Registering a death in Barcelona

As with most things these days, even death carries its fair share of paperwork, and knowing how to deal with things should the inevitable happen should go someway towards reliving some of the stress.

After a death occurs in Spain, a medical examiner, doctor or authorised hospital official will provide a death certificate (Certificado de Defunción) noting the deceased’s name, and the cause, date, time and place of death. This document will also contain the name and accreditation of the doctor who pronounced death.

This document must be taken within 24 hours the Civil Registry to formally register the death. The registration includes the date, time and location of the death.

Anyone with knowledge of the death is eligible to make the registration, although this is normally done by a family member, a friend or neighbour of the deceased. In most cases, the death should be registered with the Civil Registry office of the area where it occurred. The civil registry in Barcelona is located at:

Plaça Duc de Medinaceli, 2, 08002 Barcelona; Tel. 93 412 0474; fax. 93 342 6171

The registry will need:

  • The names of the deceased’s parents
  • Their civil status
  • Nationality
  • Date and place of birth
  • Last known address
  • Place of the funeral (if known)

When the death registration has been completed, a burial license is issued and a formal funeral can take place.

A funeral director (pompa fúnebre) will be contacted to remove the body, and are licensed to manage funeral arrangements and the burial or cremation of a body. Though relatives are able to register a death, it may be best to leave it to the funeral director. They can process all the necessary paperwork, secure a burial licence, arrange a cremation or, if appropriate, return the deceased’s remains to a country of origin.

Often, your country’s consulate can provide a list of funeral homes in Barcelona.

If you register the death with your country of origin’s consulate, they may also issue something along the lines of a Consular Report of a Death Abroad.

More information can be found on the Spanish Ministry of Justice website here.