Death occurring in another EU country and repatriation of the remains
Content
Consular assistance in the event of a death abroad
When a Spanish citizen dies abroad, and the body is to be repatriated to Spain for burial, the family should contact the relevant Consular Office
for information on the procedure and about private companies that could potentially handle the repatriation.
The Consular Office will set in motion the necessary administrative procedures, will contact the local authorities, the insurance company, if there is one, the company handling the repatriation, and will notify Public Health Authorities (External) about the deceased’s repatriation to Spain, through the Subdirectorate-General for Consular Protection and Assistance.
Neither the Consular Office nor the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation covers the costs of transporting bodies, as consular intervention is restricted to the administrative procedures under international and Spanish regulations, and to notifying the Spanish public health authorities about the repatriation.
Wills and death insurance certificates
Information about wills and death insurance certificates abroad can be consulted on the page regarding inheritance and succession .
Information for each Autonomous Community
Andalucía Aragón Asturias, Principado de Balears, Illes Canarias Cantabria Castilla y León Castilla-La Mancha Cataluña Ciudad de Ceuta Ciudad de Melilla Comunitat Valenciana Extremadura Galicia Madrid, Comunidad de Murcia, Región de Navarra, Comunidad Foral de País Vasco Rioja, La
Legal and/or technical references
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Royal Decree 267/2022 of 12 April implementing the basic organisational structure of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation.
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Instrument of ratification of the Agreement on the Transfer of Corpses, done in Strasbourg on 26 October 1973.
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Decree 2263/1974 of 20 July adopting the Regulation on a Public Health Funeral Policy.
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Technical Cooperation Agreement between the Government of the Kingdom of Spain and the Government of the French Republic on the transfer of human remains by land, done in Malaga on 20 February 2017.
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Administrative Arrangement between the Ministry of Health, Social Services and Equality of the Kingdom of Spain and the Ministry of Health of the Portuguese Republic on the international transfer of human remains, done in Bayonne on 22 June 2015.
