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Our funeral ambulance in Spain
“Reliable, professional, a reasonable price, and most important of all, my brother arrived exactly on time.”
Gezimon Trustpilot
Our funeral ambulance on an English country road

By road, in our own funeral ambulances

Most repatriations to and from the UK go by road, driven by our own team, so your loved one stays in our care the whole way. We book a flight only where the road is not possible.

Everything in the estimate

  • The paperwork at both ends
  • Collection
  • Hygienic treatment
  • A sealed coffin
  • Transport, by road or by air
  • One specialist, start to finish
A written quote on a desk

One price, in writing, before anything moves

Before anything is booked you have an itemised quote in writing, and nothing is added to it afterwards, so you can plan without surprises.

In the families’ own words

“We were so worried about the process of getting my mum safely back home to Slovakia, but every detail was handled with care, compassion and professionalism.”
Sofia BartkovaUK to Slovakia
“Our loved one died on holiday in Egypt and what felt impossible was made possible. They kept us informed every step, translated everything, and their reps in Egypt worked so hard for us.”
NatEgypt to UK
“Their pricing was competitive and the process was incredibly fast. What stood out most was the attentive and caring staff who spoke Italian fluently.”
GenovesiUK to Italy
Two of our team at the front desk of our office

One specialist, from the first call to the last

The same person holds your case, deals with the offices at both ends and tells you when each step is done, so you never have to explain it twice.

Rated excellent, 4.8 out of 5

See reviews

Repatriation to and from Spain

£3,500

Estimated, all inclusive

Enquire now, no obligation
  • Usually 2 to 7 days
  • Agreed in writing
  • We answer any hour

  • Our fees, and one specialist from the first call to the last
  • Collection from the hospital or mortuary
  • Hygienic treatment, and care until your loved one travels
  • A sealed coffin that meets the route’s requirements
  • All the paperwork required
  • Transport by road in our own refrigerated funeral ambulances, or by air where the road is not possible

When your loved one needs an urgent collection, usually from a home: the estimate covers collection from a hospital or mortuary. Tell us where they are on the first call and the written quote includes it, with any of the costs specific to Spain that apply.

The estimate for any country, in either direction, and what it covers.

Work out an estimate for another countryWork out an estimate for another country

How body repatriation works, step by step

Four steps between Spain and the UK, and we do all of them. You hear from us at each one, not only at the end.

  1. The first call

    You tell us where your loved one is, in Spain or in the UK. We tell you the cost and what happens next, at any hour.

  2. The paperwork

    The death certificate, the permit to travel and the papers the carrier needs. We obtain them in Spain and here.

  3. Care and transport

    Hygienic treatment and a sealed coffin. Most routes travel by road in our own vehicles, by air only where the distance calls for it.

  4. Arrival

    By road, we drive on to the funeral director you have chosen, or to ours. By air, collection at the destination is an optional extra.

The papers we obtain for you

This is the set most routes need. Where a country asks for something else, we tell you before we quote, and we obtain that too.

  • Out of England permission

    From the coroner, when the death happened in England.

  • Free from infection certificate

    Confirms there is no infectious disease, for the carrier and the receiving country.

  • Funeral director’s declaration

    Our signed declaration for the transport.

  • Embalming certificate

    Where the route or the receiving country requires one.

  • Apostille

    Where the receiving country asks for one.

  • Translations

    Certified, where a document is not in the receiving country’s language.

Procedures change from time to time, so this list may lag behind them. We keep up with every change and confirm what your case needs on the first call.

What we need from you

  • The death certificate

    Or the coroner’s interim certificate, where there is an inquest.

  • Their passport

    Or a copy to begin with. We tell you if the original is needed.

  • Your permission for us to act

    A short form we send you to sign, so we can deal with the offices for your family.

What we need from you

  • Their passport, or a copy

    Whatever you have to hand. We tell you what else is needed.

  • Any papers you already hold from Spain

    A death certificate or a hospital letter, if you have one. If not, we obtain it.

