Spanish Will Notary Cost: The Full Breakdown
Spanish will notary cost is one question every non-EU homeowner in Andalusia should settle early. In practice you usually pay just 50 to 200 euros for the notarial deed. Yet plenty of expats from the UK, US and Canada put off the appointment for years and risk real chaos for their heirs.
The Essentials
Spanish Will Notary Cost: What You Actually Pay
The legally fixed base fee for a will is set by Real Decreto 1426/1989 at just 30.05 euros per testator. In practice you’ll end up paying a bit more once VAT, certified copies and the complexity of your inheritance arrangements are factored in. Here’s what to realistically budget for in 2026.
What the Arancel fees really mean
Notarias in Andalusia work with three practical complexity tiers. Compared with a will drawn up in the US, UK or Canada, the Spanish version is often surprisingly affordable. The final price mostly depends on how many special clauses and bequests your will contains.
- Simple will (testamento abierto, no special clauses): roughly 50 to 90 euros, including VAT and one certified copy.
- Standard will (mutual inheritance between spouses or partners): roughly 60 to 120 euros.
- Complex will (multiple bequests, executors, provisions for children from a previous marriage): roughly 90 to 200 euros.
Protecting Yourself in Spain: The Free Checklist
A will is only one building block of protecting yourself in Spain. Our free Expat Starter Kit walks you through the rest — NIE, bank account, health insurance and residency, in the right order. Just enter your email and the download link lands in your inbox straight away.
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The Roadmap: How Drawing Up Your Will Actually Works
Getting a Spanish will drawn up follows a few clear steps. Stick to this order and the appointment itself takes around 20 minutes.
Step by step to your notarized will
This sequence works well in practice, whether you hold a Non-Lucrative Visa, a Digital Nomad Visa, or are still working through your residency paperwork:
- Book your Cita Previa: arrange an appointment with a Notaria of your choice; you can pick any notary in Spain, there is no assigned office.
- Prepare your documents: bring your valid passport and your NIE number, plus the full names and dates of birth of your spouse, children and any other heirs.
- The notarization itself: the notary verifies your identity, discusses your inheritance wishes and reads the finished deed aloud. You then sign it.
- Registration: the Notaria automatically registers your will with the central registry; the original stays on file at the Notaria.
Document requirements:
- ID document: a valid passport (a driving licence is not accepted).
- NIE number: without it, the Notaria usually can’t proceed. Here’s how to get one as a non-EU national: Applying for an NIE number in Spain.
- Details of your heirs: full names and dates of birth of your spouse and children.
After Death: Locating the Will and Requesting the Modelo 790
A will is worthless if nobody can find it. That’s why Spain keeps a central registry that must be checked whenever someone dies.
How heirs access the last will on record
After the testator’s death, the heirs request the Certificacion de Actos de Ultima Voluntad from the Ministerio de Justicia. This is done using the Modelo 790 – Codigo 006 form, which can be downloaded online and is submitted after booking a Cita Previa. The fee is around 3.86 euros per certificate, or roughly 7.72 euros if you request the life insurance check at the same time. Without this certificate, banks and land registries will block any transaction. If you hold significant assets in Andalusia, it’s also worth keeping an eye on Wealth Tax in Andalusia – it often applies to the same assets covered by your will.
Our Insider Tip:
A notary appointment for a will usually costs less than a nice dinner out, yet it still gets postponed for years. The easiest approach is to bundle it with a property purchase: at that point your NIE, passport and personal details are already on hand, and it can often be handled by the same notary.
A will is only one piece of the puzzle when it comes to protecting yourself in Spain. Foreign documents rarely arrive notary-ready: birth certificates, marriage certificates or a foreign will usually need an officially sworn Spanish translation before the notary will touch them.
A will often goes hand in hand with property and savings in Spain, and if you are British or American, that money often still starts out in pounds or dollars. Whether you are paying the notary, buying a home or moving savings across, the exchange rate on larger sums deserves a look before you send anything.
Our recommendation: Currency transfers with Currencies Direct
Currencies Direct handles larger international transfers and quotes you the rate up front, with the option to lock it in ahead of time. If you prefer advice face to face, the company has offices in Spain.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Property in Spain needs a plan
If you own a home or account in Andalusia, your will and tax residence belong in the same conversation. Which reporting duties apply to assets in Spain is explained in the Andalusia Masterplan.
Conclusion & Summary
A Spanish will usually costs you no more than an afternoon and a low two- to three-figure sum. Compared with the chaos that can follow if there’s no clear arrangement in place, it’s one of the cheapest forms of protection you can put in place in Andalusia.
Still Have Questions?
Have you already made a will in Spain, or are you still putting off that first notary appointment? Tell us about your experience in the comments.
