How to apply for probate in Victoria: steps, fees and timing
If your loved one passed away in Victoria and you are the executor, you apply to the Probate Office of the Supreme Court of Victoria, online through RedCrest-Probate. The court has a clear step-by-step guide. This page follows it, adds the fees from 1 July 2026 and covers what happens once the grant is made. We read every page listed under Sources on 3 November 2026.
First, check whether you need a grant
The court says grants are not always needed and suggests contacting each asset holder to ask. Whether you need one depends mainly on:
- Real estate. If your loved one owned real estate solely or as a tenant in common, the court says a grant is always required.
- Joint assets. Money in a joint account may pass to the surviving holder on a death certificate, and jointly held real estate can be transferred to the survivor through the Land Titles Office.
- Small amounts. Some banks and insurers may release money without a grant if the amount is minimal and there are no complications, sometimes with conditions.
- Super. Super is often paid straight to a nominee under a binding nomination. The Probate Office can’t help with super questions, so contact the fund.
There are three main types of grant: probate (there is a will and you are the named executor), letters of administration with the will annexed, and letters of administration where there is no will. The court has a short questionnaire to help you work out which one applies.
Four ways to apply
The court lists four options: use a lawyer, use a trustee company, apply yourself, or use the Probate Office’s small estates optional service if the estate qualifies. The steps below are for applying yourself.
The steps
1. Gather the documents and details
The court suggests collecting:
- the original will and any codicils;
- the death certificate showing the cause of death;
- a list of assets and debts, such as bank accounts, property and loans;
- contact details for everyone named in the will.
You don’t need everything perfect before you start. An asset register kept from the first week makes the inventory much easier to fill in later.
2. Create a RedCrest-Probate account
You need an account to publish the notice and file the application.
3. Advertise your intention to apply
Publish a notice of intention to apply on RedCrest-Probate. The court’s guide says to do this at least 15 days before applying. The RedCrest-Probate help page explains that the rules require 14 clear days and the Probate Office can’t waive this, so in practice you file 15 or more days after the notice. A notice is valid for 3 years, and publishing it again restarts the 15 days.
4. Prepare the affidavit and inventory
Once the notice is published, RedCrest-Probate takes you through the remaining questions and creates your affidavit and the inventory of assets and liabilities. Check them carefully. The affidavit must be signed in front of someone authorised to witness it, and the court says you can book an appointment at the court for this.
5. Upload, pay and post the originals
Scan each document separately (the affidavit, the will and any codicils, the death certificate and the inventory), upload them and pay any fee. For probate, the court then asks you to post the original will and codicils, the certificate identifying exhibits and the originating motion created by RedCrest-Probate.
6. Wait for the Probate Office
The Probate Office emails you when it receives the original will, again if it needs more information, and when the grant is made. Check your junk folder too. If it asks for more, you file the extra documents through RedCrest-Probate.
Fees from 1 July 2026
The Probate Office fee for a grant is based on the gross value of the Victorian assets only. These are the standard fees in the court’s schedule effective 1 July 2026. The schedule defines a standard fee payer as a natural person, which usually covers an executor applying for themselves.
| Gross value of Victorian assets | Fee |
|---|---|
| Under A$250,000 | A$0 |
| A$250,000 to under A$500,000 | A$544 |
| A$500,000 to under A$1 million | A$1,088 |
| A$1 million to under A$2 million | A$2,538.70 |
| A$2 million to under A$3 million | A$5,077.40 |
| A$3 million to under A$5 million | A$7,598.80 |
| A$5 million to under A$7 million | A$12,693.40 |
| A$7 million or more | A$17,770.80 |
The same schedule lists the RedCrest-Probate notice at A$38 (A$51.80 for a republished notice), a caveat at A$354, a request to amend a grant at A$22.50 and an exemplification of a grant at A$31.10. Fees change each 1 July.
The small estates optional service
For deaths from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027, the Probate Office can prepare the application for simple estates worth up to A$137,210. The fee is A$285 plus the A$38 notice (A$323 in total). The court lists situations it can’t help with, such as a missing original will, a will not witnessed by two people, or an applicant acting under a power of attorney. Using the service is optional: you can still apply yourself through RedCrest-Probate, paying only the A$38 notice if the estate is under A$250,000.