  • Your permission for us to act

    A short form we send you to sign, so we can deal with the offices for your family.

Repatriation between Spain and the United Kingdom

The whole route in plain terms, in both directions, written for someone reading it for the first time.

Repatriation from Spain to the United Kingdom

Spain has large British communities settled along the Costa Blanca, the Costa del Sol and in the Canary and Balearic Islands, as well as thousands of visitors each year. When a death occurs in Spain, bringing your loved one home to the UK involves the Spanish authorities, the receiving arrangements in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, and the transport itself. We coordinate all three, so the family does not have to travel to Spain or deal directly with Spanish offices in a language they may not speak. If you are at the very start of this, our repatriation hub explains the process in plain terms.

Because Spain is a member of the European Union, the paperwork is comparatively predictable. The Spanish death certificate is available in a multilingual (plurilingual) standard form, which the receiving funeral director and registrar in the UK can generally read without a separate translation. The main variables are distance and the local formalities in the province where the death occurred.

The process in Spain: from the certificado de defunción to release

A doctor first certifies the death and issues the certificado médico de defunción, the attending doctor at home or in hospital, or, where the death was sudden or unexplained, the duty Juzgado (court). The death is then registered at the local Registro Civil, which issues the official certificado de defunción. For international transport, the health authority issues the autorización de traslado del cadáver, the mortuary passport, under the control of Sanidad Exterior. We obtain these on the family's behalf while your loved one is prepared.

Preparation and transport

Your loved one receives hygienic treatment (embalming) and is placed in a sealed, transport-standard coffin, as required for international transport. Most repatriations from Spain come to the UK by road in our own funeral ambulances and over the Channel. A flight to a UK airport is booked only where the road is not possible or the family needs a faster option. Our team collects your loved one from the local funeral director (tanatorio) or hospital and stays with them through to the receiving funeral director in the UK.

Bringing your loved one into the UK

Once in the UK, the family can arrange the funeral. For a burial, the foreign death certificate is generally sufficient. For a cremation, the coroner in England and Wales must give authority first: this is the Cremation Form 6, issued after the coroner is satisfied there is no need for further investigation (in Scotland this role falls to the procurator fiscal; in Northern Ireland, the coroner). You can read more about the coroner's role in England in our resource centre. We liaise with the coroner's office so this is in place without delay.

Timelines and what affects them

A repatriation from Spain usually takes 2 to 7 days from first contact to arrival in the UK. This depends on the province of departure, appointments with the Registro Civil and the health authority, and the circumstances of the death: where an autopsy is ordered by the Juzgado, release can take several days longer.

This estimate is counted from when the death is registered, and our team does everything possible to complete the repatriation sooner.

Costs and financial support

We put a firm price in writing on the first call, and that is the figure on the invoice. The figure depends on the region of departure, the cause of death, and local funeral-home and registry fees. Families are often unaware that a UK-based estate or insurance policy, or travel insurance held by your loved one, may cover part of the cost, and we help you check what the policy covers.

Authorities involved

  • The doctor: certifies the death and issues the certificado médico de defunción: the attending doctor at home or in hospital, or the duty court in sudden or unexplained deaths.
  • Registro Civil (Civil Registry): registers the death and issues the official certificado de defunción, available in a multilingual standard form.
  • Health authority (Sanidad Exterior): issues the autorización de traslado del cadáver (mortuary passport) required for international transport.
  • Local funeral director (tanatorio): carries out the hygienic treatment and preparation required for international transport.
  • Juzgado de Instrucción (court): in sudden, suspicious or violent deaths, orders any autopsy and authorises release of your loved one.
  • UK coroner / procurator fiscal: where a cremation is planned in England and Wales, authorises it via Cremation Form 6 (in Scotland, the procurator fiscal; in Northern Ireland, the coroner).

Documents required

  • Certificado médico de defunción: the medical certificate of death.
  • Certificado de defunción: the official death certificate from the Registro Civil, available in multilingual standard form.
  • Autorización de traslado del cadáver: the Spanish mortuary passport for international transport.
  • Hygienic treatment certificate: confirming preparation to international transport standard.
  • Free from infection certificate: confirming your loved one poses no public-health risk in transit.
  • Coroner's authority (Cremation Form 6): only where a cremation is planned in England and Wales.

