Have you been told you need High Court permission (probate or letters of administration) before you can access your loved one’s funds, because they had more than $15,000 in a New Zealand bank?
That rule has now changed.
Starting on 24 September 2025, banks and most other financial institutions are able to release up to $40,000 without requiring High Court paperwork such as probate or letters of administration.
It doesn’t matter whether your loved one died before or after 24 September 2025. The change is retrospective. It applies even if your loved one died in 2024, or 2005, or 1999.
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