Living will (RENTEV)

How to register a living will (Diretivas Antecipadas de Vontade) in Portugal, expressing your wishes about medical treatment for situations where you can no longer decide for yourself.

What is a living will?

A living will (testamento vital) is a legal document where you express your wishes about medical treatment you do or do not want to receive if you become unable to make decisions. In Portugal, this is formally called Diretivas Antecipadas de Vontade (DAV) and is registered through the RENTEV system (Registo Nacional do Testamento Vital).

What you can include

Medical treatments

  • • Whether you want to receive life-sustaining treatment
  • • Your wishes about resuscitation (CPR)
  • • Your preferences about mechanical ventilation
  • • Your wishes about artificial nutrition and hydration
  • • Preferences about pain management and palliative care
  • • Whether you wish to donate organs

Healthcare proxy (Procurador de Cuidados de Saúde)

You can designate a trusted person as your healthcare proxy (procurador de cuidados de saúde) who will make medical decisions on your behalf if you cannot. This person should:

  • • Be over 18 years old
  • • Be mentally competent
  • • Consent to the role
  • • Understand your wishes clearly

How to Register

Step 1: prepare your document

  • Write your advance directives clearly, stating what treatments you do and do not want.
  • You can use a template or write it in your own words.
  • If designating a healthcare proxy, include their full name and contact details.

Step 2: register online or in person

  • Online: Through the Portal do SNS (requires Chave Móvel Digital or Cartão de Cidadão reader)
  • In person: At any ACES (health center cluster) or hospital that offers the RENTEV registration service
  • The document is registered in the national RENTEV database

Step 3: inform your family and doctor

  • Tell your family, healthcare proxy, and family doctor that you have registered a living will
  • Your doctor can access the RENTEV system to view your directives
  • Keep a copy of the document with your personal papers

Important details

Validity

A living will is valid for 5 years from the date of registration and can be renewed. It can be revoked or modified at any time while you are competent to do so.

Who can register

Any person over 18 years old who is mentally competent and not subject to legal incapacity. You must be a user of the Portuguese National Health Service (SNS).

Legal protection

Healthcare professionals are legally obligated to respect your registered advance directives. The living will takes precedence over family wishes if there is a conflict.

Exceptions

A living will may not be followed in emergency situations where the document cannot be accessed, if the directives are clearly outdated given medical advances, or if they contradict the law.

Living will vs. regular will

A living will (testamento vital / DAV) is about medical treatment during your lifetime. A regular will (testamento) is about the distribution of your assets after death. They are completely separate legal documents. Having one does not replace the need for the other.