Terminal Illness & End-of-Life Administration in Portugal: 5-Step Official Checklist

1. 1

   Coordinate Specialist Home Palliative Care and Inpatient Services

   In Portugal, free access to palliative care within the Serviço Nacional de Saúde (National Health Service - SNS, SNS 24 helpline: 808 24 24 24) is organised through the National Palliative Care Network (Rede Nacional de Cuidados Paliativos - RNCP) upon referral by the family doctor at the primary healthcare unit or by the hospital medical team [1][2]:

   • Community Palliative Care Support Teams (Equipas Comunitárias de Suporte em Cuidados Paliativos - ECSCP): multidisciplinary teams (physicians, nurses, psychologists, and social workers) that provide specialist palliative care directly at the patient's home and support informal caregivers, working in coordination with the local health centre and the National Network for Integrated Continuous Care (Rede Nacional de Cuidados Continuados Integrados - RNCCI) [2][3].
   • In-Hospital Palliative Support Teams (EIHSCP) and Palliative Care Units (Unidades de Cuidados Paliativos - UCP): provide specialist consultation during a hospital stay or inpatient admission to a dedicated residential unit when complex symptom management can no longer be maintained at home [2][3].
   • Guidance and regional directories: alongside the channels of the Serviço Nacional de Saúde [1][2], the Associação Portuguesa de Cuidados Paliativos (Portuguese Association for Palliative Care - APCP) publishes information and national directories of palliative care teams and services across Portugal [3].
2. 2

   Prepare and Register an Advance Healthcare Directive (Living Will)

   As long as the ill relative is an adult with full mental capacity and autonomy, they can execute an Advance Directive of Will (Diretiva Antecipada de Vontade - DAV), commonly known as a Living Will (Testamento Vital, governed by Law no. 25/2012), stating the medical care they wish to receive or refuse should they later become incapable of expressing their autonomous will [1][4]:

   • Clinical preferences and Healthcare Proxy (Procurador de Cuidados de Saúde): on the official DAV form, the patient can refuse artificial life support, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or disproportionate treatments, guarantee access to palliative care, and appoint a Healthcare Proxy (Procurador de Cuidados de Saúde, primary and alternate) to make healthcare decisions on their behalf with the medical team [1][4].
   • Registration in RENTEV: the official form is available via the SNS 24 portal or the public services portal gov.pt (ePortugal) and must either be submitted in person at a RENTEV desk (Balcão RENTEV at Local Health Units or health centre groups, where it is signed before the certifying officer) or sent by registered post with a notarised signature [1][4]. The directive is recorded in the National Living Will Register (Registo Nacional do Testamento Vital - RENTEV), managed by the Serviços Partilhados do Ministério da Saúde (Shared Services of the Ministry of Health - SPMS), and remains valid for 5 years (renewable or revocable at any time) [1][4].
3. 3

   Execute Notarial Powers of Attorney, Bank Mandates, and a Mandate for Accompanied Adult Status

   Simple bank authorisations may be insufficient for extraordinary asset administration or may lapse if mental incapacity supervenes. While your relative retains full civil capacity, representation instruments should be formalised through a notary office via the Ordem dos Notários (Order of Notaries) or the registry offices of the Instituto dos Registos e do Notariado (Institute of Registries and Notary - IRN, Justice portal) [5][6]:

   • Notarial power of attorney (procuração notarial) or authenticated private document: grants specific or general powers to a trusted person to operate bank accounts, represent the ill person before public and tax authorities, or administer movable and immovable property, and can be registered on the Procurações Online service of the Instituto dos Registos e do Notariado [5][6].
   • Mandate with a view to accompaniment (mandato com vista a acompanhamento, Article 156 of the Civil Code): to prepare for a potential future loss of autonomy requiring the legal regime of the Accompanied Adult (Maior Acompanhado, Law no. 49/2018), the ill person may execute a preventive mandate designating who should serve as their accompanying representative (acompanhante) and defining the scope of personal and patrimonial management, which guides any subsequent court decision [7][8].
4. 4

   Apply for Dependency Benefits, Informal Caregiver Status, and Family Care Leave

   To provide financial support for a dependent ill relative and employment protection for family caregivers, several statutory benefits and workplace rights are administered through the Instituto da Segurança Social (Institute of Social Security - ISS) [9][10]:

