Choose the right NS&I route first
Identify what you know and choose the matching NS&I route. Use account recovery for a known holding. Use the free NS&I Tracing Service if you cannot confirm that an investment exists.
The real issue is choosing the wrong starting point. A tracing search looks for an uncertain investment, whereas an access request assumes NS&I has already found the account.
Use records for a known holding
Request account help when you can name the product or provide a reference. Old letters showing the investment also help.
This can apply to Premium Bonds, NS&I Income Bonds and Direct ISA holdings. It can also apply to Investment Accounts, Guaranteed Growth Bonds and Guaranteed Income Bonds.
A known product gives NS&I a clear place to start.
Use tracing for an unknown account
Use the NS&I Tracing Service when you have no reliable proof of an NS&I investment. Give every former name, old address and rough date you can remember.
Do not guess the product name. It is better to provide honest gaps than an incorrect product detail.
The most common mistake here is treating tracing like a replacement certificate request. Tracing is for finding a possible holding first.
| Your situation | Correct first route | Useful evidence |
|---|
| Known Premium Bonds, holder's number lost | Ask NS&I to recover the holding or access | Name, date of birth, address, old Bond details |
| Old National Savings Certificates | Ask NS&I to check the certificate product | Certificate serial numbers, issue dates, names |
| Known account, all letters lost | Recover access or update details | NS&I number, previous address, ID |
| Account may exist, product unknown | Free NS&I Tracing Service | All names, addresses and dates available |
Use NS&I account recovery or a replacement record when you can identify the holding. Use free NS&I tracing when the investment is uncertain. Tracing lets NS&I search historic names and addresses, whereas an access request assumes NS&I has already found an account. Start with tracing after a move, marriage, divorce or bereavement if you are unsure.
Choose the route first, then gather proof for that route.
⚠️ Do not request a replacement record for a holding that you cannot identify. Use tracing first when the product may be unknown.
Collect identity details, address history and old references before contacting NS&I. Set these facts aside before you start an online request or phone call.
Allow between 10 and 20 minutes to make one clear list. This avoids stopping halfway through a request to search old boxes.
Separate the three document types
An old physical Savings Certificate proves a particular historic product. It is not the same as a current account record.
A replacement Bond record shows identified Premium Bonds. A holder's number is an account reference that may help with online access.
The holder's number may also help with the Premium Bonds prize checker.
Match changed names and addresses
Include proof of a changed name when old records differ from your current ID. This explains why the names do not match.
A marriage certificate, decree absolute or deed poll can link the names. Recent proof of address helps NS&I check where you live now.
Your NS&I recovery path
1. Known product?
Yes: recover record or access
2. Not sure?
Use free tracing
3. Acting for another?
Send legal authority
Before making an NS&I account recovery request, organise details that fit your case. For your own holding, gather your full name and date of birth.
Also gather your current and previous addresses. Keep any NS&I number, holder's number or old Bond details nearby.
Have proof of identity and proof of address ready if NS&I asks for them. If your name changed, include proof linking your current ID to the investment name.
For a deceased holder, keep the death certificate and all historic names. Keep historic addresses and known investment details too.
Keep documents that show you can deal with the estate. Clear copies and matching address details can cut avoidable follow-up questions.
For National Savings Certificates, keep the original certificate if you have it. Keep its serial number, issue date, denomination and printed name.
Old certificates can have terms unlike modern NS&I products. Their age alone does not show whether they were repaid, matured or remain outstanding.
A physical certificate is useful evidence. It does not confirm the current owner or value.
If papers are incomplete, give NS&I every detail you have. Do not alter, discard or rely on an estimated serial number.
This preparation works well in theory, but an unclear address history often causes delays. Write addresses in date order before you contact NS&I.
Gather names, dates and addresses before your request. The next stage explains what changes when you act for somebody else.
Start with the evidence that links you to the holding: your name, date of birth and address history. Add old NS&I numbers or certificate details where available. If your name changed, include the document that joins both names. For an estate, include the death certificate and proof of authority. A clear, consistent list can prevent weeks of extra questions.
⚠️ Never invent a certificate serial number or former address. An incorrect detail can stop NS&I matching historic records.
Handle estates and hard-to-match records
Prove your authority before asking about somebody else's NS&I holding. Being next of kin does not normally let you discuss a relative's account.
This check protects the holder's money. It also protects you from making a request without the right legal papers.
Act properly after a bereavement
When someone has died, list every known name, address and product. Then use the official bereavement or tracing route.
The executor or administrator should make the request. They need the death certificate and any estate papers NS&I requires.
A usual case is a child finding an old certificate after a parent's death. NS&I still needs proof that the child can act for the estate.
Know what happens next
NS&I may check identity and compare historic details. It may ask for clearer copies or extra legal documents.
Straightforward access recovery can take between a few days and two weeks. Tracing or estate checks can take several weeks when staff must match records by hand.
The NS&I official website is the safe starting point.
Waiting times can increase when names do not match.
⚠️ Do not send only your own ID for a deceased person's holding. NS&I needs proof that you can legally act for the estate.
If the holder is alive, being a spouse, child or carer does not give account access. NS&I may need formal legal authority.
This may be a valid registered Lasting Power of Attorney. It may be an Enduring Power of Attorney where that still applies.
It may also be authority from a Court of Protection deputy. Give the holder's details as accurately as you can.
Send the legal document that allows you to act. This step often takes longer if the document copy is unclear.
Where you cannot confirm that an investment exists, NS&I investment tracing may still be the right first step. Legal authority is usually needed before NS&I discusses account details or changes the holding.
This advice does not replace normal account access. If the investment already appears in your NS&I online account, update details or recover access instead.
This route does not cover bank accounts, pensions or non-NS&I investments. Those providers have their own tracing and bereavement processes.
If you have your documents ready, start through NS&I's official channel. This avoids paid tracing firms and keeps your identity papers in the right place.
Legal authority decides what NS&I can disclose or change. Check that point before sending documents, then use the matching route above.
⚠️ This process does not apply to accounts already visible online, or to savings products held outside NS&I.
Questions & answers
Use these answers to check your next action before contacting NS&I. Each answer depends on whether the investment is known and whether you are the entitled holder.
What do I do if I lost Premium Bonds papers?
Lost Premium Bonds papers do not usually mean the Bonds are lost. If the holding is known, ask NS&I to recover access or records.
Give your name, date of birth and address history. These details help NS&I match the holding.
Can I check old Premium Bond numbers online for free?
You can check a known holding through official NS&I services after access is restored. If you cannot confirm the Bonds or holder's number, use free tracing instead.
Tracing is the right route when the holding itself is uncertain.
Are 50-year-old Premium Bonds still valid?
The age of Premium Bonds does not cancel them by itself. NS&I must still match the holder or authorised estate representative to its records.
A match may need historic names and addresses.
How do I trace old National Savings Certificates?
Ask NS&I to check old National Savings Certificates as a separate product. Give serial numbers, issue details, former names and historic addresses where available.
Do not estimate a missing serial number.
Do I need probate for NS&I Premium Bonds?
Probate may be needed for a deceased customer's NS&I holding. The required authority depends on the estate and your role as executor or administrator.
NS&I can tell you which estate papers it needs.
Should I pay a company to trace NS&I savings?
No, NS&I's official tracing service is free. Do not pay a fee or share ID until you confirm the channel is official.
Start through the NS&I official website.
- The essentials: use tracing when an NS&I investment cannot yet be confirmed.
- The essentials: use account recovery or records when the product is already known.
- The essentials: keep former names and addresses with your savings paperwork.
- The essentials: estates need legal authority, not just a relative's identification.
Learn more
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