22 cities (not only in Poland) will take part in this year’s edition of the Open Doors with Notaries. It is a social educational campaign organised by the association of notaries.
During appointed duty hours on the last Saturday of November, notaries will provide free advice for everyone willing to be advised.

Writing down your last will is becoming more popular among Poles
This year’s Open Doors main slogan is: “Talk to the notary about… a testament”. What is important is that wills and inheritance rules and mechanisms will be the main theme, but the notaries will provide advice on all matters that can be settled in a notary’s office. Everything is scheduled for Saturday, November 26. Below you will find addresses of offices that take part in this campaign.
Notaries Open Day has been organised since 2010 by the National Council of Notaries in cooperation with chambers of notaries.
In this edition, we invite all the interested people for meetings with notaries in 21 Polish cities, where between 10.00am and 4.00pm specialists will provide free legal advice. We try to expand the range of this event each year to reach more and more people. This year Open Doors with Notaries goes abroad for the first time: free consultations will also be held at the Polish Embassy in Berlin, – stresses the nationwide coordinator of the project, notary Maciej Chojnacki.
“Talk to the notary about… a testament” – and more!
Organisers of the campaign have intended that every edition’s motto will focus on one specific topic. In 2010 it was legacies and inheritance, in 2011 – security of family assets, year later – real estate and land registers, in 2013 – transfer of property in the family. In 2014, the theme of the Open Doors was safe autumn of life, and last year – inheritance. This year it is testament.
A testament is a document securing the will of a testator concerning their property. It is worth noting that it is not a final nor irreversible document – the testator may at any time change their will or just cancel it.
Testaments and handwritten wills have the same legal effect. However, one has to keep a few rules in mind – e.g. that for a handwritten will to be valid, one must write it entirely on their own and sign it adding the date. In addition, for the will of the deceased to be realised, it cannot stand in contradiction to the principles of the Civil Code. Therefore, it is worth consulting a notary, who will not only ensure the correctness of the will in legal terms, but also explain all the intricacies and suggest provisions that will allow the will to be realised fully.
Drawing up a testament costs 50 zloty + VAT. On testator’s request the document can be registered in the Notarial Register of Wills (Polish: Notarialny Rejestr Testamentów), created and run by the National Council of Notaries. Registration is free, and the future heirs can therefore find respective wills quickly, – points out Chojnacki.
Where can you meet with a notary this year?
City | Address |
---|---|
Białystok | NOT Building, Marii Skłodowskiej-Curie 2 |
Bielsko-Biała | Książnica Beskidzka, Słowackiego 17A |
Chełm | City Hall, Lubelska 65 |
Częstochowa | Częstochowskie Museum/Town Hall, al. Najświętszej Marii Panny 47 |
Gliwice | District Court, Powstańców Warszawy 23 |
Gorzów Wielkopolski | Wojewódzka i Miejska Biblioteka Publiczna (library), Kosynierów Gdyńskich |
Jasło | City Hall, Rynek 12 |
Jelenia Góra | Książnica Karkonoska, Bankowa 27 |
Katowice | Faculty of Technology of the University of Silesia, Jordana 18 |
Koszalin | Klub Przylesie Koszalińskiej Spółdzielni Mieszkaniowej, Szenwalda 2 |
Kraków | International Cultural Centre, Rynek Główny 25 |
Krosno | City Hall, Staszica 2 |
Legnica | Galeria Piastów, Najświętszej Marii Panny 9 |
Łódź | Conference Centre of the University of Łódź, Kopcińskiego 16/18 |
Olsztyn | NOT Building, Plac Konsulatu Polskiego 1 |
Poznań | Wielkopolska Izba Rzemieślnicza, Aleja Niepodległości 2 |
Puławy | City Hall, Lubelska 5 |
Radom | Citizens’ Advice Bureau at the City Hall, Jana Kilińskiego 30 |
Szczecin | Rycerski Hotel, Potulicka 1a |
Warszawa | National Chamber of Commerce, Trębacka 4 |
Wrocław | Building of Stara Giełda, Plac Solny 16 |
Berlin | Polish Embassy, Lassenstraße 19-21 |