I see they've implemented this and I like what I see. I had some questions so went to Lumo and asked about the process someone will go through if access is granted. The following was the reply:
How a trusted contact accesses your Proton account – bullet‑point outline

Invitation
Contact receives an email saying they’re an Emergency Contact.
In their own Proton dashboard → Recovery → “People who trust me” they see your name listed.
You can view the same list of contacts you’ve added.

Requesting access
While logged into their own Proton account, they click “Request access.”
The request screen appears inside their account; they never log in as you.
You receive a notification (email + in‑app) that they’ve requested access, along with the waiting‑time you set.

Waiting period / approval
You can approve or deny the request during the wait‑time.
If you take no action, the request is automatically approved after the period you chose.
You can revoke the request at any moment.

Granted access
The contact remains signed into their own Proton account.
A special overlay appears that lets them view all of your Proton data (Mail, Pass passwords, Drive files, etc.).
They do not become “you”; they see your content through a permission‑based layer.
You can see in the dashboard that the contact now has active access and can revoke it instantly.

Logging out
If the contact logs out of their Proton account, the shared view disappears.
To see your data again they must log back into their own Proton account; the permission remains until you revoke it.
No extra steps are needed on your side; you only manage the contact’s permission status.
Key take‑aways

The trusted contact never logs in with your credentials; they stay in their own Proton login and access your data via a permission overlay.
Access is session‑based: logging out removes the view, and they must log back in to regain it.
You retain full control—approval, revocation, and the ability to change the waiting period—at any time.

This does not seem to be available for Proton Family, which is very much a paid plan.

I get this error when trying to add my first emergency contact: "You have reached the limit of emergency contacts you can have."

Thank you so much for this! This is a very important feature.

Thanks for the update ! Why not allow access to someone without a Proton account ? Even if they have to create an account if they eventually have to access my account.

Proton seems to be building towards becoming the ultimate all-in-one privacy and security suite, which is exactly why I pay for it. This feature is essential to make this vision come true.

absolutely essential before one can go "all in" on Proton services

I use the Bitwarden Emergency Access feature and would need something similar in Proton Pass before I could transfer completely

Since I have my bank, social security, and other critical log-in information in Proton Pass, I'd like to have my financial designee access my Proton Pass account if I don't log-in for several days. If I have an accident or medical emergency this will allow them to deal with financial needs.
It would work by notifying them if I have not logged-in to Proton Pass in a period of time I select and they'd request access. A notice would be sent to me that they've requested access and if I don't deny it, then they'd be sent a link to access my Proton Pass.
The only other option I see at this moment is to give them my primary password for Proton Pass and seal it away somewhere in case they need it. That isn't a very good option in my opinion.

In the event of a unexpected death or disabling circumstance, it would be nice to have an email sent by the pass system to a person that is designated by the account holder as a backup. The email would include the details of how to access pass and use it as the keys to gain access to the websites/logins stored within. This email can be keyed to a dead-man type switch that basically just detects usage of the pass system. If there is no usage for a designated amount of time like 1-2 months then the email is triggered to the person designated by the account holder.

Access for others if owner is incapacitated/deceased would be a great feature, but it really needs to be super-safe to avoid creating an abusable back door. I like the idea of shared keys between trusted parties as an option, such as, 3 people out of possible 5 need to join their key segments, after a period of time. Best to have this per vault.

Proton's stack offers so many nice things, but this feature being lacking is kind of keeping me from switching from my current password manager.

This is what I have in mind:
I have a designated executor in my Will. I want to be able to share a password-protected vault with all the important financial info in it with said executor. The password being in the Will, the executor only gets access to the vault when I die.

So I want the ability to do 2 things:
* Create a vault that contains specific passwords sourced from other vaults, and thus kept in sync (aka if I change info for file 1 in Vault 1, then file 1 in Vault Will gets updated too)
* Create a password when sharing the vault with someone. The vault can only be decrypted if that someone has the password.

if a Proton Drive user passes away, no one can access their encrypted files unless they already have the credentials, even with legal documents. While this is great for privacy, it means all content is lost after death. Please consider adding an optional “dead man’s switch” feature: if the account is inactive for a set period, a pre-set message or access link could be sent to a designated email, allowing users to delegate access if something happens to them. This would help with digital inheritance and give peace of mind without compromising Proton’s security model.

This is requested for all Proton products, not just for drive.

For me a Deadman's Switch is critical and if I could use it with Proton and my drive, that would be freaking awesome! I handle oligarch, dictatorship or war crime evidence and mateietails as a freelance cyber journalist in war zones. Many people and journalists who use proton for highly sensitive data that can lead to an untimely demise. Lastly, I would ask for consideration on how proton could use this feature domestic violence victims or those at risk of honor killings. use Proton an emails. I've personally encouraged several domestic violence, human trafficking and honor killing protection NGOs to switch to Proton mail and drive But what happens to all the evidence if the person is dead?

This is the biggest reason I have not been able to cancel LastPass in favor of Proton Pass. I have emergency access setup for my parents, so that if they or I need access to each others' vaults, we can do this within a few days time.

My less technical family members are not fans of having to use two password managers, so today we use LastPass family for theirs, while I use Proton Pass either redundantly or with less critical credentials.

Basically, the proton suite is monitoring for user activity. If a given period (3 months for example) transpires with zero activity detected, a deadman switch is activated. Starting with numerous attempts to contact the presumed deceased through all available avenues (alternate email, text messages, etc). Then a final email announcing the initiation of deadman protocol. These preferences would be defined by each user but something along the lines of

1. Who do you want to receive this email
2. Dictate the email (may contain seed phrase or other crypto retrieval instructions)
3. Permanently Delete or Share other Proton Suite data with specified contacts

There needs to be a system in place to handle death. Allow users to specify what happens to their data after they pass away.

Paired with my Legacy Encryption Protocol, this Deadman switch feature can help facilitate Bitcoin inheritance.

I would like this feature to be implemented with an option for third-party verification when granting access to a trusted contract.

For example, if a trusted contract attempts to gain access, an email (or another form of notification) is sent to a second trusted party. This party must approve the request before access is granted.

This mechanism allows for quicker access while ensuring that access is only granted in emergencies or when explicitly authorised by a second party.

I look forward to see this option as indicated on your roadmap: https://proton.me/blog/proton-pass-roadmap-winter-spring

I can't wait until this is implemented so I can involve my family in my operational security, as well as to get them to take their own more seriously.