Power of Attorney Template Switzerland: the generator for every PoA, the «which one do I need?» check, and the costly mistake that makes most powers of attorney worthless at the decisive moment
A badly drafted power of attorney isn't worth the paper it's written on, and the most common mistake is a single missing sentence. Hundreds of thousands of Swiss residents use an ordinary PoA to arrange exactly the wrong thing, because nobody explains the difference between a power of attorney and an advance care directive (Vorsorgeauftrag). Here is the generator that builds the right PoA in two minutes, the check that tells you which one you need, and the one sentence that decides everything.
💡 Before you sign: what a power of attorney really is (and isn't)
At its core a power of attorney is surprisingly simple: you authorise another person to conclude legal transactions in your name (art. 32 CO). What that person may do is for you to define, that's the scope of the PoA (art. 33 CO). It ranges from «may sell my car once» to «may handle all my affairs». And the most important thing first: in Switzerland a PoA is in principle form-free, it would even be valid orally in theory.
But «form-free» doesn't mean «doesn't matter». Whoever presents a PoA must be able to prove it, so it belongs in writing. And there's a trap: parallelism of form. If the underlying transaction requires a special form, the PoA needs it too. To buy or sell real estate in your name, the PoA must be in notarised (public) form, a plain sheet won't do. Good to know: you can revoke at any time (art. 34 CO), and waiving this right in advance is void.
Whatever the type, without these three building blocks a PoA is contestable or simply unusable:
🖊️ Power-of-attorney generator: your template in 2 minutes
No more searching for «power of attorney template Word free». Choose your PoA type, enter the details, and the generator builds you a clean, Swiss-law-compliant text you can copy or download as a PDF. Four types cover the vast majority of situations.
General power of attorney
Broad – all affairs
🌳 Which power of attorney do I need? The decision check
«Power of attorney» isn't one single thing, and the most costly common mistake is choosing the wrong document. Answer two or three questions and you'll know whether you need a general, simple, bank or vehicle PoA, or whether your case actually calls for an advance care directive or a patient directive.
Which power of attorney fits your situation?
Click your way to the right solution in 2 steps. Your path stays anonymous.
What is this primarily about?
🚦 Is your power of attorney valid? The 30-second check
Drafted a PoA or have one in front of you? Answer four questions and the traffic light tells you whether it holds, needs a certification or would be rejected as worthless.
Does your power of attorney pass the test?
Four questions, honest result. No input leaves your browser.
Are both the principal AND the authorised person named with full name and address?
Is it clearly described what the person may do (scope)?
Is the PoA dated and signed by hand?
Does it (also) involve real estate or a commercial-register entry?
Method: the traffic light checks the minimum formal requirements of a PoA under art. 32 ff. CO (parties, scope, signature) and parallelism of form for real estate (notarised form). It does not replace individual legal advice.
📅 How long is your power of attorney valid? The validity calculator
Did you time-limit your PoA (e.g. for the duration of a trip)? Enter the issue date and the duration, and the calculator gives you the exact expiry date and how many days remain. And it reminds you of what most people forget: even an open-ended PoA ends automatically with your loss of capacity of judgement or your death (art. 35 CO).
Validity calculator: until when is your PoA valid?
Enter issue date + duration. No input leaves your browser.
Method: the expiry date results from the issue date plus the duration entered in months. The art. 35 CO reminder (lapse on loss of capacity/death) applies regardless of any time limit.
⚠️ The costly mistake: a power of attorney is NOT an advance care directive
This is the most important section on this page, and the one almost every template hides. Many people write their relatives a general PoA «in case something happens to me». But precisely when «something happens», dementia, coma or serious accident, you lose capacity of judgement, and at that moment your PoA lapses by operation of law (art. 35 CO). The paper becomes worthless, exactly when it's needed.
Works while you have legal capacity and capacity of judgement. Handy for everyday matters, representation, banking. But lapses on loss of capacity and on death (unless expressly agreed «beyond death»).
Takes effect only, and precisely when, you lose capacity of judgement. Governs personal care, asset management and representation. Must be handwritten (entirely by hand, dated, signed) OR notarised. The adult protection authority (KESB) reviews and activates it.
