Handwritten will: model to copy out by hand (Poland)
Poland · in Polish
€2.00This document is sold blank, to print and complete by hand.
This document is in Polish
The PDF you download is in Polish — that is the language it has to be filed in, so it is not translated. Everything on this page is here to tell you what it says.
Made for use in Poland
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This document is sold blank, to print and complete by hand.
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A model will to copy out in your own hand, with instructions. A printout of this model is not a will: a handwritten will is valid in Poland only if the testator writes it entirely by hand, signs and dates it (art. 949 § 1 of the Polish Civil Code). It contains a model text — revoking earlier wills, appointing heirs, a legacy and an executor — and guidance on the reserved share (zachowek), on what a handwritten will cannot contain, and on depositing it with a notary and entering it in the Notarial Register of Wills (NORT). The other route is a will made before a notary.
- Made for use in Poland
- Last updated October 27, 2026
Published byDocMuse
When to use this document
- You want to write your will by hand in Poland and need a model to copy out.
- You want to leave your flat or savings to a particular person and put it down in your own hand.
- You have an old will and want to replace it with a new one written by hand.
- You want to know how to write a will at home the right way.
What you fill in
The details the document asks for.
- City
- Date
- Testator
- Testator's date of birth
Common questions
- Is a will typed on a computer and signed by hand valid in Poland?
- No. A handwritten will is valid only if the testator writes it entirely by hand, signs and dates it (art. 949 § 1 of the Polish Civil Code). A printout of this model, a computer text signed in pen, or a scan of either, is not a will and has no effect. Copy the model out in full in your own hand on paper, sign it below the text and write the date.
- How is a handwritten will entered in Poland's Notarial Register of Wills?
- Registration is not compulsory. A handwritten will goes into the Notarial Register of Wills (NORT), kept by the National Council of Notaries, only if the testator hands it to a notary for safekeeping and asks for the entry. The register holds not the will's content but only which notary keeps it; after the death a notary gives that information on sight of the death certificate. The notary charges for accepting and keeping the document under the notarial fee scale.
- Who can claim the reserved share when a handwritten will leaves family out in Poland?
- The testator's descendants, spouse and parents who would inherit under the statute. They are owed half the value of the share they would have received on intestacy, or two thirds if they are permanently unable to work or are minor descendants (art. 991 § 1 of the Polish Civil Code). The reserved share (zachowek) is a claim for money against the heir, not a share in the estate. It can be removed only by disinheritance on the grounds of art. 1008, stated in the will (art. 1009).
- What happens to a handwritten will after the testator dies in Poland?
- Whoever holds the will files it with the probate court on learning of the death, unless they have deposited it with a notary (art. 646 § 1 of the Polish Code of Civil Procedure); anyone who fails to do so without good reason is liable for the damage, and the court may fine them. The will is opened and announced, and the heirs obtain a court order confirming the acquisition of the estate or a notarial certificate of inheritance.
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.
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