Comparafune › Funeral Services for British Repats in Spain

Funeral & Repatriation Services in Spain
for the British Community

English-speaking advisors available 24 hours. We handle full repatriation to the UK from anywhere in Spain and Portugal. Free quotes, no obligation.

🇬🇧 English-speaking team 📞 24h available 🌍 All Spain & Portugal 💷 Prices from £2,800 ✓ Free quotes
📞 Call now: 684 755 199 See coverage areas

Repatriation to the UK from Spain — How We Help

Losing a loved one abroad is one of the most difficult situations a family can face. For the hundreds of thousands of British nationals living their retirement years in Spain, Portugal and the islands, Comparafune provides a complete, English-speaking repatriation service — from the moment of death to the funeral in the United Kingdom.

We work with verified funeral homes across the entire Iberian Peninsula and the islands. Our team speaks English and manages all documentation in both languages, coordinating with Spanish authorities, the British Consulate and your chosen funeral director in the UK.

Repatriation Costs: Spain to UK

Repatriation costs vary by region, distance and the services required. Below are typical price ranges for British repats in Spain:

Service Typical price (GBP) Included
Repatriation to UK (mainland Spain) £2,800 – £4,200 Embalming, zinc coffin, documentation, transport
Repatriation from Canary Islands £3,200 – £4,800 Embalming, coffin, island → mainland flight, UK transport
Repatriation from Balearic Islands £3,000 – £4,500 Embalming, coffin, island flight, UK transport
Repatriation from Portugal £2,900 – £4,400 All documentation, embalming, UK transport
Local funeral in Spain (no repatriation) £1,600 – £3,200 Burial or cremation in Spain + ashes return option
Ashes repatriation to UK £350 – £800 Certificate of cremation, documentation, courier

Note: All prices are estimates. Final costs depend on the specific location, funeral home, UK destination and additional services. We always provide a detailed, itemised quote before any work begins.

The Repatriation Process: Step by Step

1

Contact us immediately

Call our English-speaking team 24 hours a day on 684 755 199. We guide you through the first steps and connect you with the nearest partner funeral home.

2

Documentation & registration

We obtain the Spanish death certificate, medical cause-of-death certificate and register the death with the local Civil Registry. If required, we coordinate with the British Consulate for consular notification.

3

Preparation & embalming

For repatriation, Spanish law requires embalming and a zinc-lined coffin. Our partner funeral homes are fully licensed for international transfers and handle this with the utmost dignity and respect.

4

Apostille & export paperwork

We legalise all documents through the Spanish Ministry of Justice (Apostille of The Hague), obtain the freedom-from-infection certificate and prepare the export authorisation.

5

Transport to the UK

We arrange air freight cargo or, for shorter distances, road transport. We coordinate directly with your chosen UK funeral director for receipt of the deceased.

6

UK funeral director handover

All paperwork is transmitted to your UK funeral director. The family can then arrange the funeral service in the UK with full documentation already in place.

Coverage: All Spain & Portugal

🌍 We cover the full Iberian Peninsula, Balearic Islands, Canary Islands and Portuguese archipelagos. Wherever the British community lives in Spain and Portugal, Comparafune has a verified local partner funeral home ready to assist.

🌞 Costa del Sol (Málaga)

  • Marbella & Estepona
  • Fuengirola & Benalmádena
  • Torremolinos & Mijas
  • Nerja & Torre del Mar
  • Málaga city

🏖️ Costa Blanca (Alicante)

  • Torrevieja & Orihuela Costa
  • Benidorm & Altea
  • Javea (Xàbia) & Dénia
  • Calpe & Moraira
  • Alicante city

🏝️ Tenerife (Canary Islands)

  • Los Cristianos & Las Américas
  • Costa Adeje & Callao Salvaje
  • Puerto de la Cruz
  • Santa Cruz de Tenerife
  • Los Gigantes & Playa Paraíso

🌴 Gran Canaria

  • Maspalomas & Playa del Inglés
  • Puerto Rico & Mogán
  • Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
  • Arguineguín & Meloneras

⚓ Mallorca (Balearic Islands)

  • Palma de Mallorca
  • Alcúdia & Pollença
  • Sóller & Valldemossa
  • Calvià & Santa Ponça
  • Portals & Puerto Portals

🌿 Murcia & Costa Cálida

  • La Manga del Mar Menor
  • Mazarrón & Águilas
  • Murcia city
  • Cartagena
  • San Javier & Los Alcázares

🍊 Valencia & Costa Valencia

  • Valencia city
  • Gandia & Oliva
  • Cullera & Sagunto
  • El Saler & Canet d'En Berenguer

🏔️ Costa del Azahar & Castellón

  • Peñíscola & Benicarló
  • Oropesa del Mar
  • Castellón de la Plana
  • Benicàssim

🌊 Costa Brava & Barcelona

  • Barcelona city
  • Sitges & Castelldefels
  • Lloret de Mar & Tossa de Mar
  • Roses & Empuriabrava
  • Begur & Palafrugell

🌄 Almería & Costa de Almería

  • Almería city
  • Roquetas de Mar & Aguadulce
  • Vera & Garrucha
  • Mojacar & Carboneras

