Accounts owned solely by the deceased
All accounts held solely by the deceased will be stopped to debit transactions, preventing any unauthorised access. This includes transactional and savings accounts, credit cards and loans of any type. Direct access to the deceased’s accounts will not be provided to any party.
Any debit cards linked to accounts will be stopped and will no longer work and any direct debits, periodical payments or other regular payments from the account will be cancelled.
If there is any unsecured debt (such as credits cards or personal loans), we'll use available deposit funds to clear/reduce this debt. For any remaining debt or accounts with negative balances, the estate will remain legally responsible for these. We’ll discuss the details with the Legal Personal Representative.
Accounts owned jointly by the deceased
What happens to a joint account depends on the balance and type of account.
Accounts with a credit (positive) balance
Where a joint account has a credit balance, no action will be taken and the surviving account holder(s) continue to have access to the account as normal.
Once we have received proof of death, we’ll remove the deceased’s name from the account.
Accounts with a debit (negative) balance, including loan accounts
Where a joint account has a debit balance, the account will be stopped to further debit transactions. This includes the removal of any redraw facility on loans and suspension of previously agreed credit limits.
For transactional accounts, the restriction on debits can only be removed once the account has been returned to a credit balance position.
For loan accounts and other formal borrowing arrangements, the restriction can only be removed once the facility has been reassessed to remove the deceased’s estate from liability.
We may be able to provide access to up to $20,000 of available funds depending on the relationship of the borrower(s) to the deceased customer, ownership of the property security and approved credit limits. You’ll need to call us on 1300 911 451, Monday to Friday, 8:00am to 5:00pm (AEST/AEDT) to discuss.
If you're overseas, call +61 3 8903 9992.
In most cases, the estate will remain jointly liable for any debit balances alongside any surviving co-borrowers. We’ll discuss the details with the Legal Personal Representative.
Credit cards
All credit cards will be cancelled and will no longer work. This means any recurring payments set up to debit the card account will also be cancelled along with any additional cards previously authorised by the deceased.
If you’re an additional cardholder on the account, your card will no longer work. You may wish to apply for a credit card in your own name. The easiest way is to apply online or you can visit us in a branch for assistance.
If you use your credit card to access your transaction account and don’t have a Visa Debit card, you’ll need to order one to continue accessing your funds. You can apply online for a NAB Visa Debit card or visit us in a branch.
Home loans
Home loan repayments that have previously been deducted from a NAB account in the deceased customer’s sole name will no longer be processed. Home loan repayments that have previously been deducted from a joint account will continue as usual, so long as that account has a credit balance.
If you’re a joint account holder, you can amend the repayment amount or which account the repayments are being deducted from by calling our home lending team on 13 78 79, Monday to Friday, 8:00am to 7:00pm (AEST/AEDT), Saturday to Sunday, 9:00am to 6:00pm (AEST/AEDT)
To remove the deceased from any home loans (both jointly held or solely held), you’ll need to apply for a new loan. You can book a Home Loan appointment to discuss further.
How long does the process take?
We’ll do the following within 14 days once we’ve been notified of the death and received all required documents:
- Verify the death
- Identify the Legal Personal Representative(s)
- Send letters confirming details of the accounts held by the deceased
Once we have instructions and acceptable ID documents from all confirmed Legal Personal Representative(s), we’ll act on those instructions to finalise accounts within 14 days.
If we’re missing required information or documents and you’ve provided your phone number, we’ll try to contact you by phone to discuss. We’ll then follow up in writing detailing what we need.
Customer Care
If you’re having difficulty making repayments on behalf of the estate or are concerned about your ability to do so on an ongoing basis, please contact the Customer Support Hub on 1800 701 599, Monday to Friday, 8:00am to 8:00pm (AEST/AEDT), Saturday, 9:00am to 1:00pm (AEST/AEDT).
Get in touch
NAB Bereavement Services
Visit a NAB branch
Visit your nearest NAB branch to speak to us in person.
Important information
Apologies but the Important Information section you are trying to view is not displaying properly at the moment. Please refresh the page or try again later.