Spanish legal advice in plain English

How do I get a death certificate from Spain?

A death certificate is an important document that is used to record the death of an individual officially.

A death certificate is always required in order to bury a body lawfully or to administer the deceased's estate.

We can take care of the process for you. 

If the deceased died in Spain, then simply fill out the details in the form below and we will obtain a death certificate without any charge.

Request a Spanish Death Certificate

e.g. street name or hospital name, etc.

We will send you a scanned copy of the document.

If the deceased died in Spain and you are a member of the deceased's family, you will need to obtain a death certificate in order to arrange for the body to be transported to the home country, a process known as repatriation of the body.

In some cases, the embassy or consulate of your home country can help with this process, but it is far quicker to ask us to obtain the document for you. 

Why you need a death certificate from Spain

Wherever you live, whether in Spain or abroad, you may need to obtain a Spanish death certificate if a family member or other person close to you dies in Spain. The official document certifies the death of an individual in Spain and is issued by the civil registry office.

The death certificate is an important document, which is required for various legal procedures, which lead to closing bank accounts, transferring property ownership, and claiming life insurance benefits.

There are three kinds of death certificates in Spain

1) The death certificate issued by the civil registry can be used to administer a Spanish estate, which means dealing with probate in Spain.

2) The medical death certificate issues by the doctor confirms death and details the cause of death

3) International death certificate that is also issued by the civil registry and is also used to deal with any assets outside Spain

How do I get a Spanish death certificate?

The death certificate issued by the civil registry in Spain is usually provided by the funeral parlour (tanatorio), however if this is not the case, the civil register will need to provide it to you directly.  

If the death occurred in Spain, you can get a death certificate from the Civil Registry (Registro Civil) in the municipality where the death took place. If you are not in Spain, you can request a death certificate by mail or through a Spanish consulate or embassy.

Alternatively, you can ask us to obtain the death certificate.  We will obtain it and send you a scanned copy without any charge.

What information do you need to get a death certificate in Spain?

In order to get a death certificate, you will need to provide the following information:

The full name of the deceased

The date of death

The place of death

How long does it take to get a death certificate in Spain?

The death certificate will be issued by the civil registry office within 24 hours of the death being registered with the Registrar of Births, Deaths, and Marriages. If you are requesting the death certificate by mail or through a Spanish consulate or embassy, it may take several weeks to receive the document.

We can obtain the Spanish death certificate, usually within approximately two weeks of your request.

What should you do with a death certificate from Spain?

If a British person dies in Spain, there are numerous authorities that may wish to see the certificate ranging from HM Revenue and Customs to iInsurance companies and banks who may require proof of documents.

The certificate is also important when administering the estate of the deceased in Spain and abroad.

What to do after a British person dies in Spain?

Insurance

If the person who died had travel insurance, the insurance company will help to cover the cost of repatriation. Repatriation is the process of bringing the body home. The insurance company will also help with any medical, legal, interpretation and translation fees.

The insurance company will appoint a funeral director both locally and in the UK. The funeral director will make all the arrangements for the repatriation and will liaise with the bereaved family. They will also arrange for any documents which are required, such as a death certificate and a police report.

Without insurance, a relative or representative will be required to take care of costs for the funeral.

In Spain, the funeral director will take care of registering the death with the local Spanish civil registry. This office will then issue a death certificate.  We can obtain a death certificate once it has been issued.

Funerals in Spain

Funerals in Spain, whether a burial or cremation, will often take place within 24 to 48 hours of death.

 

Testimonials

E&G Solicitors in Spain could not have done more to put my mind at ease. The fact that they have solicitors in Spain and the UK who are bi-lingual and have knowledge of the legal system over there is great. I couldn’t recommend them highly enough.

Tony, Derbyshire