Repatriation from Spain: A Complete Guide for Expats (2025)

When someone passes away in Spain, most families choose cremation locally.
But some families prefer to repatriate their loved one home — to honour cultural traditions, family wishes, burial customs, or simply to be closer to relatives.

Repatriation is completely possible from Spain to almost any country, and thousands of families choose it every year. But the process can feel overwhelming if you have never experienced it before.

This guide explains the entire repatriation process clearly, calmly, and step by step.

1. Why Families Choose Repatriation

Repatriation is usually chosen in situations where:

• The family wants a funeral or burial in their home country
• Children or close relatives are abroad
• The deceased expressed a clear wish to return home
• Cultural or religious traditions require burial at home
• Family members in Spain don’t speak Spanish and need support

Common destinations for repatriation from Spain include:

• United Kingdom
• Ireland
• France
• United States
• Germany
• Scandinavia (Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland)
• Netherlands & Belgium
• Canada & Australia
• Latin America (particularly Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador)

Each destination has slightly different requirements, but the core process is the same.

2. The Repatriation Process — Step by Step

Step 1 — Medical Certificate of Death

A doctor must certify the death (Certificado Médico de Defunción).
This is the first essential document.

Additional recommended reading:

• What to Do When Someone Dies in Spain — Step-by-Step Guide for Expats

Step 2 — Notify the Consulate (if required)

Most consulates recommend that families notify them, particularly in cases of:

• repatriation
• sudden or unexpected death
• no family present in Spain
• legal or coroner involvement

The consulate helps with:

• passport cancellation
• guidance on documentation
• coordination if the death involves court procedures
• advice on destination requirements

Step 3 — Funeral Home Arranges Transfer to Mortuary

A licensed funeral home in Spain must handle the process.
Repatriation cannot be done privately; only authorised professionals can organise:

• body preparation
• hermetically sealed coffin (if required)
• airport documentation
• customs clearance
• translation of documents

Funecon works with multilingual, fully licensed operators in each region of Spain.

Step 4 — Autopsy or Court Process (Only in Certain Cases)

In Spain, an autopsy may be required if the death was:

• sudden
• accidental
• unattended
• related to a medical investigation

This is handled by the Juzgado de Guardia (Court Duty Judge) and can delay repatriation by 1–3 days.

Additional recommended reading:

• Autopsy and Judicial Death Investigations in Spain

Step 5 — Civil Registry Registration & Death Certificate

The funeral home registers the death at the Registro Civil, and the family receives the:

• Certificado Literal de Defunción (Spanish Death Certificate)

If repatriating, you may also need:

• Multilingual Death Certificate (available in many regions)
• Certified Translation into English, German, French, Swedish, etc.

Step 6 — Embalming, Coffin Preparation & Sealing

For repatriation of the body:

• Embalming is required
• A hermetically sealed coffin is mandatory
• A zinc or metal lining is usually required by airlines
• Official sealing is carried out by an inspector

Funecon.es will coordinate all of this

Step 7 — Funeral Home Prepares the “Repatriation Pack”

This is a set of legal and logistical documents required by airlines, consulates and authorities.

A standard repatriation pack includes:

• Death certificate (and translations)
• Embalming certificate
• “Non-contagious disease” certificate
• Flight authorisation
• Passport of the deceased
• Coffin sealing certificate
• Mortuary passport (sometimes required)
• Consular authorisation (depending on destination)

Different countries require slightly different combinations of these.

Step 8 — Booking the Flight

Repatriation flights may be:

• direct (depending on the destination country)
• connecting via Madrid, Barcelona, Frankfurt or Amsterdam

Repatriation is booked as “Human Remains Cargo”, not as checked luggage.

Airlines offering repatriation from Spain include:

• Iberia
• British Airways
• Lufthansa
• Air France
• KLM
• TAP Portugal

Step 9 — Receiving the Body in the Home Country

When the body arrives:

• Local funeral directors receive the coffin at cargo – in coordination with funecon.es or one of our partners.
• They handle customs clearance
• They transfer the body to their funeral home
• The family can then organise:
  • burial
  • cremation
  • service
  • religious ceremony

In some countries (e.g., Ireland, UK), the family may need to re-register the death locally.

3. Timeline — How Long Does Repatriation Take?

Typical timeline (from Spain):

⏱️ 3–5 days

• UK
• Ireland
• Germany
• France
• Netherlands
• Scandinavia
• Mos EU countries

⏱️ 5–7+ days

• USA
• Canada
• Latin America
• Australia
• South Africa

Court involvement or autopsy adds 1–3 days.

4. Cost of Repatriation from Spain (2025)

Costs vary by destination, airline, and legal requirements.

Typical price range:

€4,000 – €6,000

Breakdown:

• Collection & mortuary care: €250–€450
• Embalming & preparation: €500–€800
• Hermetic coffin: €550–€800
• Documentation & translations: €150–€400
• Consular paperwork: €0–€180
• Airline fees: €1,000–€3,500
• Local funeral home in destination country: varies

Funecon provides clear quotes with guaranteed transparency.

5. Repatriation of Ashes (Cremated Remains)

This is a simpler and cheaper option.

Cost:

€0 – €100 (depending on transport)

Ashes can be transported:

• personally in your hand luggage
• by courier to some countries
• by plane cargo (if preferred)

Documents usually required:

• Spanish cremation certificate (Mandatory)
• Spanish death certificate (required in some cases – recommended)
• Funeral home authorisation (on a case by case basis – cremation cert is usually all that is required)
• Airline guidelines followed
• Sometimes: a translation

Recommended additional reading:
Flying Ashes Home — Airline Rules and Documentation Explained

6. Country-Specific Notes

Repatriation to the UK

• Straightforward
• No consular fee
• No UK embalming needed on arrival

Repatriation to Ireland

• Similar to UK
• Local registration required after arrival

USA

• Embassy must issue a “Consular Mortuary Certificate”
• Body must be embalmed
• More documentation required

Germany

• Translation required
• Preferred airlines: Lufthansa / Iberia

Scandinavia

• Very organised process
• Documentation accepted in English
• Flights often via AMS or FRA

7. Your Rights as a Family in Spain

You have the right to:

• Choose your funeral provider
• Request information in English
• Ask for cost transparency
• Take time to make decisions
• Decline services you don’t want

Even if a hospital contacts a funeral home automatically, the family chooses who they want to work with.

8. How Funecon Supports Families

Funecon helps families by:

• Coordinating with hospitals
• Managing all documentation
• Speaking with Spanish authorities
• Handling embalming and coffin preparation
• Preparing the complete repatriation pack
• Organising flights
• Liaising with the home-country funeral director
• Providing English & multilingual support
• Offering clear prices and no surprises – Get a quote here

Our approach is calm, dignified, and completely pressure-free.

9. FAQ

10. We’re Here to Help You Every Step of the Way

If you need immediate help with repatriation
—or you simply want to understand the options—
Funecon is here 24/7 with calm, clear support.

📞 Call or WhatsApp (+34) 640 034 791
📧 support@funecon.es
🌐 https://funecon.es/contact/

Get your personalised quote in 3 simple steps — prices are guaranteed for a min of 6 months.
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