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You have inherited something in Spain and you live abroad
I accept the inheritance on your behalf, settle the tax and put the assets in your name. Without you having to travel or work out how the Spanish system operates.
The clock started at the date of death
Spanish inheritance tax must be filed within six months of the date of death. Not from when you found out, and not from when you managed to gather the paperwork. It can be extended by another six months, but only if the extension is requested within the first five.
Miss the deadline and surcharges start to apply. If the tax office gets there first with a formal demand, penalties apply too. It is not unfixable, but every month that passes makes it more expensive.
What I do
Gathering the paperwork
- Death certificate
- Certificate of last wills, showing whether there was a Spanish will
- Certificate of life insurance contracts
- Authorised copy of the will, or declaration of heirs if there was none
- Land registry extracts and bank balance certificates
Accepting the estate
- Drafting the power of attorney for your consulate
- Inventory and valuation of the assets
- Deed of acceptance and distribution before a Spanish notary
- Coordination with the notary and the other heirs
Tax and title
- Inheritance tax return and payment
- Municipal land value tax where there is property
- Registration at the Land Registry
- Transfer of bank accounts and utilities
Things worth knowing before you decide anything
You inherit debts too. Spanish law lets you accept outright, renounce, or accept under benefit of inventory, which limits your liability to the value of what you receive. Which one suits you depends on what is actually there — and finding that out is the first thing I do.
Which law applies may not be Spanish law. Under the EU Succession Regulation, the general rule is the law of the country where the deceased was habitually resident, unless they had chosen the law of their nationality. For a British national who lived in Spain, or a Spaniard who lived in the UK, this determines who inherits and in what shares. It is the first question to settle.
Inheritance tax varies enormously across Spain. It is devolved to the regions, and the difference between one region and another can be the difference between paying almost nothing and paying a significant sum. The applicable region depends on where the deceased was resident and where the assets are.
What I do not do
This service is for uncontested estates: the heirs agree and the matter is one of paperwork.
If heirs are in dispute, a will is being challenged or the matter is heading for court, that requires a practising Spanish lawyer. I tell you so in my first reply and coordinate with one, rather than letting you waste time finding out later.
Frequently asked
Do I have to travel to Spain?
No. You sign a power of attorney at the Spanish consulate in your country and I sign the deed on your behalf. Because it is a Spanish public document, that power needs no apostille and no sworn translation.
What if the six months have already passed?
You can still file, with the surcharges that apply. The sooner it is regularised the smaller the surcharge — and if a formal demand arrives first, penalties are added. Urgent, but not hopeless.
Can I refuse the inheritance?
Yes. You can renounce entirely, or accept under benefit of inventory so that you are not liable beyond what you receive. Both have formal requirements and time limits.
The deceased was British. Does that change things?
It can change which law governs the succession and therefore who inherits. Under the EU Succession Regulation the general rule is the law of habitual residence, unless the deceased chose the law of their nationality in the will. This is exactly the kind of case I work on.
What does the price include?
My fee covers the whole process: paperwork, power of attorney, coordination with the notary, tax filings and registration. Inheritance tax, municipal land value tax, notary and Land Registry fees are paid to those bodies and itemised in the quote.
Further reading: Spanish inheritance tax: what you actually pay
More on Spanish inheritance
- Spanish probate for non-residents — there is no probate court in Spain, and knowing that changes what you need to do.
- Cross-border inheritance — which country's law decides who inherits, and why habitual residence matters more than nationality.
- Paying inheritance tax from abroad — the six-month deadline, which region applies, and how to pay without a Spanish bank account.
- Power of attorney for an inheritance — what it must authorise, and why the consular route saves weeks.
Get started
Tell me about your case
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