Death in Tenerife

Death is about the only thing that you can feel absolutely confident is going to happen to you.  As expatriates, we probably have even more of a responsibility to ensure that we have planned for it.  If not, family and dependants may find themselves in a very expensive and time consuming battle if your assets are to be passed on.  Even worse, you may put them in a position where they will have to pay thousands in funeral expenses, as well as the trial of dealing with an unfamiliar system in a foreign language.  It does not take much to prepare, and although you may not directly benefit, your next of kin will thank you. 

Tenerife Lifeline takes you through the procedure of what happens when someone dies in Tenerife, including using undertakers, repatriation, burial, cremation, the costs involved and the role of your Consul.  The book is also a useful resource if you are a beneficiary of a will in Tenerife.

Insurance or Funeral Plan?
The most sensible course of action for any expat in Tenerife is to plan ahead.  There are two ways to ensure that your funeral costs are covered, and that your wishes are respected.  You can take out an insurance policy, or get a funeral plan.  Although you might think these are the same, they are completely different types of product.

Insurance policies will only pay out if you die within the period of cover.  You will need to pay the premiums continually in order to keep up that cover.  As you get older, the premiums become more expensive because you are a greater risk.  Basically a funeral insurance policy is just like a small life assurance policy, paying your next of kin a lump sum from which they can pay for and organise your funeral.

A Funeral Plan buys the entire funeral package at today’s prices.  You then pay for it either all at once, or in a series of payments over time.  After it is paid for, you have no further costs and the plan is in place, until you die.  Unlike insurance, a Funeral Plan has no age limits or medical qualification.  They do not become more expensive as you get older, so and eighty year old would pay the same as a forty year old.  However, a Funeral plan bought in 2010 will be more expensive than one bought in 2009 as the cost of funerals tends to rise at an even faster rate than inflation. 

When you die, a funeral plan provides a complete funeral, as you have specified, rather than simply handing your relatives a cheque, often long after the event, as an insurance policy will do.  So with one phone call, your next of kin will simply set the plan in motion, removing an additional stress at a bad time. 

Funeral Plans from the UK are regulated by the Financial Services Authority, which ensures that the money is kept safely, and this is not the case in many countries.  Ensure that you take out a plan specifically for expatriates, there are plans designed for foreign residents in Spain.

Golden Leaves Funeral Plans, Tenerife Telephone: 00 44 20 8684 3464 Address: Golden Leaves Funeral Plans 299-305 Whitehorse rd, West Croydon, Surrey, CR0 2HR Visit Website or Send an Email