Cross-Border Terminal Illness & Advance Care Checklist: France & Morocco

1. 1

   Organizing Palliative Care and Cross-Border Medical Coordination (France and Morocco)

   • France: The attending physician (médecin traitant) or hospital team can request 100% healthcare coverage under an exempting long-term illness scheme (Affection de Longue Durée exonérante - ALD) with Assurance Maladie (French National Health Insurance) and arrange hospital-at-home care (Hospitalisation à domicile - HAD), support from a mobile palliative care team (équipe mobile de soins palliatifs - EMSP), or admission to a palliative care unit (unité de soins palliatifs - USP) [5]. You can locate support services and information resources through the Centre national des soins palliatifs et de la fin de vie (CNSPFV, National Center for Palliative and End-of-Life Care) and the national directory of the Société Française d'Accompagnement et de Soins Palliatifs (SFAP, French Society for Support and Palliative Care) [1][2].
   • Morocco: Palliative care and pain management are primarily provided within specialized units of University Hospital Centers (Centres Hospitaliers Universitaires - CHU) and regional oncology centers under the Ministry of Health and Social Protection (ministère de la Santé et de la Protection sociale, supported by the Fondation Lalla Salma for cancer prevention and treatment). In the event of a medical transfer or care stay between France and Morocco, verify in advance the entitlements available under the Franco-Moroccan bilateral social security agreement, as detailed by the Centre des Liaisons Européennes et Internationales de Sécurité Sociale (CLEISS, Center for European and International Social Security Liaisons), as well as coverage conditions with the Caisse Nationale de Sécurité Sociale (CNSS, National Social Security Fund of Morocco) or CNOPS [6][7].
2. 2

   Executing Advance Directives and Expressing Medical Consent

   Wishes regarding end-of-life care should be recorded in writing while the patient retains full decision-making capacity:

   • France: Under the Claeys-Leonetti Act (loi Claeys-Leonetti), any adult may draft dated and signed advance directives (directives anticipées) regarding the continuation, limitation, or withdrawal of medical treatments, and designate in writing a trusted person (personne de confiance) to be consulted as a priority by the healthcare team [1]. These documents can be uploaded to the digital health record (Mon espace santé) and given to the attending physician [1].
   • Morocco: In the absence of a statutory national registry of advance directives equivalent to the French framework, it is advisable to record care preferences and written informed medical consent directly in the patient's hospital file with the medical team at the CHU or clinic in Morocco, and to formally identify the primary family contact (proche référent) responsible for communicating with the physicians [6].
3. 3

   Establishing Separate Financial Powers of Attorney and Authentic Deeds

   To avoid the freezing of bank accounts or real estate administration in the event of incapacity, separate mandates recognized in each country should be executed while full legal capacity remains:

   • France: Alongside bank powers of attorney (procurations bancaires) signed directly with each French bank, your family member can enter into a future protection mandate (mandat de protection future, either under private signature or by notarial deed before a French notary via Notaires de France) in accordance with the procedures detailed on Service-Public.fr (the official French administration portal) to appoint one or more representatives in advance to manage their assets and personal welfare [3].
   • Morocco: To manage bank accounts, complete administrative formalities, or administer property in Morocco, a special power of attorney (procuration spéciale / Wakala) must be executed before a notary or adouls (traditional Islamic notaries) in Morocco, or before a consulate of the Kingdom of Morocco abroad via the Consulat.ma portal (for signature legalization or consular notarial/adoulaire services) [8]. For transactions involving real estate in Morocco, ensure that an authentic instrument (acte authentique) is drawn up in strict compliance with Moroccan legal requirements [8].
4. 4

