Documents Needed After a Death in Spain: Complete Timeline and Checklist

The paperwork after a death in Spain unfolds in a strict sequence — each document unlocks the next, and submitting things out of order wastes weeks. Here's the complete timeline, from the first hours through the 6-month inheritance tax deadline.

Hours 0-24: Medical Certificate

The attending doctor issues the Certificado Medico de Defuncion immediately after death. This is the medical fact of death — not the legal certificate. Your funeral director needs it to collect the body and begin the registration process.

No cost. Issued same day.

Days 1-7: Civil Registry Death Certificate

The funeral director registers the death at the local Registro Civil and obtains the official Certificado Literal de Defuncion. Request at least 3 to 5 copies and specifically ask for the Certificado Plurilingue — the multilingual version with pre-translated English headings that avoids the need for sworn translations.

No cost. Processing: 3 to 10 working days (subject to civil servant staffing).

Day 15+: Modelo 790 Certificates

After exactly 15 business days from the date of death, submit two Modelo 790 applications to the Ministry of Justice:

• Certificate of Last Wills (Certificado de Actos de Ultima Voluntad): confirms whether a Spanish will exists
• Certificate of Life Insurance (Certificado de Contratos de Seguros): reveals registered insurance policies

Cost: EUR 3.86 each. Processing: 5 days online (with digital certificate) or 7 to 10 days by post.

Weeks 2-4: Consular Certificates

Notify your embassy within the first week. For US citizens, the embassy issues a Consular Report of Death Abroad (CRODA), which takes 2 to 3 weeks after receiving the Spanish death certificate. For UK citizens, the Spanish certificate is accepted directly — no separate British registration is required.

Weeks 2-6: Bank Balance Certificates

Once you've notified the bank of the death, request a Certificado de Posiciones de Saldos — a certified statement of all account balances as of the date of death. This is required by the regional tax office to calculate inheritance tax.

No cost (banks that charge a "testamentaria fee" are acting outside regulated practice). Processing: 5 to 15 working days.

Month 1-3: Foreign Document Authentication

Any documents from outside Spain — birth certificates, marriage certificates, probate grants, powers of attorney — need two things before a Spanish notary will accept them:

1. A Hague Apostille from the issuing country's authority
2. A sworn Spanish translation (traduccion jurada) by a Ministry-registered translator

Start this process early. UK apostilles take 4 to 6 weeks by post, US apostilles take 1 to 3 weeks, and translations add another 3 to 5 working days.

Months 3-5: Notarial Deed or Private Declaration

Present all gathered documents to a Spanish notary for the Escritura de Herencia (deed of inheritance acceptance and partition). For bank-only estates, a simpler private declaration (declaracion privada de bienes) bypasses the notary entirely.

Notary cost: EUR 600 to 3,500 depending on estate value. Private declaration: no notary cost.

Month 5 (Latest): Request Tax Extension If Needed

If the estate won't be ready for tax filing by the 6-month deadline, submit an extension request (solicitud de prorroga) using Modelo 739. This must be done within the first 5 months — a request filed in month 6 is automatically denied.

Month 6: Inheritance Tax Filing

File Modelo 650 at the regional tax office and pay the inheritance tax. Then submit the tax clearance plus the notarial deed to the Land Registry (for property) and to the bank (to release frozen funds).

The Someone Died in Spain: English Speaker's Emergency Guide provides this entire timeline as a printable checklist with specific deadlines calculated from the date of death, plus bilingual letter templates for every step.

See more Spain guides →