Advance Directive
Your voice, even when you can’t speak.
Portugal’s Advance Directive — the Testamento Vital — lets you record your medical wishes so that doctors and hospitals can honour them if you ever become unable to communicate.
The Advance Directive is one of the most important documents you can have in place as a resident of Portugal. It is a formal, four-page form provided by the national health system (SNS) that records your wishes regarding medical treatment — specifically in situations where you cannot communicate those wishes yourself.
Once filed with SNS, it becomes part of your permanent health record, accessible to any healthcare provider in Portugal. It cannot override emergency life-saving care, but it does ensure that your longer-term wishes — about resuscitation, life support, palliative care, and similar decisions — are known and respected.
The form is in Portuguese, but we provide a full English translation to help you understand and complete it. Our workshops also walk you through the process step by step.
Download both forms - Use the English version to understand each question, then transfer your answers to the official Portuguese form. Do not sign the last page yet.
Depending on your location in Portugal, you may need to make an appointment. As of this writing (Sept, 2026), no appointment is needed in Setúbal. You can book your appointment with SNS - The Setúbal office is located at São Bernardo Hospital.
Bring your completed Portuguese form (unsigned on the last page) plus your Cidadão Card or Residency Card. Your SNS user number (Número de Utente) is required.
Sign at the appointment - You will sign the top of each page and the last page at the office. Your signature must match the one on your ID document.
Keep a copy and set a renewal reminder - Scan your completed form and store it somewhere secure (a shared cloud folder works well). Your Advance Directive must be renewed every five years, though you can update it at any time.
