Banks have a deceased estates team for this, and a code of practice that sets out what they do once told.
Who usually does this
The executor, administrator or a close family member, or a solicitor acting for them.
What they will ask for
- A certified copy of the death certificate
- A certified copy of the will if you are the executor, or evidence that you are next of kin if there is no will
- Proof of your identity
- The person’s account details
- The grant of probate or letters of administration, where the bank requires it
How to tell them
Contact the bank’s deceased estates or bereavement team by phone, in a branch, or through the online notification form on its website.
There is no deadline, but accounts are safer once the bank knows.
One free government form tells many organisations at once. The death has to be registered first. How it works, or go straight to deathnotification.gov.au.
What happens next
The bank secures accounts in the person’s sole name, removes their online and app banking access, restricts withdrawals, and stops fees for services it can no longer provide. Once your authority is established, the bank acts on instructions from the estate representative.
A bank that subscribes to the Banking Code of Practice acts on a valid instruction from the estate representative within 14 business days of receiving it.
The official page
Things change, so check their own page before you start: Australian Banking Association: the Banking Code of Practice.
The longer read
This is one of many. The tracker holds all of them.
The notification tracker lists every organisation most families have to tell, with a place to mark each one off and keep the reference number they give you. The checklist for the weeks after a death is free, with no account needed.
Checked against the official sources on 13 September 2026. General information, not advice. 18December is not affiliated with any organisation named on this page.