Advance Care Directive QLD: The Advance Health Directive Explained

In Queensland, an advance care directive is called an advance health directive, and it is made on the state's approved Form 4. The Queensland Government describes it as a legal document used to give directions in certain situations about your future health care and medical treatment, and notes that you can also use it to appoint an attorney for health matters. (Source: qld.gov.au, checked 2 Oct 2026) It is only used when you cannot make decisions or tell people what you want.

Below: who can make one, where to get the form, the signing order that trips people up, where to keep it, and how it sits alongside a Queensland enduring power of attorney. For how the other states do it, see our national guide to the advance care directive in Australia.

What an advance health directive does in Queensland

It lets you write down, in advance, the treatment you would want or refuse. The official Form 4 opens with its purpose: use this form to give directions about your future health care and special health care, and you can also use it to appoint an attorney or attorneys for health matters. (Source: publications.qld.gov.au, checked 2 Oct 2026)

Queensland is stricter than some states about which documents count. Advance Care Planning Australia notes that common law advance care directives are not legally binding in Queensland, and that only statutory advance care directives are. (Source: advancecareplanning.org.au, checked 2 Oct 2026) In practice that means the approved form, signed the approved way.

There is a softer document too. The Queensland Government says the only form in its advance care planning set that is not legally binding is the statement of choices. (Source: qld.gov.au, checked 2 Oct 2026) It is useful for recording values and preferences, but it is not a substitute for the directive.

Who can make one

The Queensland Government is direct about it: to make an advance health directive, you must be over 18 and have capacity to make your own decisions. (Source: qld.gov.au, checked 2 Oct 2026)

That second condition is the one families miss. Once someone has lost capacity, the window has closed. It is easier to make one well before you think you will need it.

Where to get the form

The Queensland Government's advance care planning forms page lists the advance health directive form (Form 4) together with an explanatory guide. (Source: qld.gov.au, checked 2 Oct 2026) Download both. The guide walks through each section in plain language.

If you made one years ago, it may still stand. The Queensland Government says new versions of the forms were approved on 30 November 2020, and that a valid advance health directive or enduring power of attorney made before that date is still valid. (Source: qld.gov.au, checked 2 Oct 2026)

Who has to sign it, and in what order

This is the part to get right. The Queensland Government lists who signs an advance health directive: your doctor or a nurse practitioner, you in front of a witness, your witness, and every person named in the form as an attorney for health matters. (Source: qld.gov.au, checked 2 Oct 2026)

Order matters. The explanatory guide says a doctor must complete, sign and date the certificate section before you and the witness sign the declarations and signatures section. (Source: publications.qld.gov.au, checked 2 Oct 2026) The law behind it, section 44 of the Powers of Attorney Act 1998, requires a certificate signed and dated by a doctor or nurse practitioner stating that you appeared to have the capacity necessary to make it. (Source: legislation.qld.gov.au, checked 2 Oct 2026)

Who can be your witness

The witness has to be a justice of the peace, commissioner for declarations, notary public or lawyer. (Source: publications.qld.gov.au, checked 2 Oct 2026) The explanatory guide also lists who cannot witness, which includes your attorney, a relation of yours or of your attorney, a paid carer or health provider, and a beneficiary under your will. (Source: publications.qld.gov.au, checked 2 Oct 2026)

Where to keep it, and who gets a copy

The explanatory guide says to keep the original in a safe place and give certified copies to people who need to know about its contents, such as family and your doctor. (Source: publications.qld.gov.au, checked 2 Oct 2026)

Queensland has an extra step most states do not. The Queensland Government suggests sending a copy of your documents to the Statewide Office of Advance Care Planning, which checks them and uploads them to your secure Queensland Health electronic hospital record, called The Viewer. (Source: qld.gov.au, checked 2 Oct 2026) You can also upload advance care planning documents to your My Health Record as an extra step. (Source: qld.gov.au, checked 2 Oct 2026) The guide adds that your document will be valid regardless of whether it is uploaded. (Source: publications.qld.gov.au, checked 2 Oct 2026)

Then note where the original lives. The Estate Organiser gives you a page to record your directive, your enduring power of attorney, who holds copies and where the originals are. It is a book you fill in on your own computer or print and write in by hand, and nothing is stored online.