🏙️ Madrid & Central Spain

  • Madrid city
  • Guadalajara & Toledo
  • Alcalá de Henares
  • Las Rozas & Pozuelo

🎸 Andalucía Interior

  • Sevilla & Huelva
  • Granada & Córdoba
  • Jerez de la Frontera
  • Ronda & Antequera

🌻 Extremadura & Castilla

  • Cáceres & Badajoz
  • Salamanca & Valladolid
  • Burgos & León

🌧️ Northern Spain

  • Bilbao & San Sebastián
  • Santander & Gijón
  • Santiago de Compostela
  • Pamplona & Logroño

🇵🇹 Portugal — Algarve

  • Albufeira & Vilamoura
  • Lagos & Portimão
  • Tavira & Monte Gordo
  • Faro & Olhão
  • Quarteira & Armação de Pêra

🇵🇹 Portugal — Lisbon & Coast

  • Lisbon (Lisboa)
  • Cascais & Estoril
  • Setúbal & Sesimbra
  • Sintra & Mafra

🇵🇹 Portugal — Porto & North

  • Porto & Vila Nova de Gaia
  • Braga & Guimarães
  • Viana do Castelo
  • Aveiro & Coimbra

🌋 Lanzarote & Fuerteventura

  • Puerto del Carmen (Lanzarote)
  • Playa Blanca & Costa Teguise
  • Corralejo (Fuerteventura)
  • Caleta de Fuste & Morro Jable

🏝️ Ibiza, Menorca & Islands

  • Ibiza Town & San Antonio
  • Santa Eulalia (Ibiza)
  • Mahon & Ciutadella (Menorca)
  • Formentera

🌊 La Palma, La Gomera & El Hierro

  • Santa Cruz de La Palma
  • San Sebastián de La Gomera
  • Valverde (El Hierro)

Frequently Asked Questions

Repatriation from Spain to the UK typically costs between £2,800 and £5,500 depending on the region and services required. This includes embalming, a zinc-lined coffin (required by Spanish law for international transfers), all official documentation, and air or road transport to your chosen UK funeral director. Ashes-only repatriation is considerably less, typically £350–£800. Contact us for a free itemised quote.
The full repatriation process typically takes 5 to 10 working days. This includes obtaining the Spanish death certificate, preparing the body, legalising documents through the Apostille process, and arranging transport. In some cases where all paperwork is straightforward, it can be completed in 4–5 days. We work as quickly as possible while ensuring all legal requirements are met.
It depends on the type of insurance. Standard UK travel insurance typically covers repatriation for holidaymakers but not for permanent residents in Spain. If you or your loved one was a long-term resident (a repat), you likely need an expatriate life insurance policy or a prepaid funeral plan that includes repatriation. We can advise you on your policy and liaise with your insurer directly.
The required documents include: Spanish death certificate (certificado de defunción), medical certificate of the cause of death, embalming certificate, freedom-from-infection certificate, civil registry authorisation for export, and confirmation from a licensed UK funeral director. All documents require official translation and Apostille legalisation. Comparafune handles every step of this process on your behalf.
Yes. We cover all of mainland Spain, the Balearic Islands (Mallorca, Ibiza, Menorca, Formentera), the Canary Islands (Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, La Palma, La Gomera, El Hierro), and all of Portugal including the Algarve, Lisbon area, Porto and the islands of Madeira and the Azores. Call us on 684 755 199 for any location.

Local Funeral Services by Region

English-speaking funeral advisors in every major area where the British community lives in Spain and Portugal

🌞

Costa del Sol

Marbella, Fuengirola, Benalmádena, Torremolinos, Nerja & all Málaga Province. Repatriation via Málaga Airport (AGP).

See Costa del Sol services →
🌵

Tenerife & Canary Islands

Los Cristianos, Costa Adeje, Puerto de la Cruz, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, La Palma & more.

See Tenerife & Canaries services →
🌊

Costa Blanca (Alicante)

Torrevieja, Benidorm, Javea, Calpe, Orihuela Costa & all Alicante Province. Repatriation via ALC Airport.

See Costa Blanca services →
⚓

Mallorca & Balearic Islands

Palma, Alcúdia, Pollença, Sóller, Ibiza, Menorca & Formentera. Repatriation via PMI, IBZ and MAH airports.

See Mallorca & Balearics services →
🏴

Murcia & Costa Cálida

La Manga, Mazarrón, Águilas, Cartagena & all Murcia Region. Via ALC or MJV airports.

See coverage →
🇵🇹

Portugal (Full Coverage)

Algarve (Albufeira, Lagos, Faro), Lisbon area (Cascais, Sintra), Porto & northern Portugal.

See Portugal coverage →

Guides for British Repats in Spain

Useful information to help British families navigate funeral and repatriation processes in Spain

What happens when a British person dies in Spain?

Step-by-step guide: medical certification, death registration, repatriation process, probate and UK pension notification.

Read the full guide →

Repatriation costs from Spain to UK (2026)

Real prices by region — Costa del Sol, Tenerife, Alicante, Mallorca, Portugal. Ashes repatriation option from £1,650.

Read the full guide →

Funeral insurance for British expats in Spain

Does UK travel insurance or GHIC cover repatriation from Spain? What insurance do British residents in Spain actually need?

Read the full guide →