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Understanding the Funeral Process in Spain will help to avoid stress at a difficult time
In Spain, it is the norm to plan ahead for your funeral. It’s all part of making things easier for the family and loved ones.
The cost of a funeral in Spain continues to rise and most Spanish families take out some kind of funeral plan to cover the inevitable expense and also to the administrative headache at what is, of course, a difficult time.
According to some sources, the cost of a funeral director’s services, items such as a casket, hearse, and a service, can total up to 4,900 euros for even a modest affair. Add to this reports of funeral directors refusing to act until they are certain the money is available to pay the bill, and the attraction of a Spanish funeral plan is clear – it avoids a lot of potential stress at what is certainly a difficult enough time as it is.
Under Spanish law, the police (the Guardia Civil) must be called and a doctor contacted. The doctor will issue a temporary certificate – after which either the doctor or the police will contact a local funeral director (or tanatorio) to attend to the deceased. The funeral director (who may not speak English) will ask for a ‘release form’ to be signed and in many cases this form turns out to be part of a service contract, one that does not disclose prices until after all the arrangements have been made. This contract with the funeral director also often takes away any control over the funeral arrangements, and therefore the final price. Taking care of the process in advance by means of a funeral plan is clearly greatly reassuring for all concerned.
Another factor that is different in Spain is the speed of the process. It’s standard for burial or cremation to take place much quicker than the UK and English-speaking ex pats can be caught unawares by the rapid procedure (and potentially unscrupulous funeral directors on the lookout for the newly-bereaved caught without insurance). 
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