Religious funerals and burial in Spain

Key rules

• Where: Religious burial mostly happens in municipal cemeteries, with few faith-specific sites.
• Timing: Burial generally cannot take place before 24 hours and must happen within 48 hours of death, though regions differ.
• Shroud: Burial without a coffin is allowed only in some regions, so check yours.
• Graves: Many municipal cemeteries offer only niches or time-limited concessions, not permanent graves.
• Municipality decides: Faith communities can ask for plots, but the town hall makes the final decision.

What to expect

Religious burial is available mainly through municipal cemeteries. A few cemeteries belong to a specific faith, and there are limits on coffins and timing. How easy it is depends heavily on where you live. Big cities and the coasts are better served than the interior.

Timing

Burial or cremation generally cannot take place before 24 hours and must happen within 48 hours of death, though regions differ. Some regions allow longer when refrigeration is used or a court authorises it. Ask the funeral director to plan around this from the first call.

Coffins and shrouds

Coffins are generally required for transport and burial. Some regions, such as Catalonia, Andalusia and Madrid, allow burial in a shroud without a coffin for religious reasons. Even there, a coffin is usually still needed for transport. Check your region's rules before you promise a family anything.

Permanent graves

Many municipal cemeteries only offer niches or time-limited concessions, not permanent graves. This often clashes with Islamic and Jewish expectations. Ask the cemetery exactly what it offers before you choose.

Islamic burial

Islamic burial is available in a limited number of places. Dedicated cemeteries or municipal Muslim sections exist in Griñón (Madrid, the main one), Granada, Málaga, Valencia (Torrent), Córdoba, Almería, Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, Palma, Ceuta, Melilla, Bilbao and Zaragoza, among others.

Many towns have no plot at all. Gaps are greatest in Galicia, Castilla y León, Extremadura, Castilla-La Mancha and much of the interior. Families often send the body to Morocco or another country. Communities can ask for plots in municipal cemeteries, but the municipality decides.

Jewish burial

Jewish burial is available in Madrid, Barcelona, Málaga, Seville, Valencia, Palma de Mallorca, Ceuta, Melilla, Tenerife and Las Palmas, and some other places. These are run by local Jewish communities or are sections of municipal cemeteries. Smaller communities use the nearest section or send the body to Israel. Contact your local Jewish community, or the national federation of Jewish communities, for arrangements.

Protestant, Orthodox and other faiths

A few historic non-Catholic cemeteries exist. They include the British Cemetery in Madrid, the English Cemetery in Málaga, the Protestant cemetery in Barcelona, and others in Bilbao, Huelva, Seville, Jerez, the Canary Islands, the Balearic Islands and Cartagena. Some municipal cemeteries around Madrid, the Costa del Sol and the Alicante coast have Orthodox sections. Evangelical churches often use municipal cemeteries.

Where to start

Contact your faith community early and ask where members are buried nearby. Then ask your town hall and the cemetery what is available. If nothing suitable exists, ask your community or funeral director about sending the body abroad. The checklist and questions below cover the details.

Checklist

• Ask your town hall whether the municipal cemetery has a section for your faith.

• Confirm with the cemetery whether it offers a permanent grave or only a niche or time-limited concession.

• Check your region's rules on whether burial in a shroud without a coffin is allowed.

• Ask the funeral director to plan around the 24 hours minimum and 48 hours maximum before burial, and ask whether your region allows longer.

• Decide whether to repatriate the body if no suitable plot exists nearby, and ask your faith community or funeral director how to arrange it.

Frequently asked questions

Can I be buried in a shroud without a coffin in Spain?

Yes, but only in some regions, such as Catalonia, Andalusia and Madrid, which allow burial in a shroud for religious reasons. A coffin is still usually required to transport the body. Ask the funeral director or cemetery which rule applies where you live.

Will a municipal cemetery give my family a permanent grave?

Often no, because many municipal cemeteries only offer niches or time-limited concessions. This can clash with Islamic and Jewish expectations of a lasting grave. Ask the cemetery about the length of the concession before you agree to a plot.

What do Muslim families do when their town has no Islamic plot?

Many families use the nearest cemetery with a Muslim section or send the body to Morocco or another country. Gaps are greatest in Galicia, Castilla y León, Extremadura, Castilla-La Mancha and much of the interior. Your local Islamic community can tell you the closest option.

Can non-Catholic Christians use the historic Protestant cemeteries?

Often yes, as some are open to people of any faith, but confirm with the cemetery first. Historic sites include the British Cemetery in Madrid and the English Cemetery in Málaga.