Caring for relatives abroad

It is for people who are considering, planning or carrying out a move to Spain, and who want a practical plan for supporting relatives abroad and a clear idea of what to do when something goes wrong.

Start with "Your parents are ageing abroad while you live in Spain". It sets out the likely stages of a parent's decline, so you can see which of the other pages you will need first and which can wait.

Bringing a parent to Spain, sending money to relatives, homesickness and moving back to care are covered elsewhere.

Key rules

• Urgent family leave: For urgent, unforeseeable family emergencies you can be absent for the equivalent of 4 days a year, which can be taken in hours, and it is paid only if your collective agreement says so.
• Illness leave: Employees get 5 days of paid leave for the serious illness, accident or hospitalisation of a spouse or a relative up to the second degree, and a collective agreement may give more.
• Bereavement leave: On the death of a spouse or a relative up to the second degree, employees get 2 days of paid leave, or 4 days if travel is needed.
• Notice and proof: Tell your employer as early as you can and be ready to show proof, such as a medical report or death certificate plus proof of kinship.
• Access to accounts: You have no automatic right to a parent's bank or official accounts, so you need a signed authorisation or a notarial power of attorney.
• Consent: Get your parent's written consent while they are well, because you may need it to act for them.

Caring for relatives abroad: the whole process, step by step

From first warning to the long term

• Plan ahead for your parents' likely needs, as set out in "Your parents are ageing abroad while you live in Spain": Before any crisis, while your parents are still well

• Set up local help, visits and cost sharing, as set out in "Arranging care for a parent in another country from Spain": As soon as care is needed, and review the plan every few months

• Arrange access to your relative's bills and paperwork, as set out in "Managing a relative's money and paperwork from Spain": Before you need it, because you have no automatic right to a parent's accounts

• Tell your employer about the emergency and ask for urgent family leave, as set out in "A family member abroad needs you: leave and logistics of a crisis": As early as you can, for up to 4 days a year, which can be taken in hours

• Take illness leave for a serious illness, accident or hospitalisation: 5 days of paid leave while the situation lasts

• Take bereavement leave if your relative dies: 2 days of paid leave, or 4 days if you must travel

• Confirm the death, get the local death certificate and contact the consulate: In the first days after a death abroad

• Legalise the certificate, translate it if needed and register the death in Spain: After you have the local certificate

• Ask for the certificate of last wills and start the estate with a notary: Once the death is registered; file inheritance tax within 6 months of the death for assets in Spain

• Consider longer unpaid leave or reduced hours to care for a relative, and check how long you can be away from Spain without risking your residence: If care continues for months; temporary permits can be at risk after more than 6 months a year away

Documents you may need

Identity and residence

• Your parent's ID and proof of residence — Your parents are ageing abroad while you live in Spain
• Copies of your relative's ID and your own ID — Managing a relative's money and paperwork from Spain

The home and the lease

• A written contract with any paid helper or care provider — Arranging care for a parent in another country from Spain

Translations and legal papers

• A notarial power of attorney — Your parents are ageing abroad while you live in Spain, Managing a relative's money and paperwork from Spain

Other documents

• Your parent's written consent
• Recent medical reports from your parent's doctor or hospital — Your parents are ageing abroad while you live in Spain
• Signed authorisation — Managing a relative's money and paperwork from Spain
• Medical report or hospital admission certificate — A family member abroad needs you: leave and logistics of a crisis
• Death certificate or funeral document — A family member abroad needs you: leave and logistics of a crisis
• Proof of kinship — A family member abroad needs you: leave and logistics of a crisis
• An advance directive and a will from your parent — Your parents are ageing abroad while you live in Spain

Each article lists the other documents it asks for, where you need them.

Caring for relatives abroad: questions that cross several articles

Can I take time off if a parent abroad is ill and then dies?

Yes, each event has its own leave: 5 days of paid leave for serious illness or hospitalisation, and later 2 days for a death, or 4 days if you travel. Your collective agreement may give more.

What do I need to show my employer for leave over a relative abroad?

You need proof of the event and of your family link, such as a medical report or death certificate plus a birth or marriage certificate. Employers may ask for a translation or apostille of foreign documents, so ask HR early.

Who handles the paperwork if my sibling lives near our parent and I do not?

Split the tasks so the sibling abroad from the parent takes remote jobs like paperwork, bills and calls with doctors, while the nearby sibling covers visits. Agree cost sharing in writing. You will need a signed authorisation or power of attorney to act on accounts: read "Arranging care for a parent in another country from Spain" and "Managing a relative's money and paperwork from Spain".

Can long stays abroad caring for a parent affect my residence in Spain?

Yes, long absences can put your residence at risk, for example more than 6 months a year away can stop a temporary permit being renewed. Long-term residence is lost after 12 consecutive months outside Spain. Check your own permit, and read "A family member abroad needs you: leave and logistics of a crisis" for shorter leave options.