What to do when a UBS account holder dies
Contact UBS — 6-step process, 8 required documents, and varies by account type and documentation; typically 3-6 weeks after all documents received, longer if ubs requires a state tax waiver or a federal transfer certificate before releasing assets
UBS Financial Services Inc., Client Relations, PO Box 766, Union City, NJ 07087
UBS Financial Services Inc., Client Relations, PO Box 766, Union City, NJ 07087
No dedicated death-claims department. Start with the deceased's UBS Financial Advisor; UBS Client Relations is the fallback. UBS publishes no claims email and instructs clients not to send confidential or account information by email.
UBS Financial Services Inc., Client Relations, PO Box 766, Union City, NJ 07087
After an account holder at UBS dies, accounts with beneficiary designations or trust ownership transfer to the designated recipients without probate. Solely-owned accounts require the estate's representative to contact UBS's No dedicated death-claims department. Start with the deceased's UBS Financial Advisor; UBS Client Relations is the fallback. UBS publishes no claims email and instructs clients not to send confidential or account information by email. at 1-800-354-9103 with the proper legal authority documents.
UBS provides an online portal for initiating death claims, which can simplify the initial notification and document submission process. Claims can also be started by phone or by mailing the required documents.
Death claim process
Follow these steps to file a death claim with UBS:
Filing a claim
- Contact the deceased's UBS Financial Advisor or local branch office to report the death, or call UBS Client Relations at 800-354-9103 (Monday-Friday 8am-5pm ET)
- Provide the deceased's full name and account information
- UBS's Agreements and Disclosures ("Death of an Account Holder or Dissolution of an Entity") states the agreement survives the account holder's death and that any order the client gave remains binding on the client and their personal representative until UBS receives notice of the death. Standing instructions, transfers, and trades in flight are not automatically stopped by the death itself — only by notice.
- Do not email confidential or account information; UBS's contact page instructs clients not to send account information by email
- Under the same clause, UBS may, before or after receiving notice of the death, take whatever actions it deems advisable to protect UBS against tax, liability, penalty, or other losses
- Specifically named in the agreement: UBS may require the survivors, heirs, or the estate to provide legal documents "such as inheritance or estate tax waivers or federal transfer certificates," and may retain a portion of the accounts and/or restrict transactions in them
- State inheritance/estate tax waivers matter here — if the decedent was domiciled in a state that requires one, UBS can hold the assets until it is produced
- The estate and the accounts are jointly liable to UBS for costs, including reasonable attorney's fees, arising from a dispute among account holders or from the death
- The Joint Account clause provides that the estate of a deceased joint account holder, and the surviving holders and heirs, remain jointly and severally liable for any debit balance or loss in the joint account resulting from transactions initiated before UBS receives notice of the death
- They are also liable for losses incurred while UBS liquidates the joint account or adjusts the surviving parties' interests, and they indemnify UBS, the card issuer, and the check provider
- This is the concrete reason to give notice the same week: an unreported death leaves the estate on the hook for market losses on trades that keep settling
- Submit a certified death certificate
- Submit additional identity verification documents for all claimants
- Submit an Affidavit of Domicile, and any state inheritance or estate tax waiver or federal transfer certificate UBS requests
- For executors/administrators: provide Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration
- For TOD beneficiaries: provide government-issued ID and SSN
- For trust beneficiaries: provide Trustee Certification and trust documentation
- For surviving spouse: provide marriage certificate
- Complete required distribution or transfer authorization forms
- UBS processes the claim and transfers assets after all documentation is verified
Required Documents
- Certified death certificate
- Government-issued ID for all claimants (passport or ID card)
- Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration (for estate representatives)
- Certificate of Inheritance (if applicable under state law)
- Trust Certification (if trust is beneficiary)
- Marriage certificate (if surviving spouse)
- Affidavit of Domicile
- Tax waiver (if required by state)
What to know at this institution
UBS does not publish a bereavement portal or a public step-by-step estate procedure — the process is advisor-led, and the deceased's Financial Advisor is the primary point of contact, with Client Relations (800-354-9103) as the fallback when there is no advisor relationship or the advisor is unresponsive. The binding rules are in the Agreements and Disclosures: notice of death must be given immediately, orders remain binding until UBS receives that notice, and UBS may restrict the accounts, retain a portion of them, and require inheritance/estate tax waivers or federal transfer certificates before paying out. Legacy Credit Suisse US clients are on UBS platforms and are handled through this same UBS process.
