Austria’s Assisted Dying Directives to Become Indefinitely Valid from June 2026

The applicants argued that the prescribed “time-consuming and costly” formalities made it practically impossible for suffering people to achieve a rapid, accompanied, and self-determined death with the help of others.

As a result of the ruling, the existing renewal requirement was lifted. However, a new legislative regulation is still pending. The “repair period” for lawmakers runs until the end of May 2026.

Political Coordination Underway

From 1 June 2026, existing Sterbeverfügungen will therefore remain valid indefinitely until a new regulation is enacted, according to the office of Justice Minister Anna Sporrer (SPÖ).

A draft from the Justice Ministry is currently under political coordination with coalition partners. “A corresponding draft from the Justice Ministry is in political coordination with the coalition partners, and we are confident that it can be implemented soon,” the ministry stated.

ÖGHL President Christina Kaneider welcomed the development. “This is a significant relief for people with progressive illnesses who do not want to end their lives immediately, but want to keep this option open at all times,” she said.

Relief for Patients

Kaneider added that a sensible solution for the legislative repair would be a less complex renewal procedure. “Extending the validity of the directive beyond one year would also be sensible,” she noted.

The ministry indicated that a mechanism will be created allowing people with an existing advance directive to renew it in a simplified manner after one year.

Assisted suicide has been legal in Austria since 2022, following a landmark Constitutional Court decision that decriminalized assistance in dying under strict conditions. The Sterbeverfügungsgesetz was introduced to regulate the practice.

The upcoming change eliminates the need for patients with progressive conditions to repeatedly undergo the full administrative process, which advocates argued caused unnecessary psychological strain.

The indefinite validity applies from June 2026 until the new regulation is passed. The Justice Ministry expressed confidence that the draft will be implemented soon, though no specific timeline was given.