Is euthanasia legal in the United Kingdom?
Illegal
Active euthanasia and assisted suicide are illegal, though passive euthanasia is permitted.
The United Kingdom is one of 13 countries classified “Illegal” for euthanasia — 34% of the 38 with data. (Also searched as assisted dying.)
Source
- Taken from
- Wikipedia: Legality of euthanasia
- Last checked
- 17 September 2026
- How it was classified
- Classified by a language model from the source text, then checked against hand-verified reference countries.
Nearby countries
- Ireland
- Illegal Active euthanasia and assisted suicide are criminal offenses under Irish law, with significant prison sentences.
- Netherlands
- Euthanasia legal Euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide are legal in the Netherlands since 2001.
- Belgium
- Euthanasia legal Euthanasia has been legal in Belgium since 2002, with cases occurring regularly since then.
- Luxembourg
- Euthanasia legal Euthanasia is legal in Luxembourg following the passage of a bill in 2009.
- France
- Passive only Active euthanasia is illegal, but sedation until death is permitted for terminal patients.
- Germany
- Assisted dying only Active euthanasia is illegal, but assisted suicide is legal following a 2020 court ruling.
Other laws in United Kingdom
- Abortion
- Legal on request
- Suicide Laws
- Not a crime
- FGM Laws
- Specifically banned
- Surrogacy
- Altruistic only
- Organ Donor Consent
- Opt-out (presumed consent)
Every law in the United Kingdom → · Where is euthanasia legal? →
A visual reference compiled from Wikipedia’s law-by-country articles, not legal advice. Laws change and summaries simplify — check a primary source before relying on anything here.