Writing your advance directives: your wishes for the end of life
No one knows how the end of their life will go. Writing down what you want, while you still can, spares your loved ones from having to guess, and doctors from deciding without you.
The essentials
In France, any adult can write advance directives: a dated and signed document, handwritten or typed, about their wishes for the end of life. With no time limit and changeable at any time, they are binding on the doctor, except in a life-threatening emergency or if clearly inappropriate.
The steps, in order
- 01
Think about what you want
What you want, or refuse, in terms of examinations, procedures and treatments, if you can no longer express yourself. Your family doctor must inform you about how to write them: talk to them about it.
- 02
Use the official template
Service-public offers two templates: one if you have a serious illness or think you are near the end of life, the other if you are in good health. It is not mandatory, but it guarantees that the document meets the validity conditions.
- 03
Date and sign
A written, dated and signed document, with your surname, first names, date and place of birth. It can be handwritten or typed.
- 04
If you cannot write
Two witnesses, including your trusted person, can write them for you. They attest that the document truly expresses your wishes, and their attestation is attached to the directives.
- 05
Make them easy to find
The best option is to record them in Mon espace santé. You can also entrust them to your doctor, your trusted person or a relative, or keep them at home. In any case, tell your doctor and loved ones where they are.
- 06
Reread them from time to time
They have no time limit and can be changed or cancelled at any time. If there are several, the most recent ones count.
Frequently asked questions
Does the doctor have to follow them?
Yes, for any decision about examinations, procedures or treatment, except in two cases: a life-threatening emergency, while the situation is being assessed, and directives that are clearly inappropriate to the medical situation. Several doctors then decide together, and your trusted person or loved ones are informed.
What happens without advance directives?
If you can no longer express your wishes, the medical team tries to find them out, first from your trusted person, then from your family or loved ones.
Are advance directives a will?
No. Advance directives concern your end-of-life care; a will concerns your property and what happens after your death. The two are written separately.
Do they need to be renewed?
No, they have no time limit. From the age of 18, the national health insurance regularly reminds you that you can write, review or confirm them.
A copy kept safe, with your other wishes
For doctors, Mon espace santé is what matters. Also keep a copy in your encrypted Aïon vault, next to your wishes for your funeral: everything you want stays in one place.
Set up my space for freeRead also
- Writing a letter to your loved ones, to be read laterWhy and how to write a letter to those you love, to be read after you are gone: who to write to, what to put in it, what is best left to the will, and where to keep it.
- Preparing your digital legacyWhat will become of your accounts, photos and messages: naming a legacy contact on Apple and Facebook, setting up Google's Inactive Account Manager, and saying what you want.
- Writing a will in France: the rules to followHow to write a will in France: on your own and by hand, or before a notary. What it can contain, what it cannot do, and how to make sure it will be found.
Official sources
- service-public.gouv.fr — Directives anticipées
- service-public.gouv.fr — Modèle de directives anticipées
- service-public.gouv.fr — Personne de confiance
Updated on October 24, 2026. This guide summarises the usual steps; it does not replace advice from a notary, a lawyer or your country's authorities. How we write our guides