In this guide
To send a body from the U.S. to Spain, a family member asks the Spanish consulate for authorization, which issues the Documento Único, and a funeral home requests the entry of the remains through Spain's SISAEX service. The body must be preserved and in a casket suitable for international transport. Ashes have no health requirements, but need a labeled container. Eternimax coordinates the providers; it does not perform the services.
What is specific to Spain
According to Spain's health ministry, countries outside the Strasbourg and Berlin agreements follow the consular route. The U.S. is not on the Berlin list, and we could not confirm its status under the Strasbourg Agreement from the official page, so we ask you to confirm with the consulate before booking.
Under the route described by Spain's health ministry:
- A family member or interested person asks the Spanish consulate for authorization for the entry of the remains. If everything is in order, the consulate issues the Documento Único.
- The funeral home requests the entry electronically through SISAEX, the ministry's online service, attaching the documents, and the Sanidad Exterior unit at the Spanish entry point issues the entry authorization.
- On arrival, the Documento Único is shown to Sanidad Exterior, and the authorization to customs.
The Spanish public administration portal says the consular office does not pay transfer costs. It processes the procedure and notifies the Spanish health authorities.
Step by step
Confirm who releases the body
Find out where the person is (hospital, funeral home, medical examiner or police) and who may decide.
Order certified death certificates
Ask for several certified copies with the cause of death. Old or cropped copies cause delays.
Choose body or ashes
A body needs preservation and a casket suitable for international transport. Ashes need a cremation certificate and a labeled container.
Apply to the Spanish consulate
Use the official request form. It asks for data such as the location of the remains, the mode of transport and the planned entry point in Spain. The consulate issues the Documento Único.
Choose the receiving funeral home in Spain
It requests entry through SISAEX and arranges the burial or cremation place, which must be named in the request.
Book the flight as air cargo
The U.S. funeral home or transporter books it with an air waybill. Do not set the service date until you have it.
Arrival and release
The Documento Único and the SISAEX authorization are presented at the entry point and to customs. The receiving funeral home handles ground transport and the service.
Documents
According to Spain's health ministry, the consular request is accompanied by:
- Applicant's name, surname and address; deceased's name, surname and last address.
- Date and cause of death, and where the remains are.
- Means of transport and planned border entry point.
- Cemetery or authorized place for burial or cremation.
- Medical certificate of the cause of death (and a judicial permit if the death was violent).
- Preservation certificate (embalming or temporary conservation).
- Local civil registry death certificate.
- Copy of the transfer authorization request filed with the local health authority.
Confirm with the consulate whether an apostille or sworn translation is requested for your case. Requirements can change.
Costs
The cost usually includes: the U.S. funeral home (removal, preservation or cremation, casket or container), air cargo, certified copies and consular fees, ground transport in Spain, and the receiving funeral home. We do not publish a range for Spain. We have no completed Spain family case to base a figure on. Longer routes, connecting airports and the size of the container move the price. Ask for written, itemized quotes.
Estimates are for general information only. They are not a quote or an offer. Final costs depend on the providers, the airline, the destination and the family's choices. Eternimax is not a funeral home or an insurer; it coordinates independent licensed providers.
Extras that can appear: extra certified copies, urgent processing, storage days, translations, restoration if the family wants a viewing, and shipping of personal belongings, which travel separately.
Body or ashes
| Body | Ashes | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical cost | Higher | Generally lower on the same route |
| Documents | Preservation certificate, cause-of-death certificate, consular request | Death and cremation certificates |
| Container | Casket suitable for international transport | Container with the deceased's name on the outside |
| Services in Spain | Viewing, burial or cremation | Memorial or scattering at the family's choice |
In cases we have seen, families have considered carrying a small number of urns by hand. TSA must be able to screen the container, and airlines set their own rules. Keep the death and cremation certificates with you.
Support
The Spanish consulate does not pay for transfers. If the person was covered by an association, employer benefit or a policy with another company, ask whether it helps. We could not confirm a public aid program for families in the U.S.
Common mistakes
- Fixing the funeral date before the air waybill and the SISAEX approval.
- Not naming the burial or cremation place in the request.
- Using an old or cropped death certificate.
- Ordering too few certified copies.
- Assuming belongings travel with the body.
- Not telling the provider what the current funeral home has already charged.
How Eternimax helps
Eternimax coordinates international repatriation. We are the family's single point of contact, we explain which documents are requested and by whom, and we send written updates, in English and Spanish. The independent licensed providers perform the services. This is general information, not legal advice. See our editorial policy; reviewed November 2026.
Talk with a coordinator. One call. One coordinator. We assist in English and Spanish. +1 (866) 978-5207 · Write to us
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to send a body to Spain?
We do not publish a range for Spain because we have no reliable public source and no completed family case on this route. Transatlantic shipping to Europe is generally higher than shorter routes within the Americas. A coordinator can explain what each quote should include. Treat any figure as a written quote, not a guide estimate.
Does the Spanish consulate pay for the transfer?
No. According to the Spanish public administration portal, neither the consular office nor the foreign ministry covers transfer costs. Their role is to process the procedure and notify the Spanish health authorities.
What is the Documento Único?
It is the document the Spanish consulate issues after reviewing the request, certifying that the requirements were met. It must also be presented to Spain's Sanidad Exterior (foreign health service) at the entry point when the remains arrive.
What is SISAEX?
SISAEX is the electronic service of Spain's Ministry of Health. The funeral home uses it to request the entry of the remains, attaching the documents. Once approved, an email gives the authorization to download and show to customs.
Are ashes easier to send to Spain than a body?
Generally yes. According to Spain's health ministry, no health requirements apply to cremated remains, but the container must have the deceased's name on the outside. You still need the death and cremation certificates. Confirm with the consulate and the airline.
Can I carry the urn on the plane myself?
Many families do. The U.S. TSA must be able to screen the urn, so lighter materials such as wood or plastic work best, and officers will not open it. Airlines set their own rules. Keep the death and cremation certificates with you.
Do the same rules apply if the person was a Spanish citizen or a resident?
The health rules for the remains are the same, but a Spanish citizen's death may also need to be registered with the consulate. We could not confirm the exact registration steps, so confirm with the consulate.
Official sources
- Ministerio de Sanidad — Traslado internacional de cadáveres y restos cadavéricos
- Administración.gob.es — Asistencia consular en caso de fallecimiento en el extranjero
- Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores — Solicitud de traslado de cadáveres a España
- TSA — Cremated remains
- CDC — Importation of human remains into the United States (for the return direction)
Links to the official sources. Requirements change: always check the current version.
General information
This guide is general information. It is not legal, medical, immigration or tax advice and does not replace a professional licensed in your jurisdiction. Requirements, timelines and costs are determined by the providers and authorities in each case and may change. Eternimax coordinates between the parties and does not itself perform funeral or other regulated services.
