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General power of attorney (Switzerland)

Switzerland · in English

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Made for use in Switzerland

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For people in Switzerland who want a trusted person to act for them generally: contracts, payments, post, authorities, debt enforcement and, where procedure allows, court (Art. 32 ff. of the Code of Obligations, CO). Land, acts needing a public deed and gifts are excluded; settlements as you choose. It can be revoked at any time and ends if you lose capacity — for that, Swiss law has the handwritten advance-care mandate (Vorsorgeauftrag, Art. 360 ff. CC). Sign it and hand it to the person you appoint. Swiss authorities and courts work in their official language — German, French or Italian — so this English version is for dealings between private parties.

  • Last updated November 4, 2026
  • Document in English
Switzerland
Legal
English
Power of Attorney
Print & sign
2 pages

Published byDocMuse

When to use this document

  • You are leaving Switzerland for a long stretch and someone must handle your bank, post and bills.
  • Your elderly father wants you to deal with his insurers and the tax office in Switzerland for him.
  • You travel constantly for work and want a trusted person to sign contracts and cancellations for you.
  • You want a power of attorney in English that leaves out property sales and gifts.

What you fill in

The details the document asks for.

  • Principal
  • Principal's date of birth
  • Principal's address
  • Principal's ID card or passport number
  • Agent
  • Agent's date of birth
  • Agent's address
  • Agent's ID card or passport number
  • Whether settlements are allowed
  • Restrictions on the power of attorney (blank if none)
  • Whether the agent may appoint a substitute
  • City
  • Date

Common questions

Will a general power of attorney still work if I develop dementia or otherwise lose capacity?
No. Under Art. 35 para. 1 CO a power of attorney ends when you lose capacity to act, unless it says otherwise, and this one ends then. For that time Swiss law has the advance-care mandate (Vorsorgeauftrag, Art. 360 ff. CC): written by hand from beginning to end, dated and signed, or made by public deed (Art. 361 CC), and checked by the adult protection authority (KESB) when the time comes (Art. 363 CC). Without one, a spouse or registered partner has limited statutory powers (Art. 374 CC). A typed template cannot be an advance-care mandate, so DocMuse does not sell one.
Can my agent sell my flat or sign a guarantee under a Swiss general power of attorney?
Not under this one. The law requires a special authority for settlements, arbitration, bills of exchange, selling or charging land and gifts (Art. 396 para. 3 CO), and selling a flat also needs a public deed before a notary. This power of attorney excludes land, acts needing a public deed, gifts and guarantees (Bürgschaften) altogether; settlements you allow or not, as you choose. Nobody can make a will for you. For a sale of land, ask the notary which power of attorney they require.
Do Swiss banks and authorities accept a power of attorney written in English?
The law sets no language and no form for a simple power of attorney (Art. 11 para. 1 CO), so it binds you and your agent in English. Each recipient decides what it accepts: banks often ask for their own form or a certified signature, and a public authority, which works in its official language, may ask for a translation or the German, French or Italian version. Swiss authorities and courts work in their official language — German, French or Italian — so this English version is for dealings between private parties. Ask the bank or office before your agent goes there.
How do I take back a general power of attorney I gave in Switzerland?
You can revoke it at any time without giving a reason; a waiver of that right in advance is void (Art. 34 paras 1 and 2 CO). Tell the agent in writing, by registered post, and ask for the document back (Art. 36 para. 1 CO). Also tell your bank, the authorities and anyone else who was shown the power of attorney: until they know, you cannot rely on the revocation against third parties in good faith (Art. 34 para. 3 CO). Acts the agent did before learning of the revocation still bind you, unless the other party knew of it (Art. 37 CO).

How you can sign this document

  • Print it and sign by hand. The signature lines in the document are left blank on purpose — sign on them in ink.
  • Sign it yourself with a qualified electronic signature. If you already hold a QES — Evrotrust, B-Trust, StampIT, ZealiD or any qualified provider on the EU Trusted List, on a card, a USB token, in a mobile app or in the cloud — our signing guide explains step by step how to sign this exact file without invalidating it. Step-by-step help, and a way to check it worked

DocMuse sells documents, not legal advice. Acceptance always depends on the recipient's rules and your local law.

Related documents

  • General power of attorney, in German (Switzerland)

    For people in Switzerland who want a trusted person to act for them generally, in German: contracts, payments, post, authorities, debt enforcement and, where allowed, court (Art. 32 ff. CO). Land, acts needing a public deed and gifts are excluded; settlements as you choose. It can be revoked at any time and ends if you lose capacity — for that, Swiss law has the handwritten advance-care mandate (Art. 360 ff. CC). Sign it and hand it to the person you appoint.

  • General power of attorney, in French (Switzerland)

    For people in Switzerland who want a trusted person to act for them generally, in French: contracts, payments, post, authorities, debt enforcement and, where procedure allows, court (Art. 32 ff. CO). Land, acts needing a public deed and gifts are excluded; settlements as you choose. It can be revoked at any time and ends if you lose capacity — for that, Swiss law has the handwritten advance-care mandate (Art. 360 ff. CC). Sign it and hand it to the person you appoint.

  • General power of attorney, in Italian (Switzerland)

    For people in Switzerland who want a trusted person to act for them generally, in Italian: contracts, payments, post, authorities, debt enforcement and, where procedure allows, court (Art. 32 ff. CO). Land, acts needing a public deed and gifts are excluded; settlements as you choose. It can be revoked at any time and ends if you lose capacity — for that, Swiss law has the handwritten advance-care mandate (mandato precauzionale, Art. 360 ff. CC). Sign it and hand it to the person you appoint.

  • Power of attorney for one matter (Switzerland)

    For people in Switzerland who authorise someone for one precisely described matter: collecting a parcel or documents, deregistering a vehicle, voting at a meeting, attending a flat handover (Art. 32 ff. of the Code of Obligations, CO). With an end date, without land or acts needing a public deed; settlements and gifts only if expressly described (Art. 396 para. 3 CO). Sign it and give it to the person you appoint. Swiss authorities and courts work in their official language — German, French or Italian — so this English version is for dealings between private parties.

  • Power of attorney for one matter, in Italian (Switzerland)

    For people in Switzerland who authorise someone for one precisely described matter, in Italian: collecting a parcel or documents, deregistering a vehicle, voting at a meeting, attending a flat handover (Art. 32 ff. CO). With an end date, without land or acts needing a public deed; settlements and gifts only if expressly described (Art. 396 para. 3 CO). Sign it and give it to the person you appoint.

  • Power of attorney for one matter, in French (Switzerland)

    For people in Switzerland who authorise someone for one precisely described matter, in French: collecting a parcel or documents, handing in a vehicle's plates, voting at a meeting, attending the move-out inspection (Art. 32 ff. CO). With an end date, without land or acts needing a public deed; settlements and gifts only if the matter expressly describes them (Art. 396 para. 3 CO). Sign it and give it to the person you appoint.