Prepare your letter of instruction to UBS
UBS accepts a claimant-drafted letter of instruction. We draft it for you — addressed to UBS's verified claims department, with the documents it requires enclosed.
Build your letter of instructionProcessing timelines at UBS: Varies by account type and documentation; typically 3-6 weeks after all documents received, longer if UBS requires a state tax waiver or a federal transfer certificate before releasing assets. Incomplete documentation is the most common cause of delays—submitting all required documents with the initial claim helps avoid additional processing time.
Documentation required by UBS includes Certified death certificate, Government-issued ID for all claimants (passport or ID card), and Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration (for estate representatives), along with additional paperwork that varies by account type. All death certificates and court documents must be certified copies.
Frequently asked questions
More than most people expect, and it is spelled out in the Agreements and Disclosures under "Death of an Account Holder or Dissolution of an Entity." The agreement survives your death, and any order you gave stays binding on you and your personal representative until UBS receives notice of the death. Once notified, and UBS reserves the right to act before notice as well, UBS may take whatever action it deems advisable to protect itself against tax, liability, penalty, or loss. The agreement names two specific powers: UBS may require the survivors, heirs, or estate to produce legal documents such as inheritance or estate tax waivers or federal transfer certificates, and it may retain a portion of the accounts and restrict transactions in them. So an executor should expect a freeze and a document demand, and should plan for a state tax waiver if the decedent was domiciled in a state that issues them.
Money, and it lands on the estate. Under the Joint Account provisions of the UBS Agreements and Disclosures, the estate of a deceased joint account holder and the surviving holders and heirs remain jointly and severally liable to UBS for any debit balance or loss in the joint account arising from transactions initiated before UBS receives notification of the death, and for any losses incurred while UBS liquidates the joint account or adjusts the surviving parties' interests. Because the account agreement keeps the decedent's standing orders binding until notice arrives, a delay of weeks can mean the estate absorbs market losses on trades that were still settling. Call the Financial Advisor or Client Relations at 800-354-9103 in the first week.
UBS's No dedicated death-claims department. Start with the deceased's UBS Financial Advisor; UBS Client Relations is the fallback. UBS publishes no claims email and instructs clients not to send confidential or account information by email. can be reached by phone at 1-800-354-9103 for questions throughout the claims process.
Multiple UBS investment accounts may mean multiple claims. Some account types can be processed together, but others require their own documentation. Check with the No dedicated death-claims department. Start with the deceased's UBS Financial Advisor; UBS Client Relations is the fallback. UBS publishes no claims email and instructs clients not to send confidential or account information by email. to confirm what applies.
Sources
Data sourced from UBS primary sources (14 pages reviewed). How we research.
UBS Financial Services Inc., Client Relations, PO Box 766, Union City, NJ 07087
UBS Financial Services Inc., Client Relations, PO Box 766, Union City, NJ 07087
No dedicated death-claims department. Start with the deceased's UBS Financial Advisor; UBS Client Relations is the fallback. UBS publishes no claims email and instructs clients not to send confidential or account information by email.
UBS Financial Services Inc., Client Relations, PO Box 766, Union City, NJ 07087
Estate planning articles
Learn how to protect your UBS accounts and other assets with trusts, beneficiary designations, and estate planning documents.
Is this your situation?
Get a complete guide for your specific circumstances.
More tools for handling this estate
Calculators and checklists for executors and trustees.
How Much Does Probate Cost?
Estimate attorney fees, executor fees, court costs, and timeline for probating an estate in your state. See if the estate qualifies for simplified probate procedures.
How Much Can an Executor Charge?
Calculate how much an executor (personal representative) can charge for administering an estate. See if your state has statutory fees or uses reasonable compensation.
Who Inherits Without a Will?
Find out who inherits your estate and how much they get if you die without a will. Based on your state's intestate succession laws.
What's Fair Trustee Compensation?
Find out what's fair compensation for serving as trustee. Compare family, professional, and corporate trustee rates based on your situation.
How Much Are Estate & Inheritance Taxes?
Calculate federal estate tax, state estate tax (12 states + DC), and inheritance tax (5 states) for an estate or trust.
How Many Death Certificates Do I Need?
Calculate how many certified death certificates you need based on the assets and accounts you need to close. See state-specific ordering information.
