Am I eligible for voluntary assisted dying?

Australia · 29 August 2026 · 6 min read · Reviewed by Dr Kane Treble

You may be eligible for voluntary assisted dying (VAD) only if you meet all the legal rules where you live, and if the required health practitioners assess you as eligible.

General information: This page gives general information for people in Australia. It cannot tell you whether you are eligible for voluntary assisted dying. VAD law is different in each state and territory, and individual eligibility must be confirmed by authorised VAD practitioners or the official VAD care navigator service in your state or territory.

You may be eligible for voluntary assisted dying (VAD) only if you meet all the legal rules where you live, and if the required health practitioners assess you as eligible. In most parts of Australia, this usually means you must be an adult with an advanced illness that is getting worse, will cause your death, and is causing suffering that cannot be relieved in a way you consider tolerable.

You cannot decide eligibility by yourself, and neither can your family. A GP, specialist, palliative care doctor or VAD care navigator can help you understand whether it may be worth starting the formal process.

The broad eligibility rules

Across Australia, VAD is meant for people who are approaching the end of life and who can make their own decision. The details differ, but the common rules usually include:

you are 18 years or older
you have decision-making capacity for VAD
you are acting voluntarily and without pressure
you have an advanced and progressive disease, illness or medical condition that will cause death
the condition is causing suffering that you find intolerable
you meet the residency rules for the state or territory
you follow the formal request and assessment steps

Most states also require a prognosis of no more than 6 months, or 12 months for a neurodegenerative disease such as motor neurone disease. Queensland uses a 12 month prognosis rule for eligible conditions. The ACT does not use the same fixed 6 or 12 month prognosis rule, but the condition must still be advanced, progressive, expected to cause death, and causing intolerable suffering.

Tasmania has its own Act and wording. It focuses on whether the person is suffering intolerably in relation to a relevant medical condition, with medical and residency requirements set out in the Tasmanian Act.

VAD is not available only because someone is distressed

Having disability, dementia, mental illness, frailty or severe distress does not, by itself, make a person eligible for VAD. A person with disability or mental illness may still be eligible if they meet all the other legal criteria. The person must also be able to make and communicate their own VAD decision at the required stages.

If someone is thinking about VAD because symptoms, care needs, fear or grief feel unbearable, that deserves a careful conversation with their treating team. Palliative care, counselling, social work, spiritual care, equipment, home supports or a review of medicines may help, whether or not the person is eligible for VAD.

Rules differ by state and territory

VAD is operating in Victoria, Western Australia, Tasmania, South Australia, Queensland, New South Wales and the ACT. The Northern Territory legislation portal recorded the Rights of the Terminally Ill Bill 2026 as passed on 27 August 2026. At the time this page was checked, I could verify that status, but I could not verify an official NT commencement date, operational scheme or VAD care navigator service. Do not assume VAD is currently available in the NT until an official NT source confirms how and when the scheme operates.

Even where VAD is operating, the legal pathway does not transfer cleanly across borders. A person usually needs to follow the law and process in the state or territory where they are seeking access. Residency exemptions may exist in some places, but the rules are specific.

Who can tell me if I am eligible?

Only the required VAD practitioners can formally assess you. A care navigator can explain the pathway and help you find a practitioner who is authorised or willing to assess a request.

You can contact the official VAD care navigator or support service in:

Victoria: Statewide Care Navigator Service
New South Wales: NSW Voluntary Assisted Dying Care Navigator Service
Queensland: QVAD-Support
Western Australia: WA VAD Statewide Care Navigator Service
South Australia: South Australian VAD Care Navigator Service
Tasmania: VAD Navigation Service
ACT: ACT VAD Care Navigator Service

If you are not sure where to start, see How do I actually start the VAD process?.

Questions to ask your doctor or navigator

You may want to ask:

"Based on my illness, could I be close to meeting the VAD criteria?"
"What is my current prognosis, and how certain is it?"
"Do I meet the residency rules here?"
"Can you explain the formal first request process?"
"If you do not provide VAD, who can help me get official information?"
"What symptom, palliative care or support options can we review now?"

These questions do not commit you to using VAD. They can help you understand your options.

When to get help now

If you feel unsafe, at risk of harming yourself, or unable to get through the next few hours, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or call 000 in a life-threatening emergency.

If your symptoms are new, severe or worsening, contact your treating team, palliative care service, GP, after-hours health service or 000 if it is an emergency. VAD is not emergency care and cannot replace urgent symptom care.