How long it takes
The court does not give a set processing time in its guide. It says this step may take some time, that it will keep you informed by email, and that you don’t need to follow up unless you have been waiting longer than expected. Allow for the 15-day notice period, the time it takes to post the original will, and any request for more information.
After the grant
The court’s guide says that once you have the grant you can contact banks, share registries and other asset holders, collect and manage the assets, pay the debts and then distribute what remains. The grant sits on RedCrest-Probate. To let an asset holder see it, give them the application number and the unique identifier, both shown on the grant. The court says it can’t give these details out, and that the Probate Office’s role ends once the grant is issued.
- Land. Land Use Victoria lists an Application by Legal Personal Representative (Transfer of Land Act s 49) for an executor or administrator, and an Application by Surviving Proprietor (s 50) where land was held jointly. The 2026-27 lodgement fee is A$46.80 electronic or A$57.30 on paper. Since 28 November 2025, individuals can lodge these themselves.
- Vehicles. VicRoads asks for the deceased estate transfer form to be lodged within 90 days of becoming the authorised representative.
- Claims from creditors. Section 33 of the Trustee Act 1958 (Vic) (“Protection by means of advertisements”) covers advertising for claims before distributing. The period given in the notice must be not less than two months.
Time limits to ask about
These are flags, not a calculator, and not advice. Section 99 of the Administration and Probate Act 1958 (Vic) says a family provision application must be made within 6 months after the date of the grant. The court can extend this, but an application for an extension must be made before the estate is finally distributed. Section 99A gives some protection to a personal representative who distributes after that 6-month period without notice of a claim. We read the authorised version current on 3 November 2026. Please talk to a Victorian lawyer about your dates before you distribute anything.
Keep a record as you go
For each step, note the date, the document, the RedCrest-Probate reference and what happens next. The VIC Add-on (A$19) is a spreadsheet with a Victorian checklist, a forms register, a notices and key dates tracker, property and vehicle notes and a list of questions to take to a lawyer. It sits beside the All Ends Tied Workbook (A$39), which holds the main asset, debt and contact records. If you would like to start with something free, the Starter Kit has a First 14 Days tab and a register of who you have told.
For the other states and territories, see executor resources by state.
Common questions
Do I need probate in Victoria?
Not always. The Supreme Court of Victoria says many estates are handled without a grant, and some banks and insurers release small amounts without one. A grant is always required if your loved one owned real estate solely or as a tenant in common. Ask each asset holder what it needs.
How much is probate in Victoria?
From 1 July 2026 the grant fee depends on the gross value of the Victorian assets: A$0 under A$250,000, A$544 from A$250,000, A$1,088 from A$500,000, rising to A$17,770.80 for A$7 million or more. The RedCrest-Probate notice is A$38. Check the court's current fees before filing.
How long after advertising can I apply?
The court's guide says to publish the notice at least 15 days before applying. The RedCrest-Probate help page says the rules require 14 clear days, so you file 15 or more days after the notice. It also says a notice stays valid for 3 years.
Is there a cheaper option for a small estate?
The Probate Office runs a small estates optional service for simple estates up to A$137,210 (deaths from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027). The service fee is A$285 plus the A$38 notice. Some situations are excluded, and you can still apply yourself through RedCrest-Probate.
Victoria tabs: official links, checklist, forms register, key-dates tracker, property and vehicle notes and solicitor questions.
Sources
- Supreme Court of Victoria: How to determine if a grant is required
- Supreme Court of Victoria: How to apply for a grant of probate or administration
- RedCrest-Probate: Help
- Supreme Court of Victoria: Probate Office fees
- Supreme Court of Victoria: Court fees effective 1 July 2026 (PDF)
- Supreme Court of Victoria: Small estates optional service
- Administration and Probate Act 1958 (Vic)
- Trustee Act 1958 (Vic)
- Land Use Victoria: Fees, guides and forms
- VicRoads: Deceased estates