Standard Bank runs deceased estates on its own number, separate from personal banking, and the paperwork it asks for changes depending on the size of the estate.
Task scope
This covers reporting a death to the bank, the documents needed before an estate can be processed, and the forms required by the Master of the High Court.
Route
- Deceased estates, urgent assistance: 0860 439 770
- Personal banking: 0860 123 000
- Complaint resolution centre: 0860 101 101
Requirements
The bank cannot begin processing until every required document has been received, so a partial submission stalls the matter rather than starting it. The process is opened using the Report a Death function on the Standard Bank website, and documents that are not available at that point can be sent in afterwards.
Steps
The core documents are the original will, or a next of kin affidavit on form J192 where there is no will; the death certificate; a completed death notice on form BI-1663, which is also used for a credit life claim; identity documents for the deceased, the executor, the representative of the Master and any appointed agents, with smart identity cards copied front and back; letters of executorship or authority, certified if they carry no QR code; the marriage certificate; an affidavit about the care of any minor children; proof of the deceased account or of a nominated account certified by a Commissioner of Oaths if it is not held at Standard Bank; a declaration that the estate has not been reported to another office of the Master; a nominations form; and an inventory on form J243.
Escalation
The value of the estate decides which acceptance form applies. Below R250,000 the executor files an acceptance of the instructions of the Master on form J155 and a list of creditors is required. Above R250,000 the form is an acceptance of trust as executor, J190, and proof of a dedicated estate bank account is requested for a large estate. The Master of the High Court, not the bank, sets these requirements, and its website carries the full list. A complaint about the bank handling goes to the complaint resolution centre and then to the National Financial Ombud on 0860 800 900.
Sources
- standardbank.co.za/southafrica/personal/contact-us, read 3 September 2026.
- standardbank.co.za personal customer-solutions deceased-estates page, read 3 September 2026.