Repatriation from Palma de Mallorca, Spain

Majorca receives approximately one million British tourists annually — one of the highest concentrations in Europe. Deaths here, from Palma to Magaluf to Puerto Alcúdia, all run through the Balearic Islands’ administrative system. The island has a dedicated British Consulate (one of only a handful of dedicated consulates in Spain), and the local repatriation infrastructure is among the most practised in the world for British nationals.

What the British Consulate does — and does not do

The British Consulate Palma de Mallorca (Carrer del Conqueridor 6, 07001 Palma, Illes Balears) covers the entire Balearic Islands: Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza, and Formentera.

The Consulate can: Register the death in UK consular records. Advise on the Spanish documentation chain. Provide a list of funeral homes with international repatriation experience. Attend the morgue or meet with the family where the consular officer considers it appropriate.

The Consulate cannot: Repatriate the body. Pay any costs. Override Spanish judicial proceedings.

FCDO 24-hour emergency line: +44 (0)20 7008 5000.

What Spanish law requires in Majorca

Under the Ley de Enjuiciamiento Criminal (LECrim) and the Ley de Registro Civil, sudden, violent, or unexplained deaths are referred to the Juzgado de Guardia (duty court), which then assigns the case to a Juzgado de Instrucción de Palma (investigating magistrate). The Médico Forense from the Institut de Medicina Legal de les Illes Balears (IML Balears) conducts the forensic examination.

This is the Balearic-specific forensic medicine institute, and it processes a very large volume of British cases each year. The staff have significant experience with repatriation documentation.

The documentation chain

1. Certificado de defunción (medical death certificate). From the treating physician or Médico Forense.

2. Inscripción en el Registro Civil de Palma. Registration at the Palma Civil Registry. Processing: 3 to 7 working days.

3. Licencia de enterramiento o exportación. For international repatriation, the export licence is issued by the Dirección General de Salud Pública de les Illes Balears (via the Govern Balear). Processing: 2 to 5 working days.

4. Embalming certificate.

5. Freedom from infection certificate.

6. IATA cargo documentation.

Source: Ley de Enjuiciamiento Criminal (LECrim) Spain; Govern de les Illes Balears, Procediment de Trasllat Internacional de Cadàvers, 2024.

Airport and cargo routing

Palma de Mallorca Airport (PMI) is one of the busiest airports in Spain and the primary gateway for UK-Majorca routes. British Airways, easyJet, Jet2, and Ryanair all operate year-round or seasonal LHR/LGW services. The PMI cargo terminal handles human remains regularly and is well-acquainted with British repatriation requirements. British Airways PMI-LHR is the standard cargo route.

Timeline from Palma de Mallorca

• Natural death with certifiable cause: 7 to 14 days
• Juzgado de Instrucción/IML case: 14 to 28 days
• Extended judicial investigation: 4 to 8 weeks

Key local considerations

The resort areas of Playa de Palma and Magaluf attract the highest volume of young British tourists. Deaths in Magaluf often involve alcohol or falls, including balcony falls. Spanish resort authorities are experienced at dealing with British families in these circumstances, but the judicial process still applies regardless of the circumstances.

Property-owning British residents in south-west Mallorca — Calvià, Puerto Andratx, Santa Ponsa — represent a separate category: deaths among longer-term British residents who die from natural causes and whose families are in the UK.

For information on the broader repatriation process from Spain, see our Spain repatriation guide.

For guidance on next steps, contact our team via our enquiry form or WhatsApp.

Information based on the Ley de Enjuiciamiento Criminal (LECrim) Spain and Govern de les Illes Balears documentation. Last reviewed May 2026.