HSBC Discharge Form: How to Discharge Your Home Loan
Quick answer. HSBC does not publish its discharge form. You ask for it through your relationship manager, a branch, or by phoning 1300 308 008, and every borrower and mortgagor signs it. HSBC charges a $395 discharge fee, plus the NSW government’s $182.73 to register the discharge, and says it can take up to 21 business days to finalise once it has your signed request. If a broker is refinancing you, the broker requests, prepares and lodges this for you.
Searching for the HSBC discharge authority? You’re in the right place. A discharge authority and a discharge form are the same thing: your signed instruction for HSBC to release the mortgage on your property.
Where to get the official HSBC discharge form
HSBC’s understanding mortgage discharge page explains the process, and its forms page says to contact your relationship manager, your local branch, or 1300 308 008 to request the discharge. Format: bank-issued form, no public download. HSBC says the discharge authority must be completed and signed by all borrowers and mortgagors; it does not say whether an electronic signature is accepted.
HSBC does not publish a discharge email address or postal address either, so the route is phone, branch or relationship manager. Once the request is in, the discharge itself is lodged electronically with the state land registry through PEXA, by HSBC or the incoming lender.
One more thing HSBC customers should know: HSBC’s own forms page carries a notice that it is closing its Australian retail banking business over the next 18 months. If you have an HSBC home loan, a refinance is likely coming whether you planned one or not, and the discharge process on this page is the road out. Worth starting early rather than in the last month.
What you’ll need to fill it in
HSBC’s form is not public, so we can only tell you what HSBC says it needs and what the form asks for in practice when we lodge one for a client:
- Every borrower and every mortgagor (anyone on the title), all of whom must sign.
- The loan account number(s) and the property being released.
- Why you are discharging: sale, refinance, or loan repaid.
- Your solicitor or conveyancer if selling, or the incoming lender and your broker if refinancing.
- Where any surplus money should go.
- Signatures from all borrowers and mortgagors.
What it costs
| Cost | Amount | Source |
|---|---|---|
| HSBC discharge fee | $395 (as at 20 September 2026) | HSBC home loan fees and charges, effective 28 February 2025 |
| Fixed-rate break cost | Individually calculated | HSBC fixed rate handout |
| NSW government fee to register the discharge | $182.73 incl. GST (as at 20 September 2026; other states differ) | NSW LRS 2026/27 fees |
HSBC’s $395 is one of the higher discharge fees among the lenders we cover; the bank raised it from $300 in its most recent change to terms. The $150 settlement fee in the same schedule is charged when you first draw the loan, not when you leave.
On a fixed rate, HSBC charges break costs if you pay the loan off before the fixed period ends, switch rates or products, or overpay by more than $10,000 in a year. HSBC works the payout figure out a day before discharge on a fixed loan and a few days before on a variable one.
How long it takes
HSBC is clear: once it has your signed request, it could take up to 21 business days to finalise and process the discharge. That is about four weeks, so lodge the form the day the new loan is unconditionally approved.
With HSBC the slow part is usually getting the form in the first place, because it has to come from the bank. If your relationship manager is away or you are waiting on a branch, ask for it by phone on 1300 308 008 the same day.
The traps we see people fall into
Waiting for the form. Because HSBC issues it rather than publishing it, people lose a week just asking. Request it the moment you decide to refinance, even before the new approval lands; requesting the form is not the same as lodging it.
Lodging before the new loan is unconditional. Once HSBC has the signed form it starts a payout that can take four weeks. If the new approval slips, you are in limbo. Formal approval first, signed form second.
The offset balance. At settlement HSBC clears the loan and closes the linked accounts, offset included. Decide where that money goes, and before the account shuts, check the offset was being credited. How to check.
Paying the loan to zero and thinking you are done. HSBC says it plainly: paying off the mortgage in full does not close it. You still need to request the discharge to get HSBC off your title.
Run the numbers before you send the form
A discharge only makes sense if the new loan beats the old one after the fees. Our calculators do the maths in a minute or two:
- Cost to switch calculator — the one to start with: it takes the discharge fee, the government fee and any break cost and tells you how many months until the switch has paid for itself.
- Loan repayment calculator — the new lender’s rate next to what HSBC charges you now.
- Home loan offset calculator — what an offset account is worth to you, at either lender.
- Offset account checker — before the old loan closes, check HSBC was crediting your offset properly. It is much harder to argue a mistake after the account is gone.
Refinancing? You don’t need to do any of this yourself
When Soren Financial refinances a client away from HSBC, we prepare the discharge authority, tell you exactly where to sign, lodge it, chase the payout figure and any break cost, and book settlement so the HSBC loan closes the day the new one opens. We request the form from HSBC on day one so the 21 business days start as early as possible. The incoming lender pays us, so it costs you nothing.
Written by Mansour Soltani, Director, Soren Financial. Mansour has arranged refinances across the major banks and the non-bank lenders since 2019, and handles the discharge paperwork for every client Soren moves. Certificate IV and Diploma in Finance and Mortgage Broking Management. FBAA member. Credit Representative 527161 of Finsure Finance and Insurance Pty Ltd, Australian Credit Licence 384704.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I get the HSBC discharge form?
HSBC does not publish it. Ask your relationship manager, visit a branch, or phone 1300 308 008 and HSBC will issue the discharge authority.
How much is the HSBC discharge fee?
$395 as at 20 September 2026, plus the government registration fee for your state and any fixed-rate break cost.
How long does an HSBC discharge take?
HSBC says up to 21 business days to finalise and process once it has your signed request.
Who has to sign the HSBC discharge form?
All borrowers and all mortgagors, which means everyone named on the property title.
Do I need to discharge if I have paid my HSBC loan off?
Yes. HSBC says paying the loan off does not automatically close it; you must request a discharge of mortgage to remove HSBC from your title.