   • Dependency Supplement (Complemento por Dependência): a monthly cash benefit paid by Social Security (at 1st or 2nd degree dependency, subject to assessment by the Disability Verification System, Sistema de Verificação de Incapacidades) to pensioners or beneficiaries of the special disability protection scheme who require permanent third-party assistance with basic activities of daily living [9].
   • Informal Caregiver Status (Estatuto do Cuidador Informal) and care leave: a family member providing regular or permanent care can apply for recognition of Informal Caregiver Status (non-primary or primary caregiver, the latter giving access to a means-tested support allowance, subsídio de apoio) via Segurança Social Direta [10][11]. In addition, the Portuguese Labour Code (Código do Trabalho) provides for justified absences and leave to provide urgent and essential assistance to household members or relatives suffering from a serious or chronic illness.
5. 5

   Organise the Will, Death Benefits, Qualification of Heirs, and Tax Obligations

   Gathering civil, property, and social security documentation in advance simplifies the formalities that follow a death:

   • Will and funeral preferences: the ill relative may execute a public will (testamento público) or sealed will (testamento cerrado) at a notary office (via the Ordem dos Notários) or notary registry, respecting the statutory forced heirship share (quota legítima) reserved for forced heirs (spouse, descendants, and ascendants) [5], and record their funeral arrangements.
   • Social Security death benefits: after death, eligible family members can claim from the Instituto da Segurança Social the Death Grant (Subsídio por Morte, within 180 days of the date of death), Reimbursement of Funeral Expenses (Reembolso de Despesas de Funeral, within 90 days for the person who paid for the funeral where no entitlement to the Death Grant exists), and the monthly Survivor's Pension (Pensão de Sobrevivência) [12][13].
   • One-stop death desk (Espaço Óbito), Inheritance Desk (Balcão das Heranças), and Stamp Duty (Imposto do Selo): after death, the head of the estate (cabeça-de-casal) can use an Espaço Óbito or the Balcão das Heranças of the Instituto dos Registos e do Notariado to complete the qualification of heirs (habilitação de herdeiros, the official deed needed to unblock bank accounts and re-register assets) and any estate division [14][15]. Where the estate includes assets, the cabeça-de-casal is legally required to report the death and file the inventory of assets (Stamp Duty Form Modelo 1 do Imposto do Selo) with the Autoridade Tributária e Aduaneira (Tax and Customs Authority, via Portal das Finanças / ePortugal) by the end of the 3rd month following the month in which the death occurred, even when the heirs (spouse or unido de facto, descendants, and ascendants) are exempt from paying Stamp Duty [15][16].

Official Authorities & Verified Contacts

Official Sources Checked by Clarvia

1. [1]
   National Living Will Register (RENTEV) and Advance Directives of Will (DAV) — Serviço Nacional de Saúde (SNS)
2. [2]
   National Palliative Care Network (RNCP) and referral pathways in the SNS — Serviço Nacional de Saúde (SNS)
3. [3]
   Information on Palliative Care and Home Support Teams in Portugal — Associação Portuguesa de Cuidados Paliativos (APCP)
4. [4]
   Registering a Living Will (Advance Directive of Will) in RENTEV — Portal gov.pt (ePortugal / SPMS)
5. [5]
   Notarial acts: Powers of Attorney, Wills, and Estates — Ordem dos Notários
6. [6]
   Registering or consulting a power of attorney (Procurações Online) — Justiça.gov.pt / Instituto dos Registos e do Notariado (IRN)
7. [7]
   Legal Regime of the Accompanied Adult (Maior Acompanhado) and representation measures — Justiça.gov.pt
8. [8]
   The Accompanied Adult (Maior Acompanhado): rights and accompaniment — Justiça.gov.pt
9. [9]
   Dependency Supplement (Complemento por Dependência): eligibility conditions and application — Instituto da Segurança Social
10. [10]
    Informal Caregiver Status (Estatuto do Cuidador Informal) and Support Allowance — Instituto da Segurança Social
11. [11]
    Applying for recognition of Informal Caregiver Status — Portal gov.pt (ePortugal)
12. [12]
    Death Grant (Subsídio por Morte) and Reimbursement of Funeral Expenses — Instituto da Segurança Social
13. [13]
    Survivor's Pension (Pensão de Sobrevivência): beneficiaries and deadlines — Instituto da Segurança Social
14. [14]
    Inheritance Desk (Balcão das Heranças) and Qualification of Heirs (Habilitação de Herdeiros) — Justiça.gov.pt / Instituto dos Registos e do Notariado (IRN)
15. [15]
    Practical guide after a death: Qualification of Heirs and Stamp Duty — Justiça.gov.pt
16. [16]
    Reporting an inheritance to the Tax Authority (Stamp Duty on Gratuitous Transfers) — Portal gov.pt (ePortugal / Autoridade Tributária e Aduaneira)