Funeral Plans for Non-Residents in Spain
#17
BE Enthusiast





Joined: Feb 2020
Location: Nerja
Posts: 584












In Spain you rarely get buried in the ground, but are placed in a niche, which you rent for a certain period of time (5 years usual minimum). When you rent runs out, your remains are removed and put into a communal grave.
#18

They don’t bury bodies here. They are cremated and then placed in a hole in a wall in the grave yard which you rent for a certain amount of time. The costs were all inclusive but depending on type of coffin, flowers etc.
#19

Rosemary
#20
BE Enthusiast





Joined: Feb 2020
Location: Nerja
Posts: 584












The body with the coffin is placed directly into the niche, without first being cremated. Sometimes it's the cremated remains but usual custom is burial of the body in the niche.
#21
Just Joined
Joined: Jul 2021
Posts: 1


Hi all
Iv just set a plan up for mum all over the phone and was completely hassle free with an English Speaking company called Compare Funerals ltd for 3000 euros all in. It covers absolutely everything. My biggest Concern when mum does pass is having to arrange everything as i know i will be in a bad state.. Also funerals take place a lot quicker here than they do back home i believe they take place within 24 hrs and to be honest i cant imagine trying to arrange everything in that time when i know i will be grieving, at least this way i know everything will be in place when the inevitable does happen and all i will have to do is make one phone to compare funerals and they will take care of everything.
I'm now going to take out a plan for myself and my wife to take away the stress and cost from our kids in the future.
Iv just set a plan up for mum all over the phone and was completely hassle free with an English Speaking company called Compare Funerals ltd for 3000 euros all in. It covers absolutely everything. My biggest Concern when mum does pass is having to arrange everything as i know i will be in a bad state.. Also funerals take place a lot quicker here than they do back home i believe they take place within 24 hrs and to be honest i cant imagine trying to arrange everything in that time when i know i will be grieving, at least this way i know everything will be in place when the inevitable does happen and all i will have to do is make one phone to compare funerals and they will take care of everything.
I'm now going to take out a plan for myself and my wife to take away the stress and cost from our kids in the future.
#22

When my sister was killed whilst on holiday in Portugal in 2019 (she and her husband had foolishly not taken out travel insurance), the Lisbon funeral director's bill for dealing with all the formalities, embalming the body and the repatriation costs came to just over €3,000. I was relieved because I feared it would be much more. Thank goodness they hadn't gone to the USA.
#23
BE Enthusiast





Joined: Jun 2017
Location: Alicante
Posts: 864












As someone said it's not just about the cost, it's the convenience of having it all taken care of with one phone call.
IMO if you can afford to permanently freeze €3k or so in a savings A/C to pay for a funeral then the choice between that and paying around €3.5-4k for a plan is not a difficult decision to make.
There is a potential problem with credit cards as usually the actual A/C will be in the name of the husband with the wife as a second card holder and the death of the husband will technically cancel secondary cards.
Death of a primary card holder should be reported as soon a practically possible and deliberately delaying that in order to pay for a funeral on a secondary card could conceivably be regarded as fraud.
IMO if you can afford to permanently freeze €3k or so in a savings A/C to pay for a funeral then the choice between that and paying around €3.5-4k for a plan is not a difficult decision to make.
There is a potential problem with credit cards as usually the actual A/C will be in the name of the husband with the wife as a second card holder and the death of the husband will technically cancel secondary cards.
Death of a primary card holder should be reported as soon a practically possible and deliberately delaying that in order to pay for a funeral on a secondary card could conceivably be regarded as fraud.
#24
BE Forum Addict









Joined: Aug 2006
Location: Velez-Malaga
Posts: 4,768












Do people really still conduct their financial and banking affairs like this? I've been married twice and always had my own bank account, debit and credit cards in my name only.
#25

I have never had seperate accounts.
If you don't want potential problems with the bank - simple - don't tell them! With a divorce you are more likely to tell them to protect your assets. In a death situation where the remauining spouse inherits anyway, I cannot see you being arrested for fraud.
If you don't want potential problems with the bank - simple - don't tell them! With a divorce you are more likely to tell them to protect your assets. In a death situation where the remauining spouse inherits anyway, I cannot see you being arrested for fraud.
#26

As someone said it's not just about the cost, it's the convenience of having it all taken care of with one phone call.
IMO if you can afford to permanently freeze €3k or so in a savings A/C to pay for a funeral then the choice between that and paying around €3.5-4k for a plan is not a difficult decision to make.
There is a potential problem with credit cards as usually the actual A/C will be in the name of the husband with the wife as a second card holder and the death of the husband will technically cancel secondary cards.
Death of a primary card holder should be reported as soon a practically possible and deliberately delaying that in order to pay for a funeral on a secondary card could conceivably be regarded as fraud.
IMO if you can afford to permanently freeze €3k or so in a savings A/C to pay for a funeral then the choice between that and paying around €3.5-4k for a plan is not a difficult decision to make.
There is a potential problem with credit cards as usually the actual A/C will be in the name of the husband with the wife as a second card holder and the death of the husband will technically cancel secondary cards.
Death of a primary card holder should be reported as soon a practically possible and deliberately delaying that in order to pay for a funeral on a secondary card could conceivably be regarded as fraud.
#27
BE Forum Addict






Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 1,058












I have never had seperate accounts.
If you don't want potential problems with the bank - simple - don't tell them! With a divorce you are more likely to tell them to protect your assets. In a death situation where the remauining spouse inherits anyway, I cannot see you being arrested for fraud.
If you don't want potential problems with the bank - simple - don't tell them! With a divorce you are more likely to tell them to protect your assets. In a death situation where the remauining spouse inherits anyway, I cannot see you being arrested for fraud.
#28

It may be the custom (actually its the law) in Spain, but UK foreigners can do pretty much what they like. I was, of course, referring to the normal will between spouses where everything goes to the surviving spouse.
#29
BE Forum Addict






Joined: Nov 2003
Location: Cartama, Malaga
Posts: 1,162












When my mum died in 2017 the funeral director was there within the hour, we had to sign paperwork at a table in the same room as her body.
It was upstairs in the hospital, like a private room that was set up like a Chapel.
Everything was signed and we postponed her burial for a week, so that family could come from the UK.
When we were in the funeral home / crematorium they kept badgering us for payment, like we were going to leave without paying. My dad paid by visa, it was 3 grand. We didn't have a ceremony or anything.
It was upstairs in the hospital, like a private room that was set up like a Chapel.
Everything was signed and we postponed her burial for a week, so that family could come from the UK.
When we were in the funeral home / crematorium they kept badgering us for payment, like we were going to leave without paying. My dad paid by visa, it was 3 grand. We didn't have a ceremony or anything.