Registering a living will
An advance directive (Diretiva Antecipada de Vontade, DAV) or living will is a document in which persons state, with conscious volition, their preferences regarding the healthcare they wish to receive should they find themselves in a medical condition where they are unable to express their wishes.
The living will also provides for one or two persons to be appointed as healthcare proxies, who can decide for that person what healthcare they will or will not receive should their medical condition not allow them to express their own wishes.
Who can registering a living will?
When can you registering a living will?
The living will is optional and can be registered at any time during the opening hours of the National Register of Living Wills (RENTEV) offices.
What are the documents and requirements to registering a living will?
To register a living will, you will need to have a National Health Service (SNS) user number and to fill in the advance directive form.
You must log in to your personal area on the SNS 24 portal using one of the following three means of identification:
- Citizen Card
- Chave Móvel Digital (CMD) [digital mobile key]
- SNS user number.
On the SNS 24 portal, you will have to download the advance directive form.
On this form, you can indicate:
- your healthcare preferences (what care you wish to receive and what care you do not wish to receive),
- the healthcare proxy appointed and any alternative healthcare proxy,
- healthcare and the healthcare proxy.
How registering a living will?
Once you have downloaded the advance directive form from your personal area on the SNS 24 portal, you will need to complete it, sign it and submit it in paper form:
In person:
- at any RENTEV office (preferably your local office);
By post:
- sent by registered post to any RENTEV office, preferably in your local area (your signature must be certified by a notary).
The user and the healthcare proxy will receive notifications via email or SMS when the will:
- is approved,
- is consulted,
- is due to expire,
- ceases to be valid.
You can follow the whole process on the SNS 24 portal.
Please note: you cannot register a living will online. The document must be signed in person at a RENTEV office, or sent by post with a signature certified by a notary.
What is the Price to registering a living will?
It is free of charge.
What is the Deadline to registering a living will?
The RENTEV office must approve the living will within 10 days. If the paper document has been certified by a notary, it is valid for submission to the medical team.
The living will is valid for 5 years after the date on which it is activated.
Email and/or SMS notifications will be sent on two occasions before the living will is due to expire:
- 60 days before the expiry date,
- 15 days before the expiry date.