How it links to an enduring power of attorney

In Queensland the two documents overlap more than in most states. A Queensland enduring power of attorney can appoint someone to make decisions about personal (including health) or financial matters. (Source: qld.gov.au, checked 2 Oct 2026) The advance health directive can also appoint an attorney, but for health matters only.

Advance Care Planning Australia sums up the choice for Queensland: if you wish to appoint someone for personal (including health) and/or financial matters, use the enduring power of attorney forms, and if you wish to appoint an attorney for health matters only, you can do so in an advance health directive. (Source: advancecareplanning.org.au, checked 2 Oct 2026)

Either way, your attorney only steps in when you cannot decide. The Queensland Government says attorneys can only decide about your health care when you do not have capacity to make decisions. (Source: qld.gov.au, checked 2 Oct 2026) For the money side, the official forms page for the enduring power of attorney, short form (Form 2) or long form (Form 3), is on qld.gov.au. Our guide to the enduring power of attorney in Australia covers every state.

Changing or cancelling it

You can cancel an advance health directive at any time if you have capacity. The Queensland Government says you do not need to fill in a form, but you must cancel it in writing, then give a copy to your attorneys, family, health professionals and the Statewide Office of Advance Care Planning, and update any digital records such as My Health Record. (Source: qld.gov.au, checked 2 Oct 2026)

The explanatory guide suggests reviewing your advance health directive every two years or if your circumstances change. (Source: publications.qld.gov.au, checked 2 Oct 2026)

Common questions about advance care directives in Queensland

What is an advance care directive called in Queensland?

An advance health directive. It is made on the approved Form 4, and the Queensland Government says you can also use it to appoint an attorney for health matters. (Source: qld.gov.au, checked 2 Oct 2026)

Who can witness an advance health directive in QLD?

A justice of the peace, commissioner for declarations, notary public or lawyer. Your attorney, a relation of yours or your attorney, a paid carer or health provider, and a beneficiary under your will cannot be the witness. (Source: publications.qld.gov.au, checked 2 Oct 2026)

Does a doctor need to sign an advance health directive in Queensland?

Yes. The form needs a certificate signed and dated by a doctor or nurse practitioner stating that you appeared to have the capacity to make it, and the guide says this is completed before you and the witness sign. (Sources: legislation.qld.gov.au and publications.qld.gov.au, checked 2 Oct 2026)

Where do I send my advance health directive in Queensland?

Keep the original yourself. The Queensland Government suggests sending a copy to the Statewide Office of Advance Care Planning, which uploads it to your Queensland Health hospital record, and you can also upload it to My Health Record. (Source: qld.gov.au, checked 2 Oct 2026)

Is a Queensland advance health directive the same as an enduring power of attorney?

No. The directive records your own health care directions and can appoint an attorney for health matters only. An enduring power of attorney can appoint someone for personal (including health) and financial matters. (Source: advancecareplanning.org.au, checked 2 Oct 2026)

How do I cancel an advance health directive in Queensland?

In writing, while you have capacity. No form is needed. Give a copy of the written cancellation to your attorneys, family, health professionals and the Statewide Office of Advance Care Planning. (Source: qld.gov.au, checked 2 Oct 2026)

Related guides

• Advance care directive in Australia: every state's form
• Enduring power of attorney in Australia: state by state
• Advance care directive in NSW
• Power of attorney vs a will: what is the difference?

Educational content only. Not legal, financial or tax advice. Estate laws vary across Australian states and territories. Always consult a qualified professional about your specific situation.

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