Terminal Illness & End-of-Life Planning in Iraq: 5-Step Official Checklist

1. 1

   Coordinate Specialized Medical Care, Pain Management, and Public Health Coverage

   Your first step is securing a consistent symptom-management and clinical support plan through Iraq's public hospitals, specialized oncology and tertiary centers, or private healthcare facilities.

   • Public tertiary and oncology centers: The Ministry of Health oversees specialized hospitals, oncology institutes, and pain-management clinics across Iraq's governorates [1] [6]. Ensure the ill person is registered at the relevant specialized center so that controlled analgesics, supportive therapies, and clinical consultations are authorized in their official hospital dossier [1].
   • Official Medical Committee report (Taqrir Lajna Tibbiyya): Ask the treating specialist team at the public hospital under the Ministry of Health to issue an official Medical Committee Report documenting the diagnosis, clinical stage, and functional impairment percentage [1]. This certified medical report is required across Iraqi government agencies to unlock home care allowances, extended paid medical leave, and proxy administrative accommodations [1] [2].
   • Treatment coordination and health programs: Where specialized treatment or supportive care requires cross-governorate referral or ministerial support programs, applications can be tracked through the Ministry of Health directorates and the Ur National Portal for Government E-Services [1] [2].
2. 2

   Document Medical Treatment Preferences and Family Care Spokespersons

   Iraq does not currently have a standalone statutory Living Will statute; instead, medical consent and inpatient care decisions are governed by Iraqi public health regulations, medical ethics rules of the Iraqi Medical Association, and hospital procedures overseen by the Ministry of Health [1] [6].

   • Recording treatment preferences while capable: While your family member retains full decision-making capacity, they should clearly discuss their preferences regarding high-risk surgeries, intensive care interventions, and comfort-focused symptom management with their attending physician and first-degree family members so these preferences are noted in the hospital chart [1].
   • Designating a first-degree family companion and spokesperson: In Iraqi hospitals, an adult first-degree relative (spouse, parent, adult child, or sibling) serves as the recognized medical contact and bedside companion (Murafiq) to liaise with doctors, collect prescribed medications, and coordinate hospital discharge or home nursing care when the patient is physically weak [1].
   • Legal boundaries on end-of-life care: Active euthanasia and physician-assisted dying are prohibited under the Iraqi Penal Code and medical regulations; clinical care focuses on pain control, symptom relief, and proportional medical support [1] [6].
3. 3

   Execute Official Powers of Attorney Before the Notary Public (Katib Al-Adl)

   Under the Iraqi Civil Code (Law No. 40 of 1951) and the Notary Public Law (Law No. 33 of 1998), a person can only execute a valid Power of Attorney (Wakalah) while they possess full mental capacity (Ahliyyah). Completing this step early is critical because once mental capacity is lost, banks and courts require a formal judicial guardianship order (Hujjat Qayyumiyya) from the Personal Status Court under the Supreme Judicial Council of Iraq [5].

   • General and Special Powers of Attorney: While mentally alert, your family member can appear before the Notary Public (Da'irat Katib Al-Adl, operating under the Iraqi Ministry of Justice) to execute a General Power of Attorney (Wakalah Ammah) for administrative, pension, and banking management, or a Special Power of Attorney (Wakalah Khasah) if real estate (Tapu) or vehicle transactions may be required [2] [5]. Digital appointment and notarial services are also integrated through the Ur National Portal for Government E-Services [2].
   • Hospital or home bedside notarization: If the ill person is physically bedridden in a hospital or at home due to severe illness but retains full mental clarity, a family member can submit a formal request to the local Notary Public office (accompanied by a medical report) for the Notary Public to visit the bedside, verify capacity in person, and witness the signature and thumbprint [1] [2].
   • Pension smart-card and bank mandates: For retirees or account holders using electronic payment cards (such as Qi Card or MasterCard for pensions and state salaries), verify biometric proof-of-life and proxy collection rules directly with the issuing bank while the notarized Wakalah is registered [2].
4. 4

   Activate Full-Time Caregiver Allowance (Al-Mu'in Al-Mutafarrigh) and Disability Benefits

   Iraq provides statutory financial and employment support for individuals with severe functional impairments and the family members who care for them.

   • Full-Time Caregiver Allowance (Ratib Al-Mu'in Al-Mutafarrigh) and Caregiver Leave: Under Law No. 38 of 2013 on the Care of Persons with Disabilities and Special Needs, administered by the Commission for the Care of Persons with Disabilities and Special Needs within the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, an ill person assessed by a joint medical committee of the Ministry of Health as having a severe disability or illness requiring constant daily care is entitled to a designated full-time caregiver [1] [4]. If the caregiver is a public-sector employee, they may qualify for full-time paid caregiver leave (Tafarrigh) with full salary; if the caregiver is not a state employee, they may qualify for the monthly statutory Full-Time Caregiver Allowance through the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs and the Ur National Portal for Government E-Services [2] [4].
   • Disability retirement and social security pensions: If your family member is an active public servant or a private-sector worker insured under the Department of Retirement and Social Security for Workers at the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, permanent medical incapacity certified by an official medical committee entitles them to apply for medical disability retirement [1] [4].
5. 5

   Review Wills (Wasiyyah), Civil Status Records, and Property Titles

   Organizing legal, identity, and property records while the ill person can verify every detail protects the family from future court disputes.

   • Registering an official will (Hujjat Wasiyyah): Under Iraqi Personal Status Law No. 188 of 1959, a person with full mental capacity may register an official will (Wasiyyah) before the Personal Status Court under the Supreme Judicial Council of Iraq [5]. Under statutory rules, testamentary bequests are enforceable up to one-third (1/3) of the net estate (unless the adult legal heirs consent to a larger share after the testator's lifetime), and must be formally certified to be recognized in estate distribution [5].
   • Consolidating identity and property records: Ensure that the ill person's Unified National Card (Al-Bitaqa Al-Wataniyya), Residence Card (Bitaqat Al-Sakan), marriage contract, and real estate title deeds (Sanadat Tapu) are accurate and stored securely [2] [5].
   • Cross-border powers of attorney and family abroad: Because Iraq is not a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, if a family member living abroad needs to grant or use a Power of Attorney in Iraq, it must be executed through an Iraqi embassy or consulate via the consular portal of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and authenticated in Baghdad before use in Iraqi courts or registries [3] [5].

Official Authorities & Verified Contacts

Official Sources Checked by Clarvia

1. [1]
   Ministry of Health of the Republic of Iraq - Medical Services and Committees — Ministry of Health of the Republic of Iraq
2. [2]
   Ur National Portal for Government E-Services - Directory of Services — General Secretariat for the Council of Ministers - Republic of Iraq
3. [3]
   Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Iraq - Consular and Power of Attorney Services — Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Iraq
4. [4]
   Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs - Disability Care Commission and Social Security — Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs of Iraq
5. [5]
   Supreme Judicial Council of Iraq - Personal Status Courts and Legal Services — Supreme Judicial Council of Iraq
6. [6]
   World Health Organization - Iraq Health System Profile — World Health Organization (WHO)