Terminal Illness & End-of-Life Planning in Denmark: 5-Step Official Checklist

1. 1

   Coordinate Palliative Care, Hospice Services, and Terminal Medical Status

   • Medical terminal declaration (terminalerklæring): Ask the treating hospital specialist or general practitioner (egen læge) to assess whether to issue an official medical terminal declaration (terminalerklæring) and coordinate an integrated palliative pathway (palliativ indsats) between the regional hospital and the municipality (kommune) [1].
   • Full prescription drug subsidy (terminaltilskud): Once a physician submits the application for terminaltilskud to the Danish Medicines Agency (Lægemiddelstyrelsen), the ill person receives 100% public coverage for all prescribed medications, as well as municipal home nursing (hjemmesygepleje), assistive medical equipment, and nutritional preparations under the Danish Health Act (Sundhedsloven) and Service Act (Serviceloven) [1].
   • Specialized palliative teams and hospice: Through a physician's referral, patients with complex symptom management needs can access specialized hospital palliative care teams or inpatient stays at a recognized Danish hospice covered free of charge by the public healthcare system, with clinical standards overseen by Styrelsen for Patientsikkerhed [1] [3].
2. 2

   Register a Living Will (*Behandlingstestamente*) and Healthcare Preferences

   • Binding advance directive (behandlingstestamente): While still mentally competent and aged 18 or over, your family member can register an official behandlingstestamente (which replaced the older livstestamente in 2019) digitally via Borger.dk or Sundhed.dk using MitID [1] [3] [4].
   • Scope of medical instructions: In the behandlingstestamente register maintained by Sundhedsdatastyrelsen, the patient can legally refuse life-prolonging treatment (including cardiopulmonary resuscitation) if they become permanently incapable of making informed decisions and are either in a situation where recovery is impossible, severely and permanently incapacitated, or experiencing severe suffering caused by the treatment itself [3] [4].
   • Designating a relative for treatment consent: Within the same behandlingstestamente, the ill person can authorize their closest relative (nærmeste pårørende) to have the final say on refusing life-prolonging treatment or consenting to treatment under coercion if the patient later loses decision-making capacity, and doctors are legally bound by these instructions [3] [4].
3. 3

   Execute a Future Power of Attorney (*Fremtidsfuldmagt*) and Bank Mandates

   • Creating a fremtidsfuldmagt while capacity is intact: Under the Danish Future Powers of Attorney Act (Lov om fremtidsfuldmagter), the ill person can appoint one or more future attorneys-in-fact (fremtidsfuldmægtige) for personal and financial matters by registering the document digitally in Fremtidsfuldmagtsregisteret via Tinglysning.dk and Borger.dk [2].
   • Mandatory attestation before the notary (notaren): A digital fremtidsfuldmagt is not legally valid until the grantor personally acknowledges it before a court notary (notaren) at a local district court under Danmarks Domstole while still of sound mind (within 6 months of digital registration; the notary can also visit the hospital or home if illness prevents travel) [2] [6].
   • Activation via Familieretshuset and immediate bank mandates: A fremtidsfuldmagt remains dormant until the grantor loses capacity due to illness, at which point Familieretshuset puts it into force based on a medical certificate (lægeerklæring) [2] [5]. Because activation takes time, the ill person should also set up an immediate ordinary bank power of attorney (bankfuldmagt) directly with their Danish bank and a digital reading/action mandate (Digital Fuldmagt) on Borger.dk so a trusted representative can assist right away [1] [2].
4. 4

   Activate Caregiver Leave (*Plejevederlag*) and Sickness or Disability Benefits

   • Paid compassionate caregiver leave (plejevederlag): Under Section 119 of the Social Services Act (Serviceloven), a family member or close friend who cares for a terminally ill person at home can apply to the municipality via Borger.dk for a statutory care allowance (plejevederlag), combined with a right to unpaid leave from their employer so the municipal allowance compensates for lost wages [1].
   • Critical illness insurance (kritisk sygdom) and pension disability cover: Check the ill person's occupational pension scheme and group insurance (often viewable via PensionsInfo) to claim tax-free lump-sum payouts for critical illness (visse kritiske sygdomme), sickness benefits (sygedagpenge), or disability pension benefits (førtidspension) [1].
   • Municipal practical and respite support: Apply through the municipal visitation unit (visitationen) for home care (hjemmepleje), relief care (aflastning), and coverage of necessary extra illness-related expenses (merudgifter) [1].
5. 5

   Review the Will (*Testamente*), Beneficiary Designations, and Cross-Border Records

   • Executing or updating a notary will (notartestamente): Under the Danish Inheritance Act (Arveloven), statutory forced heirship (tvangsarv) reserves 25% of the estate for a surviving spouse and children, while the remaining 75% (friarv) can be distributed by will. Signing a notartestamente before the notary at Danmarks Domstole ensures the will is centrally registered in Centralregisteret for Testamenter and automatically retrieved during probate [1] [6].
   • Reviewing pension and life insurance beneficiaries (begunstigelse): Because life insurance and pension payouts usually pass outside the probate estate directly to the designated beneficiary (nærmeste pårørende or a named individual), verify and update beneficiary clauses directly with each pension company and bank [1].
   • Cross-border assets and document authentication: If the ill person holds property abroad or if family members reside outside Denmark, remember that Denmark does not participate in the EU Succession Regulation; ensure foreign powers of attorney and civil documents are coordinated in advance and, where required for foreign authorities, authenticated with an Apostille from Udenrigsministeriet [6] [7].

Official Authorities & Verified Contacts

Official Sources Checked by Clarvia

1. [1]
   Guide: Når livet slutter (Palliative care, plejevederlag, and end-of-life planning) — Borger.dk
2. [2]
   Fremtidsfuldmagt og Digital Fuldmagt (Future powers of attorney and digital mandates) — Borger.dk
3. [3]
   Behandlingstestamente - En god afslutning på livet — Styrelsen for Patientsikkerhed
4. [4]
   Behandlingstestamenteregisteret (National Living Will Register) — Sundhedsdatastyrelsen
5. [5]
   Familieretshuset - Fremtidsfuldmagt og værgemål — Familieretshuset
6. [6]
   Danmarks Domstole - Notaren (Testamente og fremtidsfuldmagt) — Danmarks Domstole
7. [7]
   Legalisation and Apostille of Danish documents — Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark (Udenrigsministeriet)