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Power of attorney for one matter (Switzerland)
Switzerland · in English
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14 questions · about 6 min
Made for use in Switzerland
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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.
- Made for use in Switzerland
- Last updated November 4, 2026
- Document in English
Published byDocMuse
When to use this document
- A friend has to collect a registered letter or parcel for you at a post office in Switzerland.
- You cannot attend the owners' meeting of your building in Switzerland and want someone to vote for you.
- Your partner needs to deregister your car and hand in the plates while you are away.
- A colleague will attend your flat handover with the landlord on your behalf.
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
- The matter the power of attorney is for (described precisely)
- Restrictions on the power of attorney (blank if none)
- Whether the agent may appoint a substitute
- Valid until
- City
- Date
Common questions
- What should the description of the matter say in a Swiss power of attorney for one matter?
- Enough for a stranger to see exactly what the agent may do: which parcel or document, at which office, which vehicle and plate number, which meeting and date, which flat. The scope follows from the content of the power of attorney (Art. 33 para. 2 CO), so a vague description invites refusal. Say expressly if the agent may settle a dispute or make a gift, as the law requires (Art. 396 para. 3 CO). Add an end date; you can revoke the power earlier at any time (Art. 34 CO).
- Does a one-off power of attorney in Switzerland need a certified signature?
- Not by law: a simple power of attorney needs no particular form (Art. 11 para. 1 CO), and your signature is enough. Some recipients still ask for certification, such as the commercial register or a bank; you then sign before the certifying officer your canton designates, often a notary. This power of attorney is not meant for land or other acts needing a public deed: for those, go to a notary, who will tell you which power of attorney they need.
- Can someone I trust represent me at a Swiss conciliation hearing or in court?
- In court, yes: any party with capacity may be represented, also by a trusted person who does not act professionally (Art. 68 paras 1 and 2 CPC); they show this power of attorney, and the court may still order you to appear (paras 3 and 4). At the conciliation hearing, however, you must appear in person: the agent may accompany you and represents you only if you live outside the canton or abroad, or illness, age or another important reason keeps you away (Art. 204 CPC). Name the proceedings and their number in the description of the matter.
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
- Power of attorney for one matter, in German (Switzerland)
For people in Switzerland who authorise someone for one precisely described matter, in German: 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.
- 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.
- 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 (Switzerland)
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.
- 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.