Just been to Carrefour and got stopped by the usual ‘’A company’’ funeral plan woman. She said if you die in Spain and cannot afford or pay for your own funeral costs (you have zero assets) the authorities can force any relative you have in Spain or UK to pay out of their own pocket whether they like it or not. The deceased relatives have a legal liability to pay and can be pursued through either the Spanish courts or UK courts for the funeral costs and have assets seized to pay the debt.

Has she told me a pack of lies or has she told me the truth?

Don't know whether its the truth or not, but I bet she didn't say what would happen if you paid your money for years and the company went bust before you died, you or your relatives wouldn't be able to claim anything.

I wanted to know, so googled - https://www.healthplanspain.com/blog/expat-tips/316-death-procedures-for-british-nationals-in-spain.html and yes it seems this woman is correct. 

But having said that I reckon that buying from anyone on the street is a complete "no no" - with the possible exception of the occasional ice-cream.

Of course these "funeral expenses" type policies are invariably very poor value and lack the security offered by a simple whole life assurance policy available in the UK.

Contact a Medical University and donate your body to science, helps educates new doctors, and no cost to you or your family. Do you really need a grave and head stone or to be cooked to be placed in a jar.

Acer I think you could be wrong, but I admit I am not sure. I have checked your link and it is almost a copy of the British Consulate Alicante website version, which also says

‘’If there is no insurance cover, the cost of repatriation or burial will need to be met by the family.’’.

Does this actually mean the authorities would like a relative to pay or does it mean a relative is legally liable and will be perused through the UK or Spanish Courts for repayment of the funeral costs?

Of course it is obvious how the funeral plan sellers are interpreting the statement in order to get you to buy a funeral plan.

Angeleyes,

My post was responding to your query that asked if:
>>
"...the authorities can force any relative you have in Spain or UK to pay out of their own pocket whether they like it or not. The deceased relatives have a legal liability to pay and can be pursued through either the Spanish courts or UK courts for the funeral costs and have assets seized to pay the debt..was true.

>>
So, as you now say, it does, well at at least in theory, but it has to be discretionary.   In reality they may struggle to impose a Spanish law in the UK if the deceased was without any Spanish assets.

But acer is it a Spanish law? Or just a made up myth to get anyone to pay funeral costs out of ignorance?

• Care of the deceased
• Wood coffin for the cremation 
• Urn for the ashes 
• Robe & fittings as required 
• Use of chapel • Passport cancellation
• Notifying the consulate
• Death certificates Spa4nish & international
• Doctor´s death certificate
• Cremation fees

Total cost 3,100 €


This is not a prepayment plan. No fear of a company going broke or making off with our money.

When the time comes my family need just to call  the director and tell them to go ahead. The funds are in my bank.

Unlike paying up front:   Should I die outside Spain,  or if my family  should want something else,  there is no commitment to a company.

I may be cynical but funerals are a good business as whilst may people would never  buy a product that cost several thousands of euros, without shopping around, with funerals there is a feeling that to do so would in  some way be offensive to the deceased. 

My brother died some years ago in UK. He had no assets so I took on the responsibility to pay for the funeral. I shopped around and the third quote I got was just about 50% of that of the first. That was for the same funeral.

Thank you John, I tend to agree and what AV funeral plan people are saying is blatant lies to put the bite on prospects. I suppose in Spain there is little if any action to stop this type of lies.

I did ask the question to the British Consulate in Alicante, but their response was they do not give free legal advice and I should pay a Spanish lawyer on their subscription list to find out.

50% discount, maybe funeral directors sell double glazing when business is quite.

In reply to the post re donation of bodies to a medical University "at no cost" I point out that in the Denia region anyway there is now a cost for the transmission of the body to Valencia hospital amounting to €1000. Still a worthy scheme, however.

Hi Marc B 

I have read not all cadivers are accepted.  

Thus if one intends to try that solution, they need a plan B 

There are now companies that do a " no frills" cremation.

The cost is about 1600 euro.

There is no service or tanatorio.

It may be a solutuon worth considering for expats, it takes away the urgency to get to spain quickly for the family in the uk.

A service or some type of celebration can take place with the ashes,either in Spain or UK

Hi Berlynne

Could you please post some links for the services (in spain)  you mentioned 

Thank you

.   John 

Hi John, 

Try this one......sorry I can't post the link, the site won't let me, but the company is called Cofune......you will have to put your Google head on.

It has a calculator where you can see the cost of different options.

The basic no frills plan is 1600 euros.

I am sure there will be others who provide this type of funeral.

I have since learnt that in the UK no person can be held responsible for another person’s debts even if they are a relative, unless they have signed as a guarantor. I do not know the law in Spain and the British Consulate refuse to confirm the law either way, despite being told what funeral plan sellers are saying. Meanwhile Ava funeral plan sellers continue to tell prospects that relatives in the UK will be visited by ‘’Can’t Pay, we’ll take it away’’ brigade and will have their home and possessions’ taken and made bankrupt if they do not pay a funeral debt in Spain.

In general, funeral laws and regulations can vary from country to country, so it's possible that there may be some truth to what the funeral plan woman mentioned. However, it's always a good idea to verify the information independently to be sure.

I stumbled upon this post and decided to revive this thread. While I'm not an expert, I can share some general information. It's always a good idea to do your own research or consult legal professionals for accurate advice. However, from what I know, it's important to have a clear understanding of the laws and regulations regarding funeral costs in both Spain and the UK. Probably, the woman you spoke to was trying to sell you a funeral plan, so her information might be biased.

Extract from 

https://www.andalucia.com/living/funerals.htm
 

What if I cannot afford a funeral? - If you cannot afford to pay for the funeral the the local Town Hall can provide a paupers funeral this grave is only available for five years, after which the body will be moved to a common grave. To organise this you must speak to your local Town Hall.

Hello John 

At what stage must you speak to the Town Hall? 

I'm surprised by the newly found popularity of Funeral Plans.  Sometimes they are simply a scam - a large number of Funeral Plan providers have ceased trading in the past, leaving their customers "high & dry" without compensation. Is there better regulation these days?

But I cannot understand why folk who wish to cover future funeral expenses do not opt for a simple whole life insurance policy for the modest monthly premium involved.  Funeral plans will carry a sizeable marketing and admin cost - cannot think it's saving money - what is the attraction?