How many years after death can an inheritance be claimed in Poland?

How many years after death can an inheritance be claimed in Poland?

In Poland, inheritance is not subject to the statute of limitations. This means that an inheritance procedure can be initiated after the death of the deceased, even several years or decades after his death.

In fact, wills are not time-barred – they can be used even many years after the death of the testator. This is the case, for example, when, after a period of time, the family of the deceased finds a lost document in which the last will and testament was expressed.

This does not mean that there is no statute of limitations in Polish inheritance law. The statute of limitations in inheritance law concerns specific monetary claims, e.g. a claim for payment of a reserved part of an estate, but also declaring someone unworthy of an inheritance or contesting the content of a will left as an inheritance. These are, in practice, the issues that are of most interest to the immediate family members of the testator.

The statute of limitations on a claim concerning a reserved part of an inheritance means that it is not possible for a claimant to effectively assert it before the courts in Poland or abroad. He can, of course, continue to demand payment of a specific amount of money from the heir, but the debtor is not obliged to give in to such demands. Referring the case to the court or to an enforcement procedure will not be effective – the court or bailiff will not accept such a case.