Repatriation from the United Kingdom to Spain

When someone dies in the UK and is to be returned to Spain for the funeral, the process brings together the UK coroner's formalities, the requirements set by the Spanish authorities, and the transport itself. Roughly 1,265 km separate the UK and Spain, and most repatriations there go by road in our own funeral ambulances, starting with the Channel crossing. We add a flight only where the road is not possible or the family needs more speed. We manage the transport and the paperwork on both sides so that the family in Spain does not have to deal with UK offices in English or attend any UK department in person. Our repatriation hub sets out the essentials if you are at the start.

Taking a loved one out of England and Wales follows a set UK procedure; the destination country's own import requirements then set the standard for the documents that must accompany your loved one and for the way the coffin is prepared. For Spain, an EU member state, those requirements are comparatively predictable. Before your loved one leaves the UK, the papers also go to the Consulate General of Spain in London, which signs them off. We prepare and lodge that application, so no one in the family needs to attend in person.

Telling the coroner: taking a loved one out of England and Wales

Before a loved one can be taken out of England and Wales, the law requires that the coroner for the district be given at least four clear days' notice (the Removal of Bodies Regulations 1954). The coroner then issues an acknowledgement, the "out of England" notice, confirming there is no objection to removal, and can release your loved one sooner where satisfied that no further enquiries are needed. We complete this notification and obtain the acknowledgement on the family's behalf. In Scotland the equivalent authority is the procurator fiscal; in Northern Ireland, the coroner.

Arriving in Spain: the receiving formalities

Your loved one travels after hygienic treatment (embalming), placed in a sealed, transport-standard coffin, accompanied by the UK death certificate, the coroner's out-of-England acknowledgement, and certificates of hygienic treatment and freedom from infection. In Spain, the international transfer is controlled by Sanidad Exterior (the external health service), and the receiving funeraria handles the local formalities and registration with the Registro Civil of the town where the funeral will take place. We prepare the document file and coordinate directly with the funeral director in Spain. You can read more about repatriating a loved one from the UK in our guidance.

Preparation and transport

Your loved one receives hygienic treatment and is placed in a transport-standard sealed coffin. Our team collects your loved one from the UK hospital, mortuary or funeral director and stays with them on the road to the destination, coordinating with the receiving funeral director in Spain, who takes your loved one into their care for the funeral. If the family needs a flight, we book one to the Spanish airport nearest the destination, place the coffin in the outer case the airline requires, and coordinate the airline's handling on arrival.

Timelines and what affects them

A repatriation from the UK to Spain usually takes 2 to 7 days from first contact, a road route of roughly 1,265 km in most cases. The main factors are the four clear days' notice to the coroner (which can sometimes be shortened at the coroner's discretion) and, for the cases that go by air, flight availability to the destination region. Where the death has been referred to the coroner for investigation, the timeline can be longer.

This estimate is counted from when the death is registered, and our team does everything possible to complete the repatriation sooner.

Costs and financial support

We put a firm price in writing on the first call, and that is the figure on the invoice. The figure depends on the destination region in Spain, the choice of road or air, and any UK funeral-home and mortuary fees. A UK estate, a life-insurance policy or your loved one's own arrangements may cover part of the cost, and we help you check what the policy covers.

Authorities involved

  • UK coroner (or procurator fiscal in Scotland): must be given at least four clear days' notice before your loved one is taken out of England and Wales, and issues the "out of England" acknowledgement.
  • UK registrar: registers the death and issues the death certificate that accompanies your loved one.
  • Consulate General of Spain in London: signs off the documents before your loved one leaves the UK.
  • Embalmer / UK funeral director: carries out hygienic treatment and preparation to international transport standard and provides the sealed transport coffin.
  • Sanidad Exterior (Spain): controls the international transfer of your loved one into Spain.
  • Funeraria and Registro Civil in Spain: receive your loved one and register and arrange the funeral in the destination town.

