In Spain you typically obtain the death certificate from the funeral parlour
If this does not happen for whatever happens your solicitor will request it from the civil register.
The obtention of the death certificates for the family is always included in the funeral parlours bill. He will typically hand the document to you 3 to 5 days after the death.
When he hands you the death certificate make sure he hands you at least a couple of international death certificates and not just the normal Spanish ones.
The international ones are directly valid in the u.k. and do not require Hague´s Apostille or translation.
Remember there is not extra charge for this as it is included in his bill.
If for some reason you no longer have contact with the funeral parlour your solicitor can request one for you from the civil register corresponding to the place of death.
Click for our simple guideline of what to do and who to contact in the case of a death in Spain .
If you have recently lost a loved one some immediate questions may come to mind about what to do and who to call. I suggest you click on the the post below that explains this in detail.
Easy guide. List of what to do and who to call if somebody dies in Spain
If you are a beneficiary or an executor of a Spanish estate please click to see how we can help you.
How long does it take to get a death certificate in Spain?
Usually the funeral parlour will issue you with a death certificate within 4 to 5 days
How much does the death certificate cost in Spain?
Usually it is included in the funeral parlours bill
Are there various kinds of death certificates in Spain ?
Yes, there are three kinds of death certificate. The medical death certificate that contains the cause of death, the normal Spanish death certificate that is issued by the registrar which is used for probate in Spain and the international death certificate also issued by the registrar that is necessary if you are going to deal with assets outside Spain.
How much does a funeral cost in Spain?
Usually the cost is between 2000 and 4500 euro.
Why does the Spanish death certificate not contain the cause of death?
The death certificates handed to you by the funeral parlour are the ones issue by the civil register (both the international ones and the Spanish ones) and they do not contain the cause of death that is protected by our data protection rules.
Only the medical death certificate that is issued by the doctor will contain the cause of death. The next of kin can normally access this document at the hospital.
