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

1. 1

   Coordinate Palliative Care, Home Medical Visits, and Public Health Coverage

   • Primary home care and clinical oncology services: Under Law No. 04/L-125 on Health overseen by the Ministry of Health of Kosovo, patients with serious or life-limiting conditions access symptom management and specialist care through the Oncology Clinic and specialist clinics at the University Clinical Center of Kosovo (QKUK / SHSKUK), regional general hospitals, and home medical care teams (kujdesi mjekësor në shtëpi) operated by municipal Main Family Medicine Centers (Qendra Kryesore e Mjekësisë Familjare - QKMF) [1].
   • Essential drug list and cost exemptions: Public healthcare institutions under the Ministry of Health of Kosovo provide inpatient treatment, chemotherapy, and pain-management medications included on the Essential List of Medicines (Lista Esenciale e Barnave) free of charge, and patients with severe chronic or malignant conditions qualify for exemptions from hospital co-payments [1].
   • Grants for treatment outside public health institutions: When specialized diagnostic or therapeutic procedures are unavailable inside Kosovo's public hospitals, a specialist consortium at QKUK can issue a referral to apply for financial support through the Program for Medical Treatment Outside Public Health Institutions (Trajtimi Mjekësor Jashtë Institucioneve Shëndetësore Publike - TMJISHP) administered by the Health Insurance Fund under the Ministry of Health of Kosovo [1].
2. 2

   Record Advance Healthcare Directives and Designate a Medical Representative

   • Patient autonomy and informed consent: Under Law No. 04/L-125 on Health and Law No. 02/L-38 on the Rights and Responsibilities of Citizens in Health Care, every patient with decision-making capacity has the right to full information regarding their diagnosis and treatment options and the right to accept or refuse proposed medical interventions in writing (pëlqimi ose refuzimi me shkrim) [1].
   • Written declaration of treatment preferences: Because Kosovo does not operate a separate central registry for living wills, your family member can formalize their advance medical treatment preferences and wishes regarding life-sustaining interventions in a written declaration certified by a public notary from the Chamber of Notaries of Kosovo (Oda e Noterëve të Kosovës) and file signed copies with their QKMF family doctor and attending hospital clinic [1] [5] [6].
   • Appointing a healthcare proxy or representative: While retaining full legal capacity (zotësia e plotë për të vepruar), the patient may execute a notarized medical authorization (autorizim / prokurë për përfaqësim shëndetësor) naming a trusted adult relative or representative to access medical records and communicate healthcare decisions if the patient later becomes unable to express informed consent [1] [5] [6].
3. 3

   Execute Financial and Legal Powers of Attorney and Bank Mandates

   • Notarized general or special power of attorney: Under Law No. 04/L-077 on Obligational Relationships and Law No. 06/L-010 on Notary, overseen by the Ministry of Justice of Kosovo, a power of attorney (prokurë / autorizim) empowering a family member to manage property, administrative filings, pensions, or legal matters must be executed before a licensed public notary while the principal possesses full mental and legal capacity [5] [6].
   • Home or hospital bedside notarization: If your family member is unable to attend a notary office due to advanced illness, a public notary registered with the Chamber of Notaries of Kosovo can conduct an official out-of-office visit at the hospital or private residence to verify identity and legal capacity and authenticate the power of attorney [5] [6].
   • Bank account mandates: Commercial banks operating in Kosovo require either the bank's own internal account authorization signed at a branch or a specific notarized power of attorney (prokurë e posaçme bankare) that explicitly identifies the bank, account numbers (IBAN), and authorized banking transactions (withdrawals, transfers, e-banking management, and pension collection) [5] [6]. Setting up these mandates while capacity is intact avoids the need for lengthy court guardianship proceedings [5] [6].
4. 4

   Activate Disability, Dependency, and Caregiver Support Benefits

   • Permanent disability pension and care allowances: Under Law No. 04/L-131 on State-Funded Pension Schemes and disability legislation administered by the Ministry of Finance, Labour and Transfers, adult residents with severe and permanent loss of work capacity or severe physical impairment (such as paraplegic and tetraplegic status with custodial caregiver support) may apply to the medical assessment commissions of the Ministry of Finance, Labour and Transfers for a disability pension (pensioni i aftësisë së kufizuar) and caregiver compensation [2] [4].
   • Early disability withdrawal from the Kosovo Pension Savings Trust (Trusti - FKPK): If your family member is approved for a permanent disability pension by the Ministry of Finance, Labour and Transfers, they become eligible to apply to the Kosovo Pension Savings Trust (FKPK) for early withdrawal of their individual Pillar II retirement savings [4].
   • Paid sick leave and family caregiver leave: Under the Labour Law of Kosovo (Law No. 03/L-212), employed patients are entitled to paid sick leave (pushim mjekësor) certified by their physician, and employed family members may request paid or unpaid family care leave from their employer to care for a seriously ill immediate family member [1] [4].
5. 5

   Organize Wills, Civil Status Extracts, and Property Documentation

   • Executing a valid will: Under the Law on Inheritance in Kosovo (Law No. 2004/26), a person with full legal capacity may execute a holographic will (testament holografik, written and signed entirely by hand), a written will signed before two witnesses, or a formal notarial/court will drafted and recorded by a public notary from the Chamber of Notaries of Kosovo under the supervision of the Ministry of Justice of Kosovo [5] [6]. When drafting a will, the testator should account for statutory forced-heirship shares (pjesa e domosdoshme) protecting close family members [5] [6].
   • Verifying civil status and cadastral records: Using the eKosova State Portal and the municipal civil registry under the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Kosovo, verify that birth certificates, marriage certificates, and family community certificates (Certifikata e bashkësisë familjare) are accurate and up to date, and check that real estate ownership is properly recorded on municipal cadastral possession lists (Fletë poseduese) [2] [3].
   • Cross-border powers of attorney and asset coordination: If family representatives or assets are located outside Kosovo, ensure that notarial powers of attorney and civil status documents receive an Apostille or diplomatic legalization through the Civil Registration Agency of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Kosovo and are accompanied by certified translations [2] [3] [6].

Official Authorities & Verified Contacts

Official Sources Checked by Clarvia

1. [1]
   Public Health Services, Essential Medicines List, and Patient Rights — Ministry of Health of the Republic of Kosovo
2. [2]
   Electronic Public Services Catalogue - Civil Status, Health, and Pensions — eKosova State Portal - Government of the Republic of Kosovo
3. [3]
   Civil Registration Agency, Identity Documents, and Document Legalization — Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Kosovo (MPB)
4. [4]
   State-Funded Disability Pensions and Social Welfare Schemes — Ministry of Finance, Labour and Transfers of the Republic of Kosovo
5. [5]
   Notarial Citizen Services, Powers of Attorney, and Official Tariffs — Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Kosovo
6. [6]
   Directory of Public Notaries, Wills, and Legal Representation Acts — Chamber of Notaries of Kosovo (Oda e Noterëve të Kosovës)