Funeral insurance (decesos)

It is for anyone thinking about moving to Spain, planning the move or already settling in. After reading, you will understand the product, what it can cost you over decades and whether it suits your household.

Start with "What funeral insurance (seguro de decesos) is and who buys it". It explains what decesos covers, why so many Spanish households hold it and what it does not do.

From there, the other pages take you through the next questions:

• Why premiums rise, and how to switch or cancel.
• Whether a policy will pay to repatriate remains to your home country.
• Whether to buy decesos or pay costs yourself.

Registering a death, arranging a funeral and burial, and life insurance that pays a lump sum are outside this Topic.

Key rules

• Cancel notice: To stop a decesos policy renewing, give written notice at least one month before the end of the current policy period.
• Premium change notice: The insurer must tell you about a premium change at least two months before the end of the policy period, and you can cancel if you do not accept it.
• Grace period: After a missed premium you have a one-month grace period with cover continuing, and the insurer may end the contract if it is still unpaid within six months.
• Repatriation cover: International repatriation is generally not in the basic policy and is usually an optional extra for an added premium, so check the policy wording.
• Call the insurer first: Relatives should call the insurer's 24-hour assistance line as soon as possible after a death, before contacting any funeral home.
• Not cash: Most decesos policies pay in kind through the insurer's funeral provider, so your family gets no cash.

Funeral insurance (decesos): the whole process, step by step

• Understand what decesos covers and what it does not: before you buy or renew

• Choose a premium structure: rising, level or single: before you take out the policy

• Check the waiting period for death from illness: before you sign; commonly 1 to 3 months, sometimes longer, and accidental death is normally covered from day one

• Check whether repatriation to your home country is included: before you sign; it is usually an optional extra for an added premium

• Compare decesos with a prepaid plan, savings or life insurance: before you commit; life insurance can take several weeks to pay, so relatives often pay the funeral first

• Watch for a premium change notice and decide whether to accept it: the insurer must tell you at least two months before the end of the policy period

• Give written notice to stop the policy renewing: at least one month before the end of the current policy period

• Pay any missed premium to keep cover: within the one-month grace period; the insurer may end the contract if it is still unpaid within six months

• Call the insurer's 24-hour assistance line after a death: as soon as possible, before contacting any funeral home

Documents you may need

Identity and residence

• The beneficiary's ID — Funeral insurance or paying costs yourself as a foreign resident

Income and work

• Proof that inheritance tax — Funeral insurance or paying costs yourself as a foreign resident

The home and the lease

• Your policy contract — Why funeral insurance premiums rise and how to switch or cancel
• The signed prepaid funeral plan contract — Funeral insurance or paying costs yourself as a foreign resident

Payments and receipts

• Written cancellation notice that proves receipt — Why funeral insurance premiums rise and how to switch or cancel

Guarantees

• The life insurance policy — Funeral insurance or paying costs yourself as a foreign resident

Other documents

• The new insurer's policy confirmation showing that cover is in force — Why funeral insurance premiums rise and how to switch or cancel
• Death certificate — Funeral insurance or paying costs yourself as a foreign resident
• Last Wills registry certificate — Funeral insurance or paying costs yourself as a foreign resident
• The insurer's written notice of a premium change — Why funeral insurance premiums rise and how to switch or cancel

Funeral insurance (decesos): questions that cross several articles

Does funeral insurance pay cash or arrange the funeral?

Usually it arranges the funeral rather than paying cash: most decesos policies provide the service through the insurer's own funeral provider. Some policies pay a cash sum instead, and using your own provider under a service policy is often not reimbursed. Read "What funeral insurance (seguro de decesos) is and who buys it" next.

Is accidental death covered from the first day?

Accidental death is normally covered from day one, while death from illness often has a waiting period. That waiting period is commonly 1 to 3 months, and suicide is usually excluded in the first year. See "What funeral insurance (seguro de decesos) is and who buys it" and "Funeral insurance or paying costs yourself as a foreign resident".

Why does my funeral insurance cost more as I get older?

Your premium rises with age if you hold a rising-premium policy, while level and single premiums avoid age-based rises but cost more at the start. Yearly indexation can also raise the premium and sum insured. Read "Why funeral insurance premiums rise and how to switch or cancel" next.

How much does funeral insurance cost per person per year?

The yearly cost depends on your entry age, the insurer, the service level and your region, and entering older costs several times more than entering young. Family policies often cost less per person. Get several quotes and see "Why funeral insurance premiums rise and how to switch or cancel".

Can funeral insurance cover a death abroad or repatriation home?

Only sometimes: moving a body within Spain is usually covered, but repatriation abroad depends on the policy and is often an optional extra. Cover for a death on a trip abroad is often limited to short stays, commonly 60 to 90 days. Read "Will funeral insurance pay to repatriate remains to your home country?" next.