Living and working in Barcelona: What you need to know
Barcelona is a gem on the shores of the Mediterranean sea. A magical place that evokes the sun, the beach, and pure fun. But Barcelona is much more than just these. Barcelona is also one of the biggest incubator cities for business startup in Europe, one of the most international cities in Spain and Europe, and last year it was named as the fourth best city to work in the world by Boston Consulting Group & The Network.
Unsurprisingly, a lot of people have decided to move here, especially people working in the IT sector! We know a bit about this too: in the last few months, we’ve had people from several different countries join our team! But the truth might be that they didn’t just join us for the city but rather because we are the coolest team ever!
If you are thinking about moving to Barcelona, or if you are just about to land in this amazing city, here you will find the key points to consider to ensure you arrive well prepared, so that you can enjoy your new life in Barcelona from the very beginning.
Finding your own home sweet home
As with many other great cities, in Barcelona it can get tricky to find just the right home to rent. All you really need is patience, but here is some good advice to help your search:
√ First of all, know what your needs are: location, budget, number of rooms, services in the area, or something so amazing as to have a terrace.
√ Check out the different neighborhoods of the city — each has its own charm and is suitable for all kinds of needs.
√ Take a look at the main property websites, including:
- Nestpick
- Don Piso
- EasyPiso
- Fotocasa
There are also shared apartments as an option to consider. If you are interested, you can find roommates on Facebook groups. You only have to search for “Barcelona expat” or “Barcelona accommodation” in that social network and some links will pop up.
Onboarding in Spain: Documents you will need
First things first: you will need an NIE. The NIE is the foreigner’s ID number that will allow you to proceed with the rest of the paperwork you will need to complete, such as for filling in the employment contract, applying for a bank account, social security account, and medical card (in CatSalut), and registering for the census in the local town.
Click here for information on getting your NIE.
Keep your savings safe in a bank account
Opening a new bank account is not a hard process. For most banks, usually will need to show your NIE number, passport, employment contract, and some certificate of your address in Spain (for example, a bill with your address on it).
We recommend you choose a bank office nearby your house or your place of work. The reason for this is that in Spain you will have this office as your main office and you will have to go there in person to take care of some important formalities.
Click here to find out how to open a new bank account.
Health assistance
In Spain, if you are gainfully employed or are registered as self-employed, you will be paying social security, which entitles you to free healthcare. You will have a health card (Tarjeta Sanitaria: CatSalut) that allows you to visit any healthcare professional from a public clinic/hospital. To apply for your card, you can visit the health section of the Generalitat de Catalunya’s website.
If you are interested in private health services, you can find practitioners, reviews, and book an appointment directly in Doctoralia![1]
Remember that your European Health Insurance Card will only cover you in the short term, because it’s intended to be used for emergencies only by those who are temporarily traveling.
Driving in Spain
If you want to drive in Spain, you can find here all the information regarding the procedure and the documents you need to get a Spanish driving license.
For your information, the Jefatura Provincial de Tráfico (DGT) is the public administration in charge of this procedure. Its address in Barcelona is in Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes, 184. It’s a good idea to check out its website to check which forms you need to fill in and submit in order to get a driving license.
Moving to Barcelona with children?
Don’t get stressed about moving to Barcelona with your family; in fact, it’s really amazing for adults and kids alike! The most important thing is to think ahead and to plan everything before you arrive in the city. In this way, you will have most of the things you need to do under control during your first week. Here you will find some amazing tips for relocating here with children.
Do you need to apply for a public school place in Barcelona? Check out how this procedure works here. You can also take a look at some of the schools here.
Meet new people
Barcelona is full of opportunities to meet people from all over the world. Every day is a good day to make new friends and to take part in some language exchange, offering you a great chance to improve your Spanish or Catalan!
You can, of course, improve your Spanish in a more formal way by taking classes. Here’s a list of the language academies in the city.
If you want to live the city fully from day 1, you will find a lot of social activities in Facebook Groups (filter them by your interests), meet-up websites or “Centres Civics”, and places that offer different kinds of leisure activities: dancing, cooking, languages, music, paint … whatever you’re looking for! Check out here where the Centre Civic is in your area. You can also find the available education courses in a wide range of subjects in Foment formació.
To keep yourself updated on what’s going on in the city check out Time Out or Barcelona Metropolitan, two of the most important publications in Barcelona.
Getting around
In Barcelona, the weather and the proximity to the mountain and the sea invite people to go out riding a bicycle or scooter, skating, or simply to walk down the street. But if you want to go further afield, you have a lot of options to move around the city: tube, bus, tramway and, of course, by renting a bike, a motorbike, or anything you need! Have a look here!
Amazing beaches, beautiful buildings, sun and warm weather, friendly people, tasty food, visitors from all over the world, international companies, culture, shopping, nightlife, tourism, incredible natural environment …. What more do you need to take the decision of coming to live in Barcelona? We are waiting for you with open arms.
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