How do I claim an SBI account after the account holder dies?
Take the death certificate and your identity proof to the home branch of the account. If a nominee is registered, SBI pays the nominee on its deceased-claim form — it cannot add a succession certificate on top. If there is no nominee, SBI settles below its threshold on an indemnity and heir declarations, and may ask for a succession certificate only above that threshold.
Go to the home branch
SBI processes a deceased claim at the branch where the account is held, not at any convenient branch. Carry the passbook or an account statement so the staff can open the right customer information file on the first visit.
Ask in writing whether a nomination is recorded. Families often guess. The answer changes the document list completely.
If SBI has a nominee on file
The nominee submits the bank’s deceased-claim form, the death certificate, and officially valid identity and address proof. Under the RBI (Settlement of Claims in respect of Deceased Customers of Banks) Directions, 2025, a bank that has a valid nomination must not demand a succession certificate, a legal heir certificate, probate or an indemnity from the nominee, whatever the balance.
The nominee is paid as a trustee. The money still belongs to the legal heirs under the succession law that applies to the family. Record the shares in an affidavit when you collect the funds.
If there is no nominee
Every scheduled bank must fix a threshold no lower than ₹15 lakh below which it settles without sending the family to court. SBI’s own circular may set a higher figure — ask the branch for the current number in writing.
Below that threshold the usual pack is the claim form, death certificate, identity proof of the claimants, an indemnity bond, and a no-objection or disclaimer from heirs who are not claiming.
Above the threshold SBI can ask for a succession certificate, or for a legal heir certificate plus indemnity where its policy still allows that. Confirm which of the two it will accept before you file in court.
How long SBI has
Once the file is complete, the RBI (Settlement of Claims in respect of Deceased Customers of Banks) Directions, 2025 require the bank to settle within 15 calendar days. The clock starts when the last required paper arrives, not when you first walked in.
If the branch sits on a complete file, escalate through SBI’s grievance portal and then to the RBI Ombudsman. Take the written list of documents they asked for, and the acknowledgement of what you submitted.
Common questions
- Can SBI ask for a succession certificate when there is a nominee?
- No. Where a nomination is registered, the RBI directions stop a bank demanding a succession certificate, legal heir certificate, probate or indemnity from the nominee, irrespective of the amount.
- Which SBI branch do I go to?
- The home branch of the account. Another branch can print a form; it cannot usually settle the claim.
- How long does an SBI deceased claim take?
- A complete nominee file is often paid inside a few weeks. The outer limit once every required paper is in is 15 calendar days. Missing one document resets that clock.
Find out what your case needs
The free check applies all of the above to your actual family and your actual accounts, and tells you the shares and the document list in two minutes.
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Last reviewed 2026-09-24. This is general information, not legal advice. Institution requirements change — confirm before you file.