What to Do When a Citizen of Morocco Dies in Spain: 5-Step Official Checklist

1. 1

   Medical certification of death and forensic or judicial clearance in Spain

   All civil registration and mortuary health formalities in Spain begin with the official Medical Death Certificate (Certificado Médico de Defunción) issued by the General Council of Official Medical Associations (Consejo General de Colegios Oficiales de Médicos), which is essential to register the death and obtain the burial or transport permit [1][2].

   • Death in a hospital or healthcare facility: When death occurs from natural causes under medical care (for example, in public or private hospitals in Madrid, Catalonia, or Andalusia), the attending physician issues the Medical Death Certificate (Certificado Médico de Defunción), enabling the funeral company to transfer the body to the mortuary (tanatorio) [1][2].
   • Death at home, in a hotel, or in a public place: Call the single emergency number 112 immediately. If the emergency physician confirms a documented natural death, they may sign the certificate; if the death is sudden, violent, or without an established clinical cause, the police and the Duty Court (Juzgado de Guardia) intervene, ordering the removal of the body and its transfer to the competent Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences (Instituto de Medicina Legal y Ciencias Forenses) for a judicial autopsy before authorizing release of the body and registration in the Civil Registry [1][2].
   • Regional Mortuary Health Regulations timeframes: Under Spanish health regulations and regional mortuary health rules (Policía Sanitaria Mortuoria), burial, cremation, or final sealing of the coffin generally cannot take place until 24 hours have elapsed since the death, and final disposition or preservation/embalming procedures must normally be carried out within 48 hours [2][3].
2. 2

   Repatriation insurance, appointing funeral directors in Spain and Morocco, and consular assistance

   Before hiring funeral services independently, check whether the deceased held a Spanish funeral policy (póliza de decesos) or Moroccan bank repatriation insurance (such as assistance contracts subscribed through Moroccan or Spanish banks), as the insurer appoints and covers the funeral providers in both countries directly [2][4].

   • Funeral coordination in Spain and Morocco: If no insurer is involved, the family may appoint a licensed funeral company in Spain (empresa funeraria habilitada) through the directory of the Asociación Nacional de Servicios Funerarios (PANASEF) (National Association of Funeral Services) to manage the mortuary, sanitary preparation, and civil registry formalities [5]. In the case of repatriation to Morocco, the Spanish provider coordinates with an authorized funeral and international mortuary transport company in Morocco (société de pompes funèbres et de transport funéraire international agréée au Maroc), which handles reception at the Moroccan airport or port (for example, in Casablanca, Tangier, Nador, or Marrakesh) and transfer to the municipality (commune) of burial [4]. Clarvia provides these institutional references solely for informational and guidance purposes and does not recommend, endorse, or rank specific operators.
   • Moroccan consular assistance in Spain: Notify the competent Consulate General of the Kingdom of Morocco according to the consular district in Spain (Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Algeciras, Almería, Bilbao, Valencia, Palma de Mallorca, Tarragona, Girona, Murcia, or Las Palmas) through the official consular portal Consulat.ma [6][7]. The consulate registers the death in the Moroccan civil registry, processes the authorization to transport the body to Morocco, and - for Moroccan residents abroad in documented situations of indigence or vulnerability without insurance coverage - assesses eligibility for the state support program for the repatriation of mortal remains managed by the Ministry in charge of Moroccans Residing Abroad (Ministère délégué chargé des Marocains Résidant à l'Étranger) [4][6].
3. 3

   Civil death registration in Spain and document validity in Morocco

   Registration in the Spanish Civil Registry is mandatory to obtain the burial or transport permit and the official certificates required by Moroccan authorities [1].

   • Civil Registry in Spain (24-hour timeframe): The death declaration is usually submitted through the funeral company to the Civil Registry (Registro Civil) of the municipality where the death occurred (under the Ministerio de Justicia, the Spanish Ministry of Justice) within 24 hours of the death [1]. Once registered, the registry issues the burial permit (licencia de enterramiento) and the Full Literal Death Certificate (Certificado Literal de Defunción, as well as the multilingual CIEC Form C certificate under the 1976 Vienna Convention when required in European signatory states) [1].
   • Hague Apostille and transcription into the Moroccan Civil Registry: Both Spain and Morocco are parties to the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention, meaning the Spanish Full Literal Death Certificate (Certificado Literal de Defunción) must bear the Hague Apostille (Apostilla de La Haya) issued by the justice authorities in Spain to have full legal effect in Morocco [1]. With the Spanish Full Literal Death Certificate, the deceased's Moroccan National Electronic Identity Card (Carte Nationale d'Identité Électronique - CNIE) or passport, and the family book (livret de famille), family members must complete the consular declaration or transcription of the death before the Consulate of the Kingdom of Morocco in Spain (or at the municipal civil status office in Morocco, Bureau de l'état civil de la commune, following the procedures on the Portail national de l'État civil at alhalalmadania.ma and Consulat.ma) [6][7][8].
4. 4

   International repatriation to Morocco vs. local burial or cremation in Spain

   The family must decide between repatriating the remains to the Kingdom of Morocco or carrying out local burial in Spain [2][3].

