How to Fill Out and Submit the NatWest Bereavement Account Closure Form

To close a deceased person’s account with NatWest, you submit the NatWest bereavement account closure form, but only after you have notified the bank of the death and received a BER reference number. Without that reference, the form will not process. You can complete it online or on the downloadable PDF, and all supporting paperwork goes to NatWest’s Bereavement Services team in Manchester.¹

Notify NatWest First and Get Your BER Reference

Nothing moves forward until the bank knows about the death. The quickest route is the “Notify us” online form, which captures the deceased’s details and your relationship to them.² You can also call the bereavement support line or walk into a branch. Once the notification is processed, NatWest assigns a BER reference number — a unique case identifier you’ll need to enter on the closure form.¹

If the deceased banked with several institutions, the free Death Notification Service lets you notify participating banks and building societies in one submission. It handles notification only, and each bank contacts you separately afterwards.³ Confirm you have your BER reference from NatWest directly before you start the closure form.

Documents to Gather Before You Start

Missing paperwork is the most common reason cases stall. Have everything below in front of you before opening the form.

Death Certificate

NatWest needs to see the death certificate before it will correspond with you about the estate. If the registrar’s certificate isn’t yet available, the bank accepts a coroner’s death certificate, an interim death certificate, a solicitor death verification form, or a foreign death certificate.¹ For a death outside the UK, send the original certificate issued by the local authorities in that country.⁴

Your Identification

Whoever is authorised to deal with the estate has to pass identity checks. You need one photo ID showing your full name: a current signed passport, a UK or EU/EEA driving licence, a military ID card, or a biometric residence permit.¹

You also need one proof of address showing your name and full address. A council tax bill or utility bill dated within the last 12 months works.¹ Overseas representatives can submit a personal bank statement or utility bill from the last six months.⁴

Grant of Probate, Letters of Administration, or an Indemnity

Whether NatWest requires a Grant of Probate (where there is a will) or Letters of Administration (where there isn’t) depends on the total balances held. For smaller balances, NatWest may release funds through an indemnity agreement signed by the executor or next of kin; that agreement has to be signed and witnessed by someone over 18 who is not a family member. For very small balances under £50, a simpler indemnifying letter is used instead.³ NatWest does not publish the exact balance threshold at which a Grant of Representation becomes mandatory, so wait for the bereavement team to confirm what applies once they’ve reviewed the accounts.

Account Details

Have the deceased’s full name, date of birth, and last known address ready, matched to what NatWest holds on file. Compile account numbers and sort codes for every NatWest product they held: current accounts, savings, and any lending. The more complete the picture, the less back-and-forth with the team.

Filling In the Closure Form

You can complete the form online or download the PDF from NatWest’s bereavement documents page.¹ Either way, enter your BER reference at the start.

The form opens with the deceased’s personal details. Match these exactly to NatWest’s records. Discrepancies in middle names, former addresses, or date of birth are easy to overlook and they stall the process. Then enter your own contact details as the person acting for the estate. All future correspondence about settlement goes there.

Next you specify how remaining balances should be paid: by bank transfer to a nominated account, or by cheque posted to the representative’s address. If the Grant of Probate names multiple executors, all of them may need to sign the form before NatWest treats it as a valid instruction. Check every required signature is on the page before submitting.

Submitting the Form and Supporting Documents

There are three ways to get the paperwork to Bereavement Services.

Online With Mitek Verification

Completing the closure form online submits it straight into NatWest’s processing queue. For identity verification, NatWest uses its partner Mitek: you receive an email or SMS with a link asking you to take a selfie and upload your photo ID.¹ Once verification passes, the case proceeds. Solicitors acting on behalf of an estate can’t use Mitek and must submit by email or post.

Post

From within the UK, send documents to:

Bereavement Services
PO Box 5612
Manchester
M61 0WN

From outside the UK, use:

Bereavement Services
NatWest Bank
Mail Room 1
1 Spinningfields Square
Manchester
M3 3AP¹

Use recorded or tracked delivery. You’re posting original certificates and legal documents, and a verifiable trail matters if anything goes missing.

Branch

You can also bring the paperwork into any NatWest branch. Staff will forward it to Bereavement Services. This is often the easiest option if you’d rather not post originals or if you want help completing the form itself.

What Happens After You Submit

The bereavement team reviews your documents, confirms any Grant of Probate is valid, and checks signatures and ID. NatWest doesn’t publish a fixed timeline for full account closures. The only publicly stated turnaround is for funeral invoice payments, which take roughly three to five working days once the team has what it needs.³ Full closure and fund release will likely take longer, especially if more documentation is requested. Expect contact by letter or secure message if anything is outstanding.

Once everything clears, funds are transferred to the nominated account or a closing cheque is posted to the representative, whichever you selected on the form.

Joint Accounts Don’t Use This Form

If the account was held jointly, don’t complete the closure form. NatWest updates the account into the surviving holder’s name and you can carry on using it. Any linked overdraft or lending is reviewed to make sure the arrangement still works for you.³ All you need is the death notification.

Paying a Funeral Invoice Before Closure

NatWest will pay a funeral director’s invoice directly from the deceased’s account before the estate is settled. Send the invoice to Bereavement Services and payment usually clears within three to five working days.³ This is one of the few disbursements the bank will process without a Grant of Probate or formal closure in place.

Managing the Estate From Abroad

If you’re handling the estate from outside the UK, the bereavement support line for international callers is 0044 (0)1204 684 658, open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm UK time, excluding bank holidays.³ When posting documents from overseas, use the Spinningfields Square address in Manchester rather than the PO Box.¹

1
NatWest. Sending Us Documents
2
NatWest. Bereavement
3
NatWest. What to Do When Someone Dies
4
NatWest. Documents Issued Outside the UK