Modelo 790 Spain: How to Search for Wills and Life Insurance After a Death

Before any inheritance work can begin in Spain, you need to know two things: did the deceased leave a Spanish will, and did they have any life insurance policies registered in Spain. The answers come from two separate government databases, both accessed through Modelo 790 — a tax form that costs EUR 3.86 per application.

The 15-Business-Day Wait

You cannot submit Modelo 790 until exactly 15 business days after the date of death. This waiting period is legally mandated to give Spain's public registries time to update their records with the deceased's details. Weekends and national or regional holidays don't count.

If you submit before the 15 days are up, the application is rejected. There's no override and no expedited process.

Two Separate Applications, Two Separate Forms

This is where families make the most damaging mistake. You need two results:

1. Certificado de Actos de Ultima Voluntad (Certificate of Last Wills) — confirms whether the deceased registered a Spanish will and, if so, which notary holds the original.

2. Certificado de Contratos de Seguros de Cobertura de Fallecimiento (Certificate of Life Insurance) — discloses active life or accident insurance policies registered in Spain.

Each requires its own individually generated Modelo 790 form, downloaded separately from the Ministry of Justice portal at sede.mjusticia.gob.es. Each carries a unique barcode and identification number.

Never photocopy one form to use for both applications. Every Modelo 790 has a pre-printed numerical barcode. Photocopying duplicates the barcode, and when the Ministry's scanning system detects two submissions with the same barcode, it flags both as a duplicate payment error — instantly invalidating the second application and adding weeks of delay.

How to Complete and Pay

With a Spanish digital certificate or Clave PIN: Submit and pay online through the Ministry portal. Processing takes about 5 working days, and the certificates are delivered electronically.

Without digital credentials (most English-speaking families): Download the form from the portal, print it, and pay the EUR 3.86 fee at any Spanish bank. Then submit the stamped form by post to the Ministry of Justice at Calle de la Bolsa, 8, 28012 Madrid. Processing takes 7 to 10 working days, with the certificate mailed back to a Spanish postal address.

Be aware of the 15-day resubmission lockout: if you submit by post and make an error in the application, you're blocked from correcting or reapplying for the same certificate for 15 days. Double-check all details before submitting.

What the Results Mean

The wills certificate tells you one of two things: either a will exists (and names the notary and date), or no will was registered. If no will exists, the estate is intestate, which triggers a more complex Declaration of Heirs process requiring all foreign-issued birth and marriage certificates to be apostilled and translated.

The insurance certificate lists any life or accident insurance policies the deceased held in Spain. Contact each insurer directly to initiate a death benefit claim — you'll need the death certificate and proof of your status as beneficiary.

If the deceased was a tourist with no Spanish NIE or residency, the insurance registry may show no results even if they had a travel insurance policy covering death abroad. Travel insurance claims are handled through the issuing company, not through the Spanish registry.

The Someone Died in Spain: English Speaker's Emergency Guide includes annotated screenshots of the Modelo 790 form with field-by-field instructions in English, plus a timeline showing exactly when to submit each application.

See more Spain guides →