   • Repatriation of the body from Spain to Morocco: The Spanish funeral company applies to the Foreign Health department (Sanidad Exterior) of the Ministerio de Sanidad (Spanish Ministry of Health, via the SISAEX system) for the international mortuary transport health authorization (autorización sanitaria de traslado internacional de cadáveres) and the mortuary laissez-passer (salvoconducto mortuorio, in accordance with mortuary health rules and international agreements such as the Strasbourg or Berlin Agreement, as well as any applicable formalities with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, MAEC) [2][3]. To authorize entry and burial in Morocco, the Moroccan consulate in Spain (in coordination with provincial or prefectoral authorities and the Moroccan Ministry of Health) issues the consular mortuary laissez-passer (laissez-passer mortuaire) and body transfer authorization (autorisation de transfert de corps) upon presentation of the Full Literal Death Certificate, the deceased's Moroccan identity document, a medical certificate confirming the absence of contagious diseases, an embalming or preservation certificate, and a certificate of placement in a hermetically sealed coffin with a soldered zinc inner liner (requirements also supervised in Morocco by the municipal hygiene offices, Bureaux Municipaux d'Hygiène - BMH, for transfers or exhumations) [3][4][6].
   • Local burial in Spain (including Islamic cemetery sections) or transport of ashes: If the family chooses burial in Spain, the funeral company arranges interment at the relevant municipal cemetery (or in authorized Islamic cemeteries and cemetery sections available in various Spanish municipalities in accordance with regional mortuary health regulations) using the Civil Registry permit [1][2]. Where cremation in Spain and transport of a funerary urn is chosen, an apostilled Full Literal Death Certificate and the official cremation certificate are required [1][3].
5. 5

   Survivor benefits, death grants, taxes, and probate in Morocco and Spain

   Once the death is registered in both countries, family members or beneficiaries can initiate social security, banking, and inheritance procedures:

   • Social Security (CNSS or CMR), banks, and succession in Morocco: If the deceased contributed to or received a private-sector pension in Morocco, eligible survivors may apply to the Caisse Nationale de Sécurité Sociale (CNSS) (National Social Security Fund) for the death grant (allocation au décès) and the survivor pension (pension de survivants) for a surviving spouse and orphans; if the deceased belonged to the Moroccan public sector, claims are filed with the Moroccan Pension Fund (Caisse Marocaine des Retraites - CMR) [9][10]. To unfreeze bank accounts and distribute assets in Morocco, heirs must execute an Islamic deed of heirship (iratha) and estate settlement before certified notary-witnesses (adoul homologated by the family notary judge) or a Moroccan notary, submitting the transcribed or apostilled death certificate [6][8].
   • INSS benefits and probate in Spain: If the deceased worked or received a pension in Spain, beneficiaries may apply for the death grant (auxilio por defunción) and widowhood, orphan, or family member pensions (pensiones de viudedad, orfandad o en favor de familiares) from the Instituto Nacional de la Seguridad Social (INSS) (National Institute of Social Security), totalizing contribution periods in both countries where applicable under the bilateral Social Security Agreement between Spain and Morocco [11][12]. For assets located in Spain, once 15 business days have passed since the death, heirs apply to the Ministerio de Justicia (using Modelo 790) for the Certificate of Last Will (Certificado de Actos de Última Voluntad) and the Certificate of Life Insurance Contracts (Certificado de Contratos de Seguros de Cobertura de Fallecimiento) [13]. With these certificates, heirs go to a notary public of the Consejo General del Notariado (General Council of Notaries) to obtain a copy of the will or process an intestate declaration of heirs (acta de declaración de herederos abintestato) and inheritance deed [14]. Spanish Inheritance and Gift Tax (Impuesto sobre Sucesiones y Donaciones) must be filed within 6 months of the death (extendable by another 6 months if requested within the first 5 months) [13][14].

Official Authorities & Verified Contacts

Official Sources Checked by Clarvia

1. [1]
   Death Certificate - Personal procedures and formalities — Ministerio de Justicia de España
2. [2]
   Death and repatriation of mortal remains — Punto de Acceso General - Administración del Estado (España)
3. [3]
   Foreign Health - International transfer of cadavers — Ministerio de Sanidad de España
4. [4]
   Social support and repatriation of mortal remains program to the Kingdom of Morocco — Ministerio encargado de los Marroquíes Residentes en el Extranjero (MRE)
5. [5]
   Institutional information on funeral services in Spain — Asociación Nacional de Servicios Funerarios (PANASEF)
6. [6]
   Official consular services portal of the Kingdom of Morocco (Consulat.ma) — Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores, Cooperación Africana y Marroquíes Residentes en el Extranjero
7. [7]
   Online consular services for Moroccans residing abroad — Ministerio encargado de los Marroquíes Residentes en el Extranjero (MRE)
8. [8]
   National Civil Status Portal of Morocco (Al Hala Al Madania) — Ministerio del Interior del Reino de Marruecos
9. [9]
   Death grant (Allocation au décès) — Caisse Nationale de Sécurité Sociale (CNSS Marruecos)
10. [10]
    Survivor pension (Pension de survivants) — Caisse Nationale de Sécurité Sociale (CNSS Marruecos)
11. [11]
    Death and survivor benefits — Seguridad Social de España (INSS)
12. [12]
    Death grant - Useful information — Seguridad Social de España (INSS)
13. [13]
    Certificate of Last Will (Form 790) — Ministerio de Justicia de España
14. [14]
    What is an intestate declaration of heirs deed? — Consejo General del Notariado