No. A power of attorney over an account expires the moment the holder dies, not when the bank finds out. The card may keep working for a while, but using it is not lawful. What transfers money quickly is a death-benefit instruction (dyspozycja wkładem na wypadek śmierci).
It expires on death, not on notification
A power of attorney ends the moment the account holder dies. The bank does not yet know, so technically the card and online banking keep working, sometimes for weeks.
A withdrawal in that period is disposing of someone else’s funds. Once the death is reported the bank blocks the account, and transactions from that period appear on the statement that goes into the succession proceedings.
Three lawful routes to the deceased’s money
Reimbursement of funeral costs. The bank refunds costs documented by invoices to the person who bore them, without waiting for the estate.
A death-benefit instruction. During their lifetime the holder names people who will receive a set amount immediately after their death. The circle is set by statute: spouse, children, grandchildren, parents, grandparents and siblings. The combined limit is twenty times the average monthly wage, and the amount paid out does not fall into the estate.
Inheritance. The remaining funds wait for a court confirmation of acquisition of the estate or a notarial deed of certification of succession.
Why the instruction is often the best move
You set it up at a branch alongside any other errand, it costs nothing, and it works as soon as the death certificate is produced. The family gets money for immediate expenses when it is needed rather than several months later. Even so, few people use it.
One caveat: the instruction will not work for an unmarried partner, because the statutory circle does not include them.
What none of these routes solves
An account nobody knows about. All three assume that someone knows where to look. A list of accounts, policies and subscriptions left somewhere safe does more here than the best-chosen power of attorney.
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