Governs only the medical side: which treatments you want or refuse and who decides medically for you. Written, dated, signed.
For a PoA to apply beyond death or loss of capacity, it must say so expressly. But: an irrevocable PoA beyond death is not permitted, the heirs can revoke it.
📊 The ConvivaPlus power-of-attorney matrix: all types at a glance
So you never again have to guess which form which type needs and when it lapses, we've pulled all common powers of attorney into one matrix. This is the ConvivaPlus power-of-attorney matrix.
| Type | Form | Works … | Lapses … |
|---|---|---|---|
| General PoA | written (real estate: notarised) | while capacity of judgement | on loss of capacity, death, revocation |
| Simple PoA | written, form-free | for the named act | on completion, expiry, revocation |
| Bank / postal PoA | usually in-house form | for account / payments | revocation; often beyond death |
| Vehicle / registration PoA | written + ID copy (cantonal) | for registration / deregistration | on completion |
| Advance care directive (CC 360) | handwritten OR notarised | from loss of capacity | recovery, revocation, death |
| Patient directive (CC 370) | written, dated, signed | for medical decisions | revocation |
✅ How to write a power of attorney, step by step
Prefer to draft it yourself rather than use the generator? These six steps lead to a text that holds up before a bank, an authority and a counterparty.
🚫 The six mistakes that make a power of attorney worthless when it counts
These six pitfalls come up again and again, and each one can make a PoA fail at the decisive moment:
Ignoring the PoA / advance care directive difference and relying on a general PoA that lapses on loss of capacity (art. 35 CO).
Using a simple written PoA for real estate although notarised form is required (parallelism of form).
Not expressly naming sensitive powers (emptying the account, gifts), they then count as not granted.
Not dating the PoA, so you can't prove which version is current.
Overlooking the bank's in-house form requirement, your own PoA often isn't enough on its own.
Believing a PoA is irrevocable, waiving the right of revocation is void (art. 34 para. 2 CO).
A power of attorney governs who may act for you while you still could yourself. The advance care directive governs who may when you no longer can. Confuse the two and you have nothing in hand when it counts.
Pro tip from practice: add to a general PoA the sentence «This power of attorney also applies beyond my loss of capacity of judgement and my death». It then survives the moment an ordinary PoA lapses and gives your relatives the ability to act until an advance care directive takes effect or the estate is settled. It doesn't replace the advance care directive, but it closes the dangerous gap in between.
Have you already arranged your care planning?
One click – anonymous, no sign-up required.
❓ Frequently asked questions about powers of attorney in Switzerland
The questions we get most often, answered briefly and with sources.
People also ask
Related questions from our magazine
All information without guarantee. Found an error? → support@conviva-plus.ch
An ordinary power of attorney lapses the moment you lose capacity of judgement (art. 35 CO). For dementia, coma or accident you need an advance care directive (art. 360 ff. CC), not a power of attorney.
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Discussion
6 voices from the community
Ich hätte fast nur eine Generalvollmacht für meine Mutter gemacht. Der Abschnitt mit dem Vorsorgeauftrag hat mich gerettet, sie hat beginnende Demenz, da hätte die Vollmacht nichts genützt.
Genau das ist der Punkt, den fast alle übersehen. Den Vorsorgeauftrag muss sie errichten, solange sie noch urteilsfähig ist, also besser jetzt als später. Gute Besserung Ihrer Mutter.
Generator ist top, in zwei Minuten hatte ich die Vollmacht fürs Auto abmelden. Tipp an alle: Beim Strassenverkehrsamt vorher anrufen, im Aargau wollten sie zusätzlich die Ausweiskopie, im Artikel steht es ja auch.
Endlich mal eine Seite, die nicht einfach ein Word-Dokument hinklatscht, sondern erklärt, WANN welche Vollmacht gilt. Die Matrix habe ich mir ausgedruckt.
Frage: Reicht die Bankvollmacht von hier, oder will die Bank wirklich ihr eigenes Formular? Bei der ZKB war es leider so.
Korrekt, die meisten Banken bestehen auf ihrem Hausformular. Unsere Vorlage dient als Grundlage und Nachweis, das Bankformular füllst du zusätzlich aus. Wir haben das im FAQ und im Generator-Hinweis ergänzt.
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