Documents required

  • UK death certificate: issued by the registrar once the death is registered.
  • Coroner's "out of England" acknowledgement: after at least four clear days' notice.
  • Hygienic treatment certificate: confirming preparation to international transport standard.
  • Free from infection certificate: confirming no public-health risk in transit.
  • Sealed transport coffin: as required for international transport.

Questions families ask us about bringing someone home from Spain

The core documents are the certificado de defunción from the Registro Civil (available in multilingual standard form), the autorización de traslado del cadáver (mortuary passport) from the health authority, and hygienic treatment and freedom from infection certificates for transport.

Where a cremation is planned in England and Wales, the coroner must also authorise it (Cremation Form 6). We obtain all of the Spanish documents on your behalf.

Usually 2 to 7 days from first contact to arrival in the UK. As an EU member state, Spain's paperwork is predictable.

The timing depends on the province of departure, appointments with the Registro Civil and health authority, and the circumstances of the death. Where the court orders an autopsy, release can take several days longer.

No. We deal directly with the Registro Civil, the health authority, the tanatorio and, if necessary, the court. The family does not need to travel or communicate with the Spanish authorities.

The whole process is arranged remotely on the basis of a simple written authorisation sent by email or WhatsApp.

Yes. A burial can usually proceed on the foreign death certificate alone. For a cremation in England and Wales, the coroner must first give authority using Cremation Form 6, once satisfied that no further investigation is needed (in Scotland, the procurator fiscal).

We liaise with the coroner's office so this authority is in place when your loved one arrives.

The quoted price covers the Spanish documentation, hygienic treatment, a transport coffin suitable for the UK funeral, the mortuary passport, transport to the UK and handover to your funeral director.

We put a firm price in writing on the first call, and that is the figure on the invoice. The figure depends on the region of departure, the cause of death and local fees.

Questions families ask us about repatriation to Spain

Before removal, the coroner must be given at least four clear days' notice and issues an "out of England" acknowledgement. Your loved one then travels after hygienic treatment, in a sealed, transport-standard coffin, accompanied by the UK death certificate and certificates of hygienic treatment and freedom from infection.

In Spain, the receiving funeraria handles the local registration and the transfer is controlled by Sanidad Exterior. We prepare the file and coordinate both sides.

Usually 2 to 7 days, with most repatriations to Spain going by road, roughly 1,265 km. The main factor is the four clear days' notice to the coroner, which can occasionally be shortened at the coroner's discretion.

Where a flight is needed, its availability also affects timing, and where the death has been referred to the coroner for investigation the timeline can be longer.

Spain is a member of the Hague Apostille Convention, so where the Spanish authorities require a UK public document to be legalised, it can be apostilled in the UK rather than going through a longer legalisation chain. Before departure, the Consulate General of Spain in London also signs off the papers, and we deal with it for you.

In practice the receiving funeraria in Spain advises on exactly which documents the destination town requires, and we prepare the file accordingly.

No. We handle the UK coroner's formalities and registration in English, and liaise with the receiving funeraria and the Registro Civil in Spain in Spanish.

The family provides a simple written authorisation, and we coordinate both sides of the process remotely, so no one needs to travel to the UK.

The quoted price covers the coroner notification, hygienic treatment, a sealed transport coffin, the transport certificates, and the transport to Spain, usually by road, with handover to the receiving funeral director.

We put a firm price in writing on the first call, and that is the figure on the invoice. The figure depends on the destination region and whether a flight is needed.

Every other country, in both directions

We bring loved ones home to the UK from anywhere, and from the UK to anywhere in the world. Three more routes written up in the same detail: repatriation to and from Ukraine, Cameroon and Egypt. For the road across the continent, read about repatriation between Europe and the UK.

Talk to a specialistRepatriation routes for every country

“We were so worried about the process of getting my mum safely back home to Slovakia, but every detail was handled with care, compassion and professionalism.”

Sofia Bartkova
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