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What to do when someone dies in Poland
If someone may still need medical help, call 112 or 999. Once death is confirmed, we can help with funeral arrangements.
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The farewell hall
If someone is unresponsive, is not breathing normally, or you are unsure whether they are alive, call 112 or 999 now and follow the dispatcher's instructions.
If medical help may still be needed
Do not wait for a funeral director or callback. An apparent death must not be treated as a confirmed death when someone may need emergency care.
Official Polish first-aid guidance and emergency numbers
Once the death has been confirmed and any immediate instructions have been followed, you can take the funeral decisions step by step.
At home, in hospital or in hospice
At home after an expected death
Contact the treating doctor or hospice team, following any plan they gave you. Ask who will attend and how the karta zgonu, the death card, will be provided.
If your usual medical contact is unavailable, use the official out-of-hours directory to find a medical service and explain the circumstances. Do not assume that every clinic provides death-certification visits.
Find an out-of-hours medical service
In hospital or hospice
Ask staff where the death card can be collected, who will explain release arrangements and how personal belongings are returned. Keep the department's contact details.
If the death is being investigated
Follow the medical team's and authorities' instructions about release. Tell the funeral director which institution is responsible before agreeing collection or a funeral date.
Arrange care and the next documents
- Choose a funeral director and explain where your relative is, whether the death has been documented and any release instructions.
- Prepare the death card, the deceased person's identification if available, and your own identification. Ask what to do if anything is missing.
- Arrange registration at the USC responsible for the place of death, yourself or through an authorised representative.
The usual reporting deadline is three days from issue of the card. Official guidance gives 24 hours from death for an infectious-disease death.
You do not need to choose every detail of the ceremony in the first conversation. Start with care, documents and the intended country of burial.
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You do not need to have everything decided. We can work through the next step together.