Repatriating a deceased person to Morocco plays out over a few days, often less than a week, and the formalities fall at the worst possible moment. The mortuary pass, the non-contagion certificate, the death certificate, the sealing of the coffin, the flights: everything is settled while the family is grieving. That is what explains the popularity of funeral contracts with repatriation among Moroccans abroad. The contract removes none of the administrative steps, but it funds and coordinates them, which lifts two weights at once. This guide describes what a contract actually covers, what it does not, what makes the premium vary, and the points to check before signing. It recommends no insurer: LesMRE informs and points the way, the choice remains the family's.
Costs & fees
| Annual premium, early subscription | from around twenty euros a year | Order of magnitude observed in market offers for a basic individual package. Varies widely by insurer and cover. |
| Annual premium, later subscription | often above a hundred euros a year | Age at subscription weighs most. Subscribing early locks in a lower premium. |
| Accompanying person option | extra in most contracts | Flight for a relative accompanying the deceased, rarely included by default. |
| Road transport in Morocco to the burial place | varies, sometimes excluded from basic packages | An item to check explicitly when the burial place is far from an airport. |
| Repatriation without a contract | see the body repatriation guide | No official tariff exists. Observed ranges and the breakdown of items are in the dedicated guide. |
Timeline
Tell apart the three products that look alike
Three families of contracts circulate under similar names. Capital funeral insurance pays a sum to the beneficiaries, who are free to use it. A funeral services contract organises the funeral according to services defined in advance. Repatriation insurance specifically targets transporting the body to the country of origin. A contract aimed at Moroccans abroad usually combines funding and repatriation, but the two do not always go together.
⚠️ Warning: A standard funeral contract taken out in Europe does not necessarily cover transport to Morocco. The repatriation cover must be explicit.
Check exactly what the repatriation cover includes
Repatriation cover to Morocco generally includes transport of the body from the country of residence to Morocco, the administrative steps including consular validation, coordination with Moroccan funeral directors, and a coffin approved for international transport.
💡 Tip: Ask for the written list of included services, not just the commercial name of the package.
Look at the city of arrival, not just the country
This is the most commonly overlooked point. Contracts sometimes apply different conditions depending on the city of arrival in Morocco. Repatriation to Casablanca, Rabat or Tangier is not handled like repatriation to a rural municipality far from an airport.
⚠️ Warning: Road transport from the airport to the home village is the item most often missing from entry-level packages.
Check whether an accompanying relative is covered
The flight for a relative accompanying the deceased is offered as an option in many contracts, rarely included by default. For a family living far from Morocco, that is a real cost arriving at the hardest moment.
💡 Tip: Ask how many accompanying persons are covered and what type of ticket, not just whether the principle exists.
Understand what drives the premium
Age at subscription is the main factor. Market offers range from around twenty euros a year for an early subscription to more than a hundred euros a year for a late one, depending on the cover chosen. The package, individual or family, and the added options do the rest. Some contracts are offered without a medical questionnaire, which is paid for elsewhere, often through a waiting period.
⚠️ Warning: A contract with no medical questionnaire frequently carries a period during which the death cover does not apply, except for accidents. That period appears in the general conditions.
Name the beneficiaries clearly and tell the family
A contract nobody can find is useless. The beneficiary clause must be up to date, and at least two trusted people must know the contract exists and where to find it.
💡 Tip: Keep a copy of the contract with the civil status documents, and give the insurer's contact details to a relative in Morocco.
Know what still has to be done despite the contract
Insurance does not replace the formalities. The death certificate, the non-contagion certificate, the international transport authorisation and the mortuary pass issued by the Moroccan consulate still have to be obtained. The contract funds and coordinates, it does not sign on behalf of the authorities.
💡 Tip: The detail of those steps is in our dedicated guide on body repatriation.
In depth
Why this subject keeps coming up in searches
Searches by Moroccans abroad about body repatriation are overwhelmingly about price. Yet no official tariff exists: the cost depends on the country of departure, the city of arrival, the carrier and the funeral services chosen on both sides. It is precisely that absence of a scale that pushes many families towards a contract, whose premium is known in advance.
The contract does not replace the mortuary pass
The central document in repatriation remains the mortuary pass issued by the Moroccan consulate, required by the Moroccan authorities on arrival. No insurance contract substitutes for it. What the contract brings is a counterpart who assembles the file and advances the costs, at a moment when the family has neither the time nor the availability to do so.
The role of a contact in Morocco
Even where insurance steps in, someone is generally needed on the ground to coordinate the arrival, the burial and the rest of the file. Contracts provide for coordination with Moroccan funeral directors, but a reachable relative in Morocco remains the link that moves things quickly.
What LesMRE does not do
We recommend no insurer and do not compare commercial offers. This guide sets out the points to check before signing. For support on a specific file, the directory lists verified professionals in Morocco.
❌ Common mistakes to avoid
- ✕Taking out a standard funeral contract in Europe assuming it covers transport to Morocco. The repatriation cover must be explicit.
- ✕Looking at the country of arrival without looking at the city. Road transport to a village far from an airport is often missing from basic packages.
- ✕Assuming an accompanying person's ticket is included. It is an option in most contracts.
- ✕Ignoring the waiting period in contracts with no medical questionnaire. Death cover may not apply for several months, except for accidents.
- ✕Leaving an outdated beneficiary clause after a divorce, a remarriage or a death.
- ✕Telling nobody the contract exists. A contract the family cannot find is useless.
- ✕Believing insurance removes the consular formalities. The mortuary pass is still issued by the consulate, on a complete file.
🔗 Official links and resources
Consulates of the Kingdom of Morocco
Issuance of the mortuary pass and documents required for repatriation.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Moroccans Living Abroad
Consular network and information for Moroccans worldwide.
Insurance and Social Welfare Supervisory Authority
Regulator of the insurance sector in Morocco, information on contracts and remedies.
LesMRE guide, body repatriation to Morocco
The detailed steps, documents and timelines, with or without a contract.
❓ Frequently asked questions
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