure
ANZ charges a discharge fee when you close out a mortgage. The current amount can change, so confirm it with ANZ directly or ask your solicitor to request a payout figure that itemises all charges. The payout statement typically includes the remaining principal, accrued interest calculated daily to the settlement date, and the discharge fee.
Daily interest is the detail that catches people off guard. Because the payout is calculated to a specific date, every day settlement slides adds another day’s interest. On a large mortgage that adds up quickly, and a delayed settlement means your solicitor will need an updated payout figure from ANZ.
Fixed-Rate Break Costs
If your loan is on a fixed rate and you’re discharging before the fixed term expires, an early repayment cost may apply on top of the discharge fee. ANZ applies this cost when you repay a fixed-rate loan in full or in part, or switch rates, before the fixed period ends. The amount depends on how much time is left on the fixed term and the difference between your contracted rate and current market rates.5ANZ. Fixed Rate Loans – What Happens if You Repay Some or All of It Early Ask ANZ for a break cost estimate before locking in a settlement date. On some loans the figure runs into thousands and can change the economics of refinancing.
Removing a Guarantor
Using the DAVA to remove a guarantor has a quirk. For privacy reasons, ANZ requires a separate DAVA for the guarantor’s security release. You cannot discharge your own property and release the guarantor’s on the same form. The guarantor completes and signs their own DAVA, and it’s the borrower’s responsibility to let them know this is needed.2ANZ. Loan Closure Request
ANZ will also assess whether the loan can stand on its own without the guarantee. If your remaining property and financial position don’t meet ANZ’s lending criteria without the guarantor’s backing, the removal will be declined. Check with ANZ that your loan-to-value ratio and income support the change before you submit.
After Submission
Once ANZ processes the DAVA and settlement occurs through PEXA, the discharge of mortgage is lodged electronically with the state or territory land registry, and the mortgage notation is removed from the title. In most jurisdictions this happens within a few business days of electronic settlement. Loans and properties in New Zealand follow a different process through ANZ New Zealand and Land Information New Zealand, not the Australian DAVA covered here.
For questions during the process, ANZ’s loan closure line is 13 25 99, Monday to Friday, 8am to 7pm Sydney/Melbourne time.2ANZ. Loan Closure Request