Spanish funerals/undertakers info and other cheerful stuff

Apologies for the subject raised if any upset is caused but having searched the forum and drawn a blank I'm assuming it's either a taboo subject or perhaps everyone in spain just assumes they'll live forever?  ;O)

We plan to retire there when youngest has flown the nest and to put it bluntly, when I pop my clogs, finances permitting, I'll be planning to go into one of those nice clean, above ground, concrete pigeon-hole type of thingys that I see locally when over there (anyone know what they're called?).

The show-stopper with spanish funerals seems to be rather similar to Ireland, in that under normal circumstances they're usually over and done with within a day or two (as opposed to maybe a week or so in UK).

If anyone would care to share their knowledge on the subject I'd really appreciate it - feel free to use pm if you prefer but I'm hoping plenty of others may have an interest also!

Incidentally, I've just posted another thread question associated with dying (inheritance tax) here.. http://www.eyeonspain.com/forums/posts-long-1525.aspx

Be happy  ;O)

I wanted to edit (add to) the above post but can't seem to find a way to do this?..

Should have pointed out I'm interested in the process of contacting spanish undertakers as I can imagine it could be particularly difficult with the language barrier alone.

If anyone can point to any online resources that might be useful as a reference, and I assume there will probably be ex-pat undertakers in some of the larger conurbations also?. 

I have a feeling there will be another similarity with Irish funerals... very expensive!  

ps - I noted there was an option to "Edit this Post" at the top of this second post, but never saw that on the opening one?

This message was last edited by growler on 14/03/2012.

The following information has been copied from the following website     http://www.perezlegalgroup.es/about-us.aspx

Hosted by the Perez Legal Group

THE FUNERAL DIRECTOR
 

This person is probably the first one you will want to contact if you are in charge of arrangements for a death.

Funeral directors in Spain, just as in other countries, are aware that family members are distraught when a loved one has died. So they aim to provide full service, including all the necessary paperwork, and you may need to make only one telephone call to set the process in motion.

Funeral directors in areas with many foreign residents usually have at least one English-speaking staff member. When they receive a call, they respond quickly.

If no doctor has officially pronounced the person dead, they will locate a doctor to do so and they will inform both the Spanish judge who officially issues the death certificate and the consulate of the person’s nationality, as the consulate must issue a death certificate for that country.

You need both these death certificates for any insurance forms and for executing the will of the deceased. The funeral director takes the passport data of the deceased and of the person who is responsible for the body in order to prepare his own reports. He sees that the necessary official certificates are delivered to the family.

If necessary, the funeral director can then take the body to the nearest cold-storage vault. Such vaults exist in most larger towns in Spain.

Cemeteries are usually owned by the towns where they are located and a foreigner can be buried in most of them, whether or not he is Catholic.

Perhaps we should not say « buried » as most cemeteries in Spain are, in fact, above ground. And the bodies are placed in niches. At a burial, the casket is eased into the niche and a pair of masons brick it in.

You will probably find that you need to be registered as an inhabitant of your municipality in order to be buried in the local cemetery. This is another reason to obtain that « certificado de empadronamiento » (please see our section registration in the Town Hall) or municipal registration.

If your new home-town cemetery does not suit you, there are others available. In Málaga, for example, there is an English cemetery and in Benalmadena there is an International Cemetery. These have the sort of burial plots to which northern Europeans are more accustomed.

Funeral directors can make arrangements for the cemetery plot or niche. They can also contact a British, Danish, Swedish or German pastor, as appropriate, to perform the burial service.

If the body is to be returned to the deceased’s home country, funeral directors can make the arrangements for the air transport as well as the embalming. Embalming, is not a standard practice in Spain, but it can be done.

The Spanish funeral director will see to the body’s transport to the airport in the home country, after which you will have to make other arrangements to have the body picked up. A few funeral directors have corresponding agents in other countries who will see to it that the body is delivered to any town in that country.

What will all this funeral service cost you ? A basic rate would be around 3.000 Euros,but this can rise quickly when transport costs, embalming fees, cold storage and cemetery fees are added in.

You should know that most Spanish cemeteries usually let their niches for varying time periods. The municipal cemetery rates are quite inexpensive, but it is not the same as purchasing the plot forever.

