All countries have their own customs and regulations, and this is true in Spain. When someone passes away in Spain, you will need to inform the local authorities of the death in order to obtain a death certificate. The certificate is required before the funeral can be arranged or the estate of the deceased administered.
24-48 hours
Undertakers in Spain are licensed to manage all aspects of the burial or cremation arrangements. In general, funerals are required to take place within 24 to 48 hours of the death. However, there is a small margin for delaying the funeral to allow relatives and friends to attend. If you do need to delay the funeral, you will need to pay for each additional day the deceased is kept in the morgue.
Who pays the funeral expenses?
If you don’t have funeral insurance (or travel if appropriate to your status), the deceased family are liable for all funeral costs. However, if you have insurance, you must inform your provider immediately of the deceased passing, so that the insurer can either arrange and cover the costs of the burial, cremation or repatriation.
What is loss of life funeral insurance?
In simple terms, when you take out funeral insurance you contract a guarantee from the provider that upon the death of the policy holder, the provider will pay for and manage the funeral arrangements and provide subsequent legal, psychological and financial support for those left behind. The sum insured will be dictated by the value of the funeral services required. Platinum Healthcare’s funeral cover includes additional guarantees for accidents, resulting in accidental death, permanent partial disability due to accident and death by a road traffic accident.
Here are five ways that taking out funeral insurance in Spain can benefit your family at such as delicate time.
1. Remove the hassle, rely on the professionals
Nothing can prepare you for managing the funeral of a loved one at such a distressing time. Add to this, the stress of making sure you are doing everything correctly, it doesn’t matter how long you have lived in Spain as an expat, this is not the time to find out the different processes, procedures and laws that need to be adhered to in the event of a death.
However, it isn’t just the logistics and expense of the funeral service, there are additional administrative, legal, financial and practical arrangements to be taken into account, for example the body may need to be transported nationally or internationally, childcare may be required or maybe psychological assistance and legal assistance in procuring documentation in the event of death or disability and pension claims etc.
2. No misunderstanding, help in your own language
In the event of the death of a loved one, the last thing you need is stressful misunderstandings due to the language barrier. No matter how long you have lived in Spain, nothing can prepare you for dealing with undertakers and planning funerals, particularly in a different language. As an expat funeral insurance provider, Platinum Healthcare’s policies offer assistance in your own language. Our policies are provided in English and you will have access to assistance throughout the entire process to ensure you are adhering to the local and national legal requirements, and you will be kept informed during every step of the process.
3. Cover for funeral services and more
Funeral costs in Spain can be expensive.Figures provided by the Spanish consumer organisation (OCU) for February 2023, the average cost of a funeral in Spain with a traditional burial is 3,739€ and a cremation would be marginally cheaper at 3,617€. It is equally costly, if you need to cover the cost of repatriation, which can be between 3,000€ to 6,000€.
Funeral insurance guarantees to cover the funeral services costs and provides additional assistance for those left behind, both in terms of financial assistance such as living expenses for a companion in the event of a death and practical help, like psychological counselling, legal assistance and medical assistance. This means that your family will be relieved of the worry of budgeting for the funeral and other related costs as a result of death or disability.
4. You can’t put a price on peace of mind…
Although we can never be prepared for the death of a loved one, it is a good idea to make preparations to make life a little easier for those who are left behind. When you take out funeral insurance, you have the peace of mind that you can rely on professionals to manage the funeral and assist with any administrative and legal tasks relating to the death. Although you cannot sooth the raw emotions at such a delicate time, but you can find solace that you can start the grieving process without the added responsibility of funeral arrangements.
5. International cover, transporting the body to Spain
Platinum Healthcare funeral insurance provided by Sanitas (Bupa) and Santalucia, provides cover for funeral services throughout Spain and also provides assistance should the death occur overseas. If the death happens during an international trip, the expenses and procedures necessary for transfer the deceased to a Spanish cemetery or crematorium will be undertaken by the insurer.
If you would like more information about Platinum Healthcare’s funeral insurance in Spain, please visit the website, email info@platinumhealthcover.com or call + 34 951 273 444 or mobile: + 34 661 310 033-
