Paperwork after a death in Poland

1. Contact the appropriate medical service. If someone may still need emergency help, use the urgent instructions in the first-steps guide.
2. Obtain the karta zgonu, the death card, through the service responsible for documenting the death.
3. Report the death to the USC responsible for the place of death. A family member or authorised representative can do this.

The usual reporting deadline is three days after the card is issued. Official guidance gives 24 hours from death where the cause is an infectious disease. Tell the medical service and USC if there are exceptional circumstances.

• What to do first
• Official registration checklist and deadlines

Prepare the deceased person's identity details, your identification and any existing grave reference. Ask the funeral director which authorities are needed and who will obtain each document.

• Confirm the certificate copies needed for your arrangements.
• Ask the cemetery to check the grave, required permissions and available dates.
• Agree the ceremony and itemised estimate before confirming the booking.
• If another country is involved, check transport and receiving-country requirements before booking travel.

Medical release or an investigation can affect timing. There is no single funeral timetable that can be promised for every case.

Help with funeral formalities

Retain funeral invoices and evidence of who paid. The usual ZUS claim deadline is 12 months from death; official exceptions apply where timely filing was impossible for reasons outside the claimant's control.

Contact insurers, pension providers, banks and any employer to ask what they need. Keep their reference numbers and requested documents together. For inheritance, debts or an estate abroad, seek advice promptly from a suitable lawyer or notary; the funeral director's authority does not settle those matters.

• ZUS claim documents and exceptions
• Ordering official certificate copies
• Managing arrangements from abroad