One Málaga cemetery quoted rates of 300 euros for the first five years, dropping to about half the rate thereafter, around 30 euros per year or 1.500 euros for 50 years. If the rent is not paid, after a time the body is removed to a common grave-site within the consecrated cemetery grounds.

If you wish to purchase a plot, it can cost more than 3.000 euros for a double plot, for example, at the Benalmadena International Cemetery on the Costal del Sol. You can ask at your own town hall for prices « en perpetuidad »

If you wish to repatriate a body to the deceased’s home country, you will find that prices for air transport of bodies are high. They go as freight and are charged by the kilo. Air transport costs within Europe can rage from 1.000 to 2.500 euros. Prolonged storage will also add to your costs. Embalming costs around 1.500 euros.

It pays to plan ahead. Check now with a Spanish funeral director for his rates and services. If the first price quoted you seems high, do not hesitate to visit another funeral director and compare rates. Burial insurance is also available in Spain.

Thanks Sandra, that seems a very useful overview..  Pat

very informative!! always wondered and had a worry over this!!

now it seems just like uk!! but funeral sooner than uk my mum died last year 2 weeks later it was her service far too long!!

Good Morning Growler,

I don't know why anyone should take offense at a perfectly rational question.

The primary question seems to have been satisfactorily answered.  But to help with a quick sub-question:  The name for the type of entombment wall you refer to is "columbarium" (in English).

I believe the term in Castellano is "colubario", and in Catala is "columbari".   Disclaimer -- I am NOT a translator or interpreter.   My only reason for believing these are the correct terms:  I have used these both of these words with native language speakers, and it appears that they always have understood exactly what I was referring to.

Long life to you!

Dear Lobin,

You are quite correct, many thanks.  Actually, it was a typing mistake on my part!  I meant to include an "m".

Good day to all!

 In Spain it is usual to have some form of funeral insurance to pay for the said funeral.  There are a few English companies offering these services.  The one we use is the English Funeral Director in the Murcia area.  It is a good idea to speak to one of these companies as a funeral in Spain is very different from England.  We have no connection with any of these companies but one of them came to the aid of a neighbour of ours recently and we now belive it is a good idea to speak with one of them.

Thanks to all for the added info.

Johnzx, very sorry to hear of your brothers tragic end but I fully understand where you're coming from re shopping around etc. This topic although perhaps not rivetting to discuss, is something that leaves a big area of doubt on my future planning (to have everything in place when day of judgement comes!). Putting it very bluntly I'd see myself most likely to kick the bucket in spain and the "columbario" setup I find really impressive when compared to traditional UK cemeteries - much cleaner and tidier and virtually zero maintenance, which solves problems which are fairly typical in UK such as graves that are eyesores either through plain neglect or over the top paraphernalia.

It's that timing thing that's the issue though, say you buy your "columbario" in advance or pre-pay or whatever, then when the time comes your family and old pals in UK have a day or two at best to get over there.. thats the issue at one end of the scale, versus the added hassle and expense of repatriation to UK.

I would think a solution is probably buy your one or two columbarios in advance then pre-pay for x days cold storage to allow family etc time to gather?

Growler  you will still need to contact a funeral director to arange the funeral.  having somewhere to put your ashes afterwards is a fine idea but the Crematoriums will still want paying a that can be in excess of 3000 euros and so some kind of insurance plan is a good idea.  Also keeping the body in clod storeage as you mentioned can be very expensive over here. 

Mo, your response suggests maybe I haven't explained myself clearly enough, so for the benefit of any other doom-mongers like myself  (<-- thats a joke) .. of course I realise I would need to utilise a funeral director.. did you think I was contemplating asking the wife to keep me between the ice cream and frozen chips till the cavalry got there?!!!!

Firstly the "columbario" I'm referring to (if my understanding is correct) would be the equivalent of a grave except it's above ground instead of below (effectively a concrete pigeon-hole in which the coffin is placed and then sealed in). I've seen smaller but similar things holding cremated ashes but these looked more like changing room lockers than the things I'm referring to. I'd be surprised if cremation alone would cost as much as €3000 (as your post seems to suggest).

