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

1. 1

   Coordinate Palliative Care, Home Care, and Health Coverage

   • Public palliative and supportive care: The Ministry of Health operates the specialized Palliative Care Center (Markaz al-Ri'aya al-Taltifiya) located in the Al-Sabah Specialized Medical Area alongside the Kuwait Cancer Control Center (KCCC) [1]. Referrals can be requested by the treating oncology, neurology, or internal medicine specialist at any government hospital to arrange inpatient symptom management, multidisciplinary pain control, and outpatient follow-up [1].
   • Home medical care and nursing: Through the Ministry of Health Home Health Care Administration (Idarat al-Ri'aya al-Manziliya) attached to regional general hospitals and primary care polyclinics, multidisciplinary teams provide home visits, wound care, medical equipment, and pain medication renewals for bedridden or seriously ill patients registered with a valid Civil ID issued by the Public Authority for Civil Information [1][4].
   • Health insurance and coverage verification: Kuwaiti citizens receive comprehensive care in government facilities and eligible retiree coverage under the Afya health insurance scheme. Expatriate residents must maintain active mandatory health insurance (Dhaman) linked to their residency permit and check private policy limits for inpatient palliative admissions and home nursing [1][4].
2. 2

   Record Medical Treatment Preferences and Designate a Healthcare Representative

   • Medical rights under Law No. 70 of 2020: Healthcare decision-making in Kuwait is governed by Law No. 70 of 2020 Regarding the Practice of the Medical Profession and its Related Professions, the Rights of Patients, and Health Facilities, supervised by the Ministry of Health [1]. While the patient retains full mental capacity, their informed consent is required for all medical and surgical interventions [1].
   • Recording care preferences and proxy contacts: Kuwait does not have a standalone statutory "living will" registry, and active euthanasia or physician-assisted dying is strictly prohibited under Kuwaiti law and Islamic bioethics. However, while capable, your family member can formally document their clinical preferences with their treating team at the Ministry of Health - including pain management priorities and designated first-degree relatives authorized to receive confidential medical disclosures and make surrogate decisions if capacity declines [1].
   • Life-sustaining treatment protocols: Under Law No. 70 of 2020, decisions regarding the withholding or non-escalation of futile cardiopulmonary resuscitation in end-stage illness are governed by strict clinical consensus protocols certified by multiple specialist physicians in the patient's hospital file [1].
3. 3

   Execute Notarial Powers of Attorney and Bank Mandates While Capacity Is Intact

   • Official Power of Attorney (Tawkil Rasmi): Under the Kuwaiti Civil Code, a Power of Attorney (Tawkil) is only valid if executed while the principal (al-Muwakkil) possesses full mental and legal capacity. Your family member should execute a General Power of Attorney (Tawkil Amm) or Special Power of Attorney (Tawkil Khass) before the Documentation Department (Idarat al-Tawthiq) of the Ministry of Justice [2].
   • Bedside or hospital notarization: If your family member is hospitalized or housebound due to severe illness but remains mentally lucid, a request can be submitted to the Documentation Department of the Ministry of Justice (via a Citizen Service Center or the Sahel app) for a notary officer (Muwaththiq) to conduct an off-site visit at the hospital or home to verify capacity and attest the Power of Attorney [2].
   • Bank mandates and commercial authority: Many commercial banks in Kuwait require powers of attorney to contain explicit clauses authorizing banking operations, or require the account holder to sign the bank's own internal mandate forms while capable. Note that under Kuwaiti law, any Power of Attorney automatically terminates if the principal loses legal capacity (unless supervised by court guardianship) or upon the end of life, so bank mandates should be reviewed carefully [2].
4. 4

   Activate Disability, Medical Retirement, and Caregiver Support Benefits

   • Public Authority for Affairs of Persons with Disabilities (PADA): If the illness causes severe physical or functional impairment, apply to the Public Authority for Affairs of Persons with Disabilities under Law No. 8 of 2010 [5]. Following assessment by the Technical Medical Committee, eligible Kuwaiti nationals (and qualifying children of Kuwaiti mothers) may receive a disability certificate, monthly disability allowances, medical equipment grants, and a statutory Caregiver Allowance (Mukhassas al-Mukallaf bil-Ri'aya) or reduced working hours for a designated family caregiver [5].
   • Medical retirement and social security pensions: If your family member is an active employee or contributor, the Public Institution for Social Security administers disability retirement pensions (Ma'ash al-Ajz) when the General Medical Council of the Ministry of Health certifies permanent total or partial incapacity to work [1][3][6]. Beneficiaries and authorized agents can also obtain official pension entitlement certificates via Kuwait Government Online and the PIFSS portal [3][6][7].
   • Statutory sick leave and accompaniment leave: Under the Civil Service Commission rules (for public-sector workers) and Kuwait Labor Law No. 6 of 2010 (for private-sector workers), seriously ill employees are entitled to tiered paid and partial-pay medical leave certified by the Ministry of Health, and immediate family members may request hospital or overseas treatment accompaniment leave (Ijazat Murafaqat Marid) [1].
5. 5

   Organize Wills, Civil Status Records, and Property Documents

   • Wills (Wasiya) and Sharia succession rules: Under Kuwait's Personal Status Law No. 51 of 1984, inheritance for Muslims is governed by mandatory Sharia fixed shares (Fara'id). A Muslim testator may execute a formal Will (Wasiya) registered with the Documentation Department of the Ministry of Justice disposing of up to one-third (1/3) of the net estate to non-heirs or charitable causes (bequests to legal heirs beyond their statutory share require the post-succession consent of the other heirs) [2].
   • Wills for non-Muslim expatriate residents: Non-Muslim foreign nationals residing in Kuwait should execute a clearly drafted will covering their Kuwaiti and international assets, have it notarized and translated into Arabic, and ensure it aligns with the law of their nationality, which Kuwaiti courts can apply under Kuwaiti conflict-of-laws provisions [2].
   • Consolidating civil, banking, and commercial records: Verify that all family records, marriage certificates, birth certificates of children, original Civil IDs with the Public Authority for Civil Information, real estate title deeds (Watha'iq al-Milkiya), and individual commercial licenses are organized in one accessible file [2][4][8].
   • Cross-border legal coordination: Because Kuwait is not a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, any foreign Power of Attorney or civil document needed inside Kuwait (or Kuwaiti document needed abroad) must be legalized through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the relevant embassy [2].

Official Authorities & Verified Contacts

Official Sources Checked by Clarvia

1. [1]
   Ministry of Health - State of Kuwait Official Portal — Ministry of Health of the State of Kuwait
2. [2]
   Ministry of Justice - Official Portal (Documentation, Notary & Personal Status) — Ministry of Justice of the State of Kuwait
3. [3]
   Public Institution for Social Security (PIFSS) - Official Portal — Public Institution for Social Security
4. [4]
   Public Authority for Civil Information (PACI) - Official Portal — Public Authority for Civil Information
5. [5]
   Public Authority for Affairs of Persons with Disabilities (PADA) — Public Authority for Affairs of Persons with Disabilities
6. [6]
   Retirement Pension Inquiry Service — Kuwait Government Online / Public Institution for Social Security
7. [7]
   Issuing a Certificate of Eligible Data (Social Security & Legal Agency) — Kuwait Government Online / Public Institution for Social Security
8. [8]
   Transferring Individual Commercial Licenses and Agency Procedures — Kuwait Government Online / Ministry of Commerce and Industry