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HSBC Australia: deceased estate process & threshold

Updated 20 August 2026 · 5 minute read

What HSBC Australia does when a customer dies, how much it will release without probate, and the paperwork its estates team asks for — as at August 2026.

$50,000Released without probate (solely-held funds)As at August 2026
1300 308 008Bereavement / deceased estates contacthsbc.com.au
1–3 wksTypical release time once paperwork is completeIndustry-typical

The threshold

HSBC can waive probate where the combined estate is $50,000 or less and includes no real estate. Where the deceased lived overseas, the waiver line drops to $15,000 with a certified will.

What happens when you notify

  1. Notify the estates team

    One notification covers every account. Solely-held accounts are frozen; joint accounts keep operating for the survivor; direct debits from sole accounts stop.

  2. The bank opens a deceased estate file

    You'll be sent the document checklist below and a reference for the file.

  3. Below the threshold: release on documents

    Certified paperwork plus the bank's release/indemnity form, and funds are paid out — typically inside 1–3 weeks.

  4. Above the threshold: the bank waits for the grant

    Once probate or letters of administration arrive, the bank releases to the executor or the estate account.

Documents HSBC asks for

Worth knowing

Email deceased.estate.notifications.hbau@hsbc.com.au; overseas +61 2 9005 8220; post GPO Box 5302 Sydney NSW 2001. Cross-border estates are HSBC's specialty complication — expect extra documents for overseas wills.

Even while accounts are frozen

Like most institutions, the bank can pay the funeral director's invoice directly from the deceased's account, and can release funds to cover probate filing costs — ask the estates team.

If a grant is needed after all

One over-threshold institution is enough to send the whole estate down the probate path. Start with how to apply and your state's page, or compare the other banks in the threshold table.

Over the threshold at HSBC?

Fixed-fee probate quotes take two minutes, and the whole application runs remotely.

Get fixed-fee probate quotes
Does the threshold apply per account or in total?

In total per institution — all solely-held accounts at the bank are added together. Accounts at other banks are assessed separately by those banks.

Can I use the money for the funeral first?

Yes — invoice-direct payment to the funeral director is standard at virtually every Australian bank, even from frozen accounts.

How do I get certified copies?

A JP, pharmacist, police officer or solicitor can certify — free at most pharmacies and JP desks in shopping centres and courts.

Sources

  • HSBC Australia deceased estates page (hsbc.com.au/help/deceased-estates/), retrieved August 2026