The Health Department of the Government of the Canary Islands registered a total of 4,611 Advance Healthcare Directives (MAV) during 2025. Of these, 2,994 were made by women (63.87%) and 1,617 by men (35.06%). These figures represent a 26.6% increase compared to 2024, when 3,642 MAVs were recorded.
The vast majority of MAVs registered in 2025, 86%, were formalized before a public official from the health department. 13% (632) were made before a notary, and 15 MAVs (0.33%) were made before witnesses.
Currently, there are a total of 28,276 active MAVs in the Canary Islands. Of these, 63.87% correspond to women and 36.13% to men.
By island, in 2025, 2,035 MAVs were registered in Gran Canaria, 1,667 in Tenerife, 443 in Lanzarote, 263 in Fuerteventura, 161 in La Palma, 15 in La Gomera, and 22 in El Hierro. Five MAVs correspond to residents in non-Canarian municipalities.
The MAV allows an individual to formally state their preferences and instructions regarding healthcare and medical treatments, both those they accept and those they refuse. The aim is for these wishes to be respected by healthcare personnel when the patient is unable to express them personally.
This document also empowers the grantor to designate one or more trusted representatives who will ensure their instructions are followed. Healthcare professionals are obligated to respect the content of the MAV when the patient is in the clinical situation described in the document.
MAVs can be formalized in three ways: before officials authorized by the Health Department (by requesting an appointment via 012), before any notary from the Notarial College of the Canary Islands (with prior authorization from the MAV Registry), or before three witnesses who are adults and not related to the grantor. Since November 2025, it is also possible to complete the document online and formalize it before witnesses provided by the College of Physicians of Las Palmas, who will also handle its submission to the Registry.
