Registering a death and getting certificates (Registro Civil) in Spain

Terms used

• DNI — The DNI is the national identity card of Spanish citizens.
• Registro Civil — The Registro Civil is the public civil registry where births, marriages and deaths are recorded.
• Extracto — The extracto is a short certificate with the main details of the death entry, the form most banks and insurers accept.
• Certificación literal — The certificación literal is a full copy of the death entry in the Registro Civil.
• Apostille — The apostille is a stamp that makes a Spanish document valid in countries that joined the Hague Convention.
• Cl@ve — Cl@ve is Spain's electronic identity system for signing in to online public services.

Key rules

• Certificate cost: Death certificates from the Registro Civil are free of charge; you only pay for postage, sworn translation, apostille or an intermediary.
• Who registers: The funeral home usually files the death, so you rarely need to go to the Registro Civil yourself.
• Wills and insurance: The last-wills and life-insurance certificates can only be requested at least 15 working days after the death.
• Check the form: Ask each bank, insurer or foreign authority which certificate it accepts before you order.

Who registers the death

The funeral home normally does it for you. The death is registered in the Registro Civil of the place where it happened. The funeral home files the medical certificate electronically and applies for the burial or cremation licence. The family does not usually have to attend.

The person obliged to report the death has 24 hours after the medical certificate is issued, and in any case 72 hours. In practice the funeral home handles this, so confirm with them that they have filed it.

Which certificate to order

Ask each bank, insurer, pension office or notary which form it accepts before you order. Each institution decides for itself. These are the usual choices:

• Extract (extracto): gives the main details. Banks, insurers, the Social Security (INSS) and notaries usually ask for this one.
• Literal certificate (certificación literal): a full copy of the entry. Foreign authorities often want this one.
• Multilingual extract: used in countries that accept it, and it needs no translation.

For an inheritance you also need two more certificates: the last-wills certificate, which shows whether and where a will was made, and the life-insurance certificate, which shows whether the person had life insurance. You can only request these at least 15 working days after the death.

How to request them

Certificates are free of charge. You only pay for postage, sworn translation, apostille or an intermediary.

You can apply:

• online through the Ministry of Justice's Registro Civil electronic office, with a digital certificate, DNI-e or Cl@ve;
• in person at a Registro Civil office, often by appointment;
• by post or email;
• at a Spanish consulate abroad.

You must show ID and your interest, for example as a relative or heir. The certificate arrives by post or in electronic form.

Using a certificate abroad

First ask the foreign authority which form it wants. If the country accepts the Hague apostille, ask for an apostilled certificate. The Ministry of Justice or the competent court authority issues it, depending on the document. A multilingual extract avoids both the apostille and the translation in countries that accept it. If the country is outside the Hague Convention, arrange consular legalisation instead.

The timeline, document list and checklist below walk through the order of these steps.

Timeline and deadlines

• Order the extract and any other death certificates you need for banks, insurers and pensions: once the death is registered

• Get an apostille or the multilingual certificate for foreign authorities, if they ask for it: after you hold the certificate, before sending it abroad

Documents you need

• Extract of the death entry (extracto), issued by the Registro Civil. It gives the main details and is the usual form for pensions, banks, insurers and notaries.

• Literal death certificate (certificación literal), issued by the Registro Civil. It is a full copy of the entry and is usually what foreign authorities want.

• Multilingual death extract, issued by the Registro Civil under the Vienna Convention. It needs no translation in countries that accept it.

• Certificate of last wills (Registro General de Actos de Última Voluntad), issued by the Ministry of Justice. It shows whether and where a will was made and is needed for the inheritance.

• Certificate of life-insurance contracts (seguros de cobertura de fallecimiento). It shows whether the person had life insurance and is needed for the inheritance.

• Apostilled death certificate, for foreign authorities in countries that accept the Hague apostille. Countries outside the Hague Convention need consular legalisation instead.

• Your ID and proof that you are a relative or heir, which you show when you request a certificate.

Checklist

• Order the extract for banks, insurers, the Social Security (INSS) and notaries.

• Request certificates online with a digital certificate, DNI-e or Cl@ve, or in person at a Registro Civil office, by post, by email or at a Spanish consulate abroad.

• Have your ID ready and show your interest as a relative or heir when you apply.

• Ask foreign authorities whether they want the literal certificate, the multilingual extract or an apostille.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to go to the Registro Civil myself to register a death?

No, you usually do not have to go to the Registro Civil yourself, because the funeral home normally files the medical certificate electronically. The funeral home also applies for the burial or cremation licence. The report is due within 24 hours of the medical certificate, and in any case within 72 hours.

Can I request a death certificate online from abroad?

Yes, you can request it online through the Ministry of Justice's Registro Civil electronic office, if you have a digital certificate, DNI-e or Cl@ve. You can also ask at a Spanish consulate abroad, or apply by post or email. You must show an interest, such as being a relative or heir, and supply ID.

Which death certificate do banks and pension offices usually ask for?

Banks, insurers, the Social Security (INSS) and notaries usually ask for the extract (extracto), which gives the main details of the death. Foreign authorities usually want the literal or multilingual certificate instead. Each institution decides which form it accepts, so ask before you order.

When can I request the will and life-insurance certificates?

You can request both certificates at least 15 working days after the death. The first shows whether and where a will was made, and the second shows whether the person had life insurance. Both are needed for the inheritance.

Does a multilingual death certificate need an apostille?

No, a multilingual certificate under the Vienna Convention needs neither an apostille nor a translation in countries that are party to it. For other countries you need an apostille, or consular legalisation if the country is outside the Hague Convention. Confirm with the foreign authority which form it requires.