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

1. 1

   Coordinate Palliative Care, Home Nursing, and Health Coverage

   • Public hospital and community palliative care: Healthcare in Seychelles is constitutionally guaranteed and delivered primarily through the Health Care Agency under the Ministry of Health [3]. Your family member's treating specialist at Seychelles Hospital in Victoria (or at Baie Ste Anne Hospital on Praslin or La Digue Hospital) can establish a multidisciplinary symptom-management, oncology, or palliative care plan and refer the patient to the district community health centre for home-based nursing visits and domiciliary pain relief [3].
   • Hospice and respite care coordination: For patients requiring inpatient supportive care or complex symptom control, ask the hospital medical social work team under the Ministry of Health about admission to specialised palliative or rehabilitative wards (such as the North East Point Hospital and Hospice facility on Mahe) and equipment loans for home mobility and nursing care [3].
   • Private insurance and overseas medical treatment: If your family member holds private medical or critical-illness insurance, obtain written clinical summaries from the treating consultant early to pre-authorise private clinic consultations, home nursing coverage, or specialized treatment under the Ministry of Health overseas medical referral programme if indicated [3].
2. 2

   Record Advance Healthcare Preferences and Designate a Medical Representative

   • Documenting clinical treatment wishes: Seychelles does not have a standalone living-will statute separate from its general civil and medical consent framework, so patient autonomy is governed by informed consent principles and the Civil Code of Seychelles Act 2020 [3] [5]. While your family member has full capacity, they should record a clear, signed written statement of their medical preferences - covering pain and symptom management, artificial life-prolonging interventions, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and preferred place of care (home versus hospital) [3] [5].
   • Integration into Ministry of Health clinical records: Provide copies of this signed statement to the lead hospital consultant and the district health centre team at the Ministry of Health so that clinical goals of care and escalation ceilings are formally noted in the patient's medical file [3].
   • Designating a primary medical spokesperson: Under the agency and mandate provisions of the Civil Code of Seychelles Act 2020, your family member can designate a trusted adult relative or representative in writing to communicate with physicians and receive confidential clinical updates if the patient later becomes unable to speak for themselves [3] [5].
3. 3

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

   • Mandate (Power of Attorney) under the Civil Code: Articles 1984 and following of the Civil Code of Seychelles Act 2020 govern the contract of mandate (power of attorney), by which a principal authorises an agent (mandataire) to act on their behalf in financial, administrative, and property matters [5]. Crucially, the principal must possess full mental capacity at the moment the mandate is executed [5].
   • Notarial execution for property and formal acts: While a general mandate may be written under private signature for routine administration, any power of attorney authorising the sale, mortgage, or transfer of immovable property (land or real estate in Seychelles) or formal representation before public registries must be executed as an authentic deed before a Seychelles notary or attorney-at-law and registered with the Registrar General at the Supreme Court of Seychelles [2] [5].
   • Direct commercial bank mandates: Commercial banks in Seychelles often require their own internal account mandate or third-party signatory forms in addition to a general power of attorney; arrange for your family member to sign these bank-specific forms in person (or via a domiciliary bank visit with a medical certificate of capacity) while capacity is undisputed [5].
   • Limits of ordinary mandates upon incapacity: Under the Civil Code, a standard mandate may be challenged or terminated if the principal loses legal capacity unless structured appropriately; if capacity is already declining and formal protective representation is needed, families must petition the Supreme Court of Seychelles for judicial guardianship or curatelle measures [5].
4. 4

   Activate Incapacity Pensions, Disability Support, and Caregiver Assistance

   • Seychelles Pension Fund (SPF) Incapacity Pension: If your family member is a contributor under retirement age who has become permanently incapable of work due to serious illness, apply to the Seychelles Pension Fund for an Incapacity Pension [4]. The application requires identity documentation, employment contribution records, and a comprehensive medical report evaluated by the Seychelles Pension Fund medical board [4].
   • Home carer scheme and social protection: Through the Agency for Social Protection and community social services, families caring for a severely ill or bedridden person at home can apply for disability support allowances or the statutory Home Carer scheme, which provides financial support for an approved domiciliary caregiver [2] [4].
   • Employment leave and workplace protections: Employed patients and family caregivers should review statutory sick leave entitlements and compassionate or unpaid family-care arrangements with their employer, supported by medical certificates issued through the Ministry of Health [3] [4].
5. 5

   Review the Will, Forced Heirship Rules, Beneficiary Designations, and Civil Records

   • Reviewing or drafting a will under Seychelles law: Book III of the Civil Code of Seychelles Act 2020 recognises three forms of wills: the authentic will (dictated before a notary), the mystic (secret) will, and the holographic will (which must be entirely handwritten, dated, and signed by the testator in person) [5]. Reviewing the will with a Seychelles notary ensures it complies with statutory forced heirship rules (reserve hereditaire), which reserve fixed portions of the estate for surviving children and protect spousal rights [5].
   • Updating pension and insurance nominations: Verify that beneficiary nomination forms filed with the Seychelles Pension Fund and any private life insurance policies are current, as nominated pension gratuities and life policies follow statutory scheme rules [4] [5].
   • Organising civil status and property records: Gather and verify original birth certificates, marriage certificates, and National Identity Cards through the Civil Status Office (using the eGov CertExpress portal if replacements are needed), alongside land title deeds (transcription or Land Register certificates) [1] [2].
   • Cross-border coordination: If your family member holds assets abroad or if prospective executors live outside Seychelles, ensure foreign powers of attorney and estate documents are prepared with a Hague Apostille through the Supreme Court of Seychelles so they are recognised across jurisdictions [1] [5].

Official Authorities & Verified Contacts

Official Sources Checked by Clarvia

1. [1]
   Civil Status - Ordering Official Civil Status Certificates — Department of Immigration and Civil Status (Republic of Seychelles)
2. [2]
   MyCitizen - Civil Status and Citizen Administrative Services — Seychelles National e-Government Portal (eGov)
3. [3]
   Ministry of Health - Hospital, Community Health and Palliative Services — Ministry of Health (Republic of Seychelles)
4. [4]
   Seychelles Pension Fund - Incapacity, Retirement and Member Benefits — Seychelles Pension Fund (SPF)
5. [5]
   Civil Code of Seychelles Act 2020 - Mandates, Capacity and Wills — Judiciary of Seychelles