In France, Islamic funeral insurance mostly takes the form of conventional plans adapted to Muslim rites, with the Sakina takaful offer announced in 2020 remaining an exception. Ritual washing, burial, repatriation and investment conditions all need checking.
The needs of Muslim funeral funding
Funeral plans adapted to Muslim rites provide for ritual washing, the shroud, burial without cremation and the use of a specialist funeral director. Repatriation of the body to Morocco, Algeria or Tunisia remains optional, sometimes with fairly limited caps.
Sakina, the first takaful funeral offer announced
On 25 March 2020, the Marseille wholesale broker SAAFI announced Sakina, billed as the first takaful death, funeral and repatriation offer in France. Sums of 2,000, 3,500, 5,000 or 7,000 euros were offered, payable to a person or the funeral director.
Eligibility conditions set by Sakina
Membership of Sakina was open to people aged 12 to 85, with no medical questionnaire, provided they were tax resident in France. The underwriting insurer is not named, and the offer's activity had not been confirmed in 2026, so families should check first.
Conventional plans marketed as riba-free
In the absence of a broad takaful offer, some conventional plans present themselves as riba-free. That label guarantees neither a tabarru' fund, nor a sharia committee, nor surplus redistribution; it must be checked against the general terms and the plan's actual investments.
Prices recorded by a comparison site in 2026
In September 2026 a comparison site recorded indicative contributions of 10 to 15 euros a month at 40 and 20 to 30 euros at 60, for a sum of 5,000 to 7,000 euros. A couple aged 50 paid 20 to 40 euros.
Repatriation, a benefit to check line by line
According to Meilleurtaux, air transport, formalities and often a companion's ticket are included only in some plans. LesMRE points out that the journey from the airport to the burial site is sometimes excluded. A dedicated body repatriation insurance can complement the plan.
The case of Moroccans living abroad
For repatriation to Morocco, LesMRE reports premiums from around twenty euros a year for those joining young, and over 100 euros for late joiners. There is no official price list, and a waiting period applies except in the case of an accident.
SAA's initiative for Algerians in France
For Algerians in France, the state insurer SAA offered repatriation cover from January 2011 at 25 euros per person per year, through BIA in Paris. A repatriation then cost nearly 3,000 euros, and some 620 bodies were repatriated in 2010.
Lump sum paid or services arranged
A lump-sum plan pays an amount to the named beneficiary, who then arranges the funeral. A services plan entrusts the arrangements directly to a funeral director. Sakina provided for both routes, with the sum payable either to a person or straight to the funeral director.
Why takaful funeral cover remains rare in Europe
On the French market, the ACPR has published no position on takaful, and offers fall under the Insurance Code and Solvency II. In the United Kingdom, Salaam Halal Insurance went into run-off in less than a year after its launch.
Belgium: consular support during the pandemic
In April 2020, with repatriation impossible during Covid-19, the Moroccan embassy in Brussels announced help with funeral costs in Belgium for families in need or without insurance. The episode highlights the value of cover that also includes local burial.
What the standards say about funeral insurance
On the doctrinal side, AAOIFI Sharia Standard No. 26, adopted at the Medina meeting in June 2006, deals with Islamic insurance. For any given funeral plan, only the written opinion of the operator's sharia committee makes it possible to judge compliance.
Planning a funeral according to Muslim rites: what to do
- Define the need: burial in France or repatriation to North Africa, Central Africa or the Indian Ocean.
- Check that the insurer and broker are licensed or registered, and supervised by the ACPR, before signing up.
- Ask whether the plan is a genuine takaful with a sharia committee or a conventional plan adapted to the rites.
- Check ritual washing, the shroud, the companion's ticket and transport to the burial site.
- Read the waiting period, the maximum entry age and the repatriation cap before signing.
- Name the beneficiary, a relative or the funeral director, and tell the family that the plan exists.
Cost items of Muslim funeral insurance
| Item | Indicative benchmark or content | What makes it vary |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly contribution at 40 | 10 to 15 euros for a sum of 5,000 to 7,000 euros (indicative, 2026) | Age on joining, sum chosen |
| Monthly contribution at 60 | 20 to 30 euros for an equivalent sum (indicative, 2026) | Age, payment period |
| Repatriation to Morocco | From around twenty euros a year when young, over 100 euros when late (indicative) | Age on joining, companion's ticket |
| Announced Sakina sum | 2,000, 3,500, 5,000 or 7,000 euros | Level of sum selected |
| Wakala fee and surplus | Present only in a genuine takaful plan | Management model and fund claims experience |
Documents to join and to trigger funeral cover
- Identity document and proof of address
- Tax notice proving French tax residence if the offer requires it
- Contact details of the beneficiary or the designated funeral director
- Death certificate and certificate of non-contagion for transporting the body
- Consular authorisations from the country of burial
Pitfalls of halal funeral plans
- Taking a riba-free label as proof of compliance, without a sharia committee or written fund rules.
- Assuming repatriation is included, when it is often optional with a cap sometimes limited to 2,000 euros.
- Forgetting the journey from the arrival airport to the burial site, which repatriation plans sometimes exclude.
- Joining late without measuring the waiting period applied when there is no medical questionnaire, except for accidental death.
- Not telling your family that the plan exists, which delays or prevents payment of the sum.
Muslim funeral plans: questions from families
Is there genuine takaful funeral insurance in France?
SAAFI announced the Sakina offer in 2020, presented as the first takaful death, funeral and repatriation solution, but its current activity is not confirmed. Most available plans are conventional products adapted to Muslim rites, which deserve careful scrutiny.
How much does a Muslim funeral plan cost?
As an indication, a comparison site recorded in 2026 contributions of 10 to 15 euros a month at age 40 and 20 to 30 euros at age 60, for a sum of 5,000 to 7,000 euros. Meilleurtaux cites around 10 to 30 euros a month.
Is repatriation of the body always included?
No. It is included only in some plans, often as an option, with varying caps. You should check the companion's ticket, the formalities and transport to the burial site, which is sometimes excluded according to the LesMRE guide.
What can a family do if it is uninsured at the time of death?
Occasional help exists, such as the support announced by the Moroccan embassy in Brussels in April 2020 for families in need. Community associations also step in in France, but these solutions do not replace a plan taken out in advance.
Takaful operators and organisations
Qatar Islamic InsuranceQatari Islamic insurer offering family and general takaful products to individuals and companies.SALAMA – Islamic Arab InsuranceUAE-based Islamic insurance group present in several countries with takaful health and protection products.Prudential BSN TakafulMalaysian takaful operator, a joint venture of Prudential and Bank Simpanan Nasional, offering family and general takaful cover.ICIEC (Groupe de la Banque islamique de développement)Insurance arm of the Islamic Development Bank Group, covering investments and export credits in line with Shariah.Indicative list: assuranceislamique.com has no commercial link with these organisations. Always check the licence with the local regulator.