Re cold storage being expensive, yes I'm sure it is, but it certainly doesn't have to be!.  Slight tangent but embalming is a very straightforward process and not expensive (if you talk to an "embalmer"). Of course as soon as the undertaker gets involved and pulls all the services together then the price effectively goes through the roof, which anyone with direct experience of having to arrange one will recognise I'm sure.

I'm generalising here but undertakers, just like anyone else involved in a "pain" business (as opposed to "pleasure" business) seem to be able to charge whatever they can get away with! (or am I wrong?). It's bad enough in UK and Ireland (I've had direct experience with both) but add a language barrier and different local customs and it's almost certain to end in tears..

I think I've just had another business idea!  ;O)

My inlaws raised a question to me relating to this. They are both of advanced years and both hold residencia in Spain. But neither hold a british passport anymore. The article towards the foot of this thread suggests that the funeral director will take the passport details of the deceased and person responsible for the body. Does anyone know what happens if there are no passport details of the deceased ??

How can one NOT have a passport if one is non Spanish but living in Spain? This is the only real ID which is guaranteed to be acceptable, although it is often that a driving license or similar item may be accepted in some places. As my passport is renewable next year, and so far the Passport Office have said that the horrendous charge is still payable even though the renewal is now done in Belfast, I would be keen to avoid said expense!

As far as Residencia is concerned, the old credit card sized card was discontinued some years ago and replaced by a non-identity piece of paper which does not require renewal, but is of no use for ID purposes.

When you have lived in a small spanish community for as long as my inlaws have identity is not an issue as they are well known. They are surviving ine one basic state pension so they do not have the money to renew let alone travel home.

Selseyboy

I agree that the cost of renewal is ludicrously high at present, and is unlikely to diminish in the present climate. I am informed that once the task of changing all foreign-resident renewals to the Belfast office is complete, then consideration will be taken to regularise the price paid. I expect that means the UK cost will go up to the current overseas level!!

I note what you say about your inlaws. Without wishing to pry, should they not be receiving two basic pensions rather than just one?

A point for the future (hope it will be a long time coming); have your inlaws considered donating their bodies to science when they eventually die? My wife (who has recently died) and I undertook the option back in 2008. No costs are involved for the family, but the close family must agree to the procedure.

I know not where your inlaws are based, but we used the Departamento de Histologia y Anatomia, Universidad Miguel Hernandez, Campus de San Juan, 03550 San Juan de Alicante.

Selseyboy;   

                             My in-laws raised a question to me relating to this. They are both of advanced years and both hold Residencia  in Spain. But neither hold a British passport anymore. The article towards the foot of this thread suggests that the funeral director will take the passport details of the deceased and person responsible for the body. Does anyone know what happens if there are no passport details of the deceased ??

Everyone in Spain, residents, non-residents, EU citizens and uncle Tom Cobley are required by law to have valid ID.  In the case of UK nationals that is a valid Passport.  This is not optional, so, legally, your in-laws must obtain passports or leave Spain.

'Residencia' was abolished for EU citizen in April 2007 for EU nationals, and has not obtainable by such persons since then . Your in-laws ,must have registered as EU Citizens, so they do not have 'Residencia' per say albeit that are 'resident' in Spain.  My wife, a non EU national ,has permanent residencia , so she has the credit sized ID, but even so, she must also have a valid passport too.

As for a person living on one OAP.  If they have a dependent relative (in my case my wife who is under retirement age and as I said not even a UK national) one gets an additional allowance of around £55 per week.

Interesting points Marc and John thanks. I know when they came to Spain in 2000 they took residencia which I presume John is what you refer to that has been scrubbed for EU citizens. It looks from what you have said that they may have too update thier passports. 

On the point of the extra £55 where does that come from UK or Spain and if Spain do you know how you go about claiming it ?

Selseyboy:   On the point of the extra £55 where does that come from UK or Spain and if Spain do you know how you go about claiming it ?

When I got married I was 66. I just notified the DWP (incidentally by an email the day after the ceremony) and then when I sent in the official notification (which they sent me to complete)  they paid me from the day I first notified them.

At that time I had lived in Spain for about 17 years.