Arranging a Funeral in Portugal – 13 Questions Answered

The small print: Portugalist may generate a commission from mentioned products or services. This is at no additional cost to you and it does not affect our editorial standards in any way. All content, including comments, should be treated as informational and not advice of any kind, including legal or financial advice. The author makes no representations as to the accuracy, completeness, suitability, or validity of any information on this site and will not be liable for any errors or omissions or damages arising from its display or use. Links to external websites do not constitute an endorsement. [Disclaimer Policy]
Written by / Last updated on June 14, 2024

Unfortunately, death is something that affects us all, both in terms of loved ones dying and ultimately us passing away as well. Even if you’ve lived in Portugal for a long time, the whole area surrounding funerals, Portuguese customs, and what options are available to expats can be confusing. 

Thankfully, former funeral director Fernando Mendes has been able to answer some of the most commonly asked questions.

What types of funeral services are available in Portugal?

There are lots of different options, and it’s worth thinking about what you would want. 

Cremation is by far the most common option and usually the easiest and most affordable. 

Burial is also possible. It’s possible to purchase a grave in a local cemetery, although this is typically less of an option in big cities. If you’re not a resident of the municipality, the local council has the right to not authorise the plot purchase.  

With repatriation, usually this is from Portugal to another country (e.g. the UK or USA) but it could also be from another part of the world to Portugal. Within Europe bodies are normally transported in a hearse by road as it’s cheaper and less complex than taking the body by plane. 

Which types of services do expats normally go for?

Cremation is definitely the most common and it’s also the most practical. You can have a service at the crematorium, should you wish, or have a memorial once you feel ready. It’s easy to get a cremation certificate as well, which will allow you to bring the ashes on a plane should you wish to take them to another country. 

Is cremation an option everywhere in Portugal?

Yes. Although burials are more common, a number of crematoriums have been built over the past 20 years and you’ll now find crematoriums in every part of Portugal including the Azores Islands and Madeira. 

A few examples of places with crematoriums include:

  • Northern Portugal: Porto, Braga, and Viana do Castelo
  • Central Portugal: Aveiro, Viseu, Coimbra, Figueira da Foz, Castelo Branco
  • Silver Coast: Leiria, Entroncamento
  • Alentejo: Elvas, Ferreira do Alentejo, Castelo Branco (Northern section)
  • Lisbon Region: Lisbon, Loures, Vila Franca Xira, Almada, Setúbal (there are many more options around Lisbon)
  • Algarve: Faro, Albufeira

Do I need to have a ceremony?

No. You can choose to have a ceremony, religious or non-religious, at the crematorium but you may prefer to simply have the ashes delivered. That way you can decide on a memorial when you are in a better place and when you have been able to contact all of the deceased friends and family. 

Does the funeral need to take place within 72 hours as is common in Portugal?

This gets asked a lot and the answer is an unequivocal no. The funeral can be done whenever the family wishes, with the exception of rare cases where there is a public health risk. 

Is an open coffin necessary? 

Again, no. This is common in Portugal but it is definitely not a requirement. A photo on top of the coffin is typically much nicer for those attending than an open casket. 

What are the steps that I should take when someone passes away?

  1. Firstly, don’t feel the need to rush or panic. Focus on yourself and those around you first. 
  2. Next, gather all of the necessary documents (discussed below) as these will be needed in either physical or digital format. 
  3. Contact a funeral director such as myself

Which documents are typically needed?

Normally, there are two sets of documents to consider: those of the deceased and those of the person requesting the funeral. 

Documents related to the deceased:

  • Copy of passport/Portuguese ID card
  • NIF number (if the person had one)
  • Portuguese address
  • Marital status (Single, divorced, married, Widow)
  • Name of Parents (if not known this is fine but it’s always preferable to know at least the first and last name). The reason is so that there can be no doubt as to the identification of the deceased person when this information is communicated back to their home country. 
  • Location of birth and country of birth

Related to the person requesting the funeral (if living in Portugal):

  • Copy of passport/Portuguese ID card
  • NIF number
  • Portuguese address
  • Marital status (Single, divorced, married, widow)
  • Name of Parents (if not known it’s fine but it’s always preferable to know at least the first and last name).
  • Location of birth and country of birth

If the person requesting the funeral does not live in Portugal, they will not require Portugal-specific documents such as a NIF number.

Do I need to contact the embassy?

No, you can communicate with the embassy but there’s no obligation. The death certificate, which is issued at the public registration office, will be requested by the funeral director and sent to the Portuguese embassy in the home country of the deceased. This can take up to 30 days. 

Should I request a post mortem or autopsy?

If the deceased had life insurance, the insurance companies will demand a cause of death certificate. This is provided if the person died in a hospital or nursing home, but may not be issued if the person died somewhere else and there was no sign of negligence or crime. 

If the authorities see no need to request a post mortem, you can request one yourself. This typically costs €3,000-€5,000. 

One common issue is that many people assume their deceased didn’t have life insurance and so doesn’t request a cause of death certificate. If they find out later that they did, this can put them in limbo when requesting a payout from the insurance company. 

What are the main documents given to the next of kin?

  • Portuguese death certificate to deal with assets and bank accounts here in Portugal.
  • International death certificate (with english/French/spanish legends according to national document) to deal with assets and bank accounts in their home countries
  • In case of ashes to be taken to a different country, a crematorium declaration is given to show the airline  company those ashes are of a deceased person and be able to be carried in the luggage.

Is funeral insurance or a funeral plan a good idea?

I personally don’t think so, but then I’m biased as I offer bespoke funeral services. The problem with paying €4,000 for a prepaid funeral is that if you die in 20 years time, the cost of organising a funeral has now gone up. This is obviously factored in, but it gives companies an incentive to cut corners to reduce their costs. 

Generally speaking, these funeral plan providers are based in the UK and simply subcontract everything out to companies in Portugal. This means that there’s much less of a personal service, and the surviving members may end up with a different funeral to what the plan holder was hoping for. Funeral plan providers have also gone bust in the past, although UK companies are now FSCS protected. 

How do your services differ?

With me, you don’t prepay. You can chat with me and let me know what you’d like to happen and I can keep a record of that. Simply let your next of kin know my details, and they can speak to me when the time comes. I am also typically paid by the funeral companies I work with. 

We're Here to Help!

Have a question about moving to Portugal?

Since 2016, we've helped thousands of people move to Portugal. We'd love to help you too!

Get in touch to arrange a free consultation today.

Contact Us

Comments are closed.