Power of Attorney Validity Period: How to Calculate It and What to Do When It Expires

What Is a Validity Period and Why Does It Matter

The validity period of a power of attorney (POA) is the window during which your appointed representative is legally authorised to act on your behalf. Once that period ends, any actions taken under the expired document are legally void: a bank will refuse the transaction, a registration authority will return the paperwork, and a counterparty may legitimately refuse to recognise the deal. In my daily practice, I regularly see clients arrive with a POA issued several years earlier, completely unaware that it is no longer valid.

Key points to remember:

• The validity period may be expressed as a specific end date, a duration (e.g., "one year"), or the occurrence of a defined event.
• If no period is stated in the document, Uzbek civil law provides a default term of one year from the date of issue.
• The date of issue is mandatory: a POA that lacks it is considered invalid.
• A notarially certified POA carries the strongest legal weight — it is accepted by all government bodies, banks, and organisations without additional scrutiny.

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How to Calculate the Validity Period Correctly

The period begins on the day after the date of issue, unless the document itself specifies otherwise. For example, a POA dated 1 March and granted for one year remains valid through 1 March of the following year, inclusive.

If an explicit end date is written into the document, that date governs. Where the final day falls on a public holiday or non-working day, it rolls forward to the next business day — though in practice I always advise clients to prepare a fresh POA well before the deadline rather than waiting until the last moment.

| Validity period | Explicit end date or stated duration (