   Caregiver Leave, End-of-Life Allowances, and Long-Term Illness Coverage

   • France: An employed relative caring for a person in an advanced or terminal stage of illness can apply for family solidarity leave (congé de solidarité familiale, up to 3 months, renewable once) under the rules set out on Service-Public.fr and receive the Daily End-of-Life Accompaniment Allowance (Allocation journalière d'accompagnement d'une personne en fin de vie - AJAP, paid for up to 21 days by the CPAM under Assurance Maladie) [4][5]. For an older adult experiencing rapid loss of autonomy at home, the Personalized Autonomy Allowance (Allocation personnalisée d'autonomie - APA) can be requested on an emergency basis from the departmental council (conseil départemental).
   • Morocco: Under Compulsory Health Insurance (Assurance Maladie Obligatoire - AMO), filing a Long-Term Illness (Affection de Longue Durée - ALD) or Severe and Costly Illness (Affection Lourde et Coûteuse - ALC) application with the Caisse Nationale de Sécurité Sociale (CNSS) or CNOPS provides partial or total exemption from patient co-payments (ticket modérateur) for treatments and hospitalizations linked to the condition, while employees in Morocco may request family leave absences under the Moroccan Labor Code (Code du travail) [6][7].
5. 5

   Aligning Wills, Survivor Pensions, and Cross-Border Estate Administration

   In cross-border succession matters, coordinating between the EU Succession Regulation (Regulation (EU) No 650/2012, applicable in France based on last habitual residence) and the Moroccan Family Code (Moudawana, applicable in Morocco particularly for assets located in Morocco and personal status rules) requires careful planning with a notary.

   • France: Following death, eligible beneficiaries can claim the lump-sum death benefit (capital décès) from the CPAM (within 2 years via Assurance Maladie), apply for survivor pensions (pensions de réversion) from Assurance Retraite (CNAV) and Agirc-Arrco, and entrust the French estate settlement (deed of heirship or acte de notoriété, and inheritance tax declaration within 6 months if death occurs in France) to a notary [5].
   • Morocco: Through the Caisse Nationale de Sécurité Sociale (CNSS) or the Moroccan Pension Fund (Caisse Marocaine des Retraites - CMR), eligible family members can claim the death grant (allocation au décès) and survivor pension (pension de survivants, ideally within 12 months of death to preserve retroactive payment from the date of death) [6][7]. Unblocking bank accounts and transferring property in Morocco require establishing a deed of heirship (acte d'hérédité / Iratha, an acte adoulaire de succession) before two adouls (certified by the family court judge in charge of notarial affairs) or before a Moroccan notary, as well as arranging any desired funeral repatriation in advance through funeral insurance or the Moroccan consulate via Consulat.ma [8].

Official Authorities & Verified Contacts

Official Sources Checked by Clarvia

1. [1]
   Advance Directives and the Trusted Person (Les directives anticipées et la personne de confiance) — Centre national des soins palliatifs et de la fin de vie (Parlons Fin de Vie)
2. [2]
   Advance Directives and Support in Palliative Care (Les directives anticipées et l'accompagnement en soins palliatifs) — Société Française d'Accompagnement et de Soins Palliatifs (SFAP)
3. [3]
   Guide to the Future Protection Mandate (Notice du mandat de protection future) — Service-Public.fr
4. [4]
   Family Solidarity Leave and AJAP Allowance (Congé de solidarité familiale et AJAP) — Service-Public.fr
5. [5]
   Death of a Relative: The Lump-Sum Death Benefit (Décès d'un proche : le capital décès) — Assurance Maladie (Ameli.fr)
6. [6]
   The Moroccan Social Security System: Healthcare, Survivors, and Death Benefits (Le système marocain de sécurité sociale) — Centre des Liaisons Européennes et Internationales de Sécurité Sociale (CLEISS)
7. [7]
   National Social Security Fund Portal: AMO, ALD, Survivor Pension, and Death Grant (Portail de la Caisse Nationale de Sécurité Sociale) — Caisse Nationale de Sécurité Sociale (CNSS Maroc)
8. [8]
   Consular Services Portal of the Kingdom of Morocco: Powers of Attorney, Adoulaire Deeds, and Civil Status (Consulat.ma) — Ministère des Affaires Étrangères, de la Coopération Africaine et des Marocains Résidant à l'Étranger (Consulat.ma)