Key Takeaways
- A basic Spanish will costs €60–€180 at a notary in 2026. This covers the notarial fees for drafting and registering a straightforward will.
- Legal advice adds €500–€1,500 depending on complexity. Cross-border estates, multiple properties, or blended families require specialist advice beyond what the notary provides.
- The Registro de Últimas Voluntades registration is included in the notary fee. Your will is automatically registered in Spain’s central wills registry.
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Key Takeaways
- Notary fees for a testamento abierto: EUR 60–90 (simple) to EUR 100–180 (complex) — nationally regulated and re-verified August 2026 against the tariff
- Optional lawyer adds EUR 200–500; a sworn translator if required adds EUR 100–200
- NOT having a Spanish will costs your heirs EUR 1,340–4,340+ in extra UK probate, apostille, translation, and Certificate of English Law fees
- The extra paperwork also adds 2–4 months of processing time, all while Spain’s 6-month succession tax deadline runs
- Updating your will costs the same as making the original: there is no codicil option — every change requires a completely new document
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What Your Heirs Pay After You Die
The main succession-related cost for your heirs is not the will-making — it’s the inheritance process itself. Key costs after death:
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Certificado de Ultimas Voluntades (Registry certificate confirming will exists) | EUR 3.86 |
| Notary fee for inheritance deed (escritura de aceptacion de herencia) | EUR 800-1,100 (depends on estate value) |
| Land Registry registration | EUR 200-400 |
| Lawyer fees (abogado, full inheritance process) | EUR 1,500-3,000+ (varies significantly) |
| Succession tax (Andalusia, direct heirs, most estates) | Zero to negligible |
These costs apply whether or not you have a Spanish will. The will does not eliminate the inheritance process — it makes it significantly smoother and faster, and avoids the additional costs of the UK probate/apostille/translation route.
What NOT Having a Will Costs Your Heirs
For comparison: what your heirs face if you die in Spain with only a UK will, or with no will at all.
| Extra step required without Spanish will | Cost |
|---|---|
| UK probate | EUR 500-2,000+ |
| Hague Apostille on grant of probate | ~EUR 40 |
| Sworn translation of UK will | EUR 200-500 |
| Certificate of English Law (UK solicitor) | EUR 500-1,500 |
| Additional Spanish notary complexity | EUR 100-300 |
| Total extra costs | EUR 1,340-4,340+ |
Plus 2-4 additional months on the timeline, while the 6-month succession tax deadline runs.
A Spanish will doesn’t remove the admin after a death — but it can save your heirs real money and a couple of months of back-and-forth when they’re least able to deal with it.
Update Costs
Each time you update your Spanish will, you make a new testamento abierto. The new will automatically revokes the previous Spanish will. The cost is the same as making the original: EUR 60-180 in notary fees, plus any lawyer and translator fees.
There is no amendment option. You cannot add a codicil to a Spanish will the way you might with a UK will. You replace the entire document.
When to update: after buying or selling Spanish property, after major life changes (divorce, remarriage, death of a named beneficiary), or when your wishes change. Many couples review their Spanish wills every 5 years as a matter of routine.
Total Cost Summary
| Scenario | Total cost |
|---|---|
| Direct to notary, simple will, no translator needed | EUR 60-90 |
| Direct to notary, complex will, no translator needed | EUR 100-180 |
| With lawyer, simple will, no translator | EUR 250-600 |
| With lawyer, complex will, sworn translator at appointment | EUR 400-900 |
For most British expats on the Costa del Sol making a straightforward mirror will with a choice-of-law clause: EUR 250-600 all-in with a lawyer coordinating both wills, or under EUR 200 going direct to the notary.
Notary fees re-verified August 2026 against the nationally regulated tariff (Real Decreto 1426/1989). Lawyer and translator fee ranges confirmed February 2026 based on Costa del Sol market rates. Specific firm quotes may differ.
Related Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I find more guides on this topic?
See our Complete Spanish Wills Guide for the full picture, or browse all guides at guides.waypointsur.com.
