Barcelona
Benvingut in the app. A local checklist, how-tos with real prices, and a directory of places that work for English speakers.
Your numbers
Real, checked prices — tap a card to dial in your own budget.
Newcomer checklist
21 tasks for Barcelona, sequenced by phase. Track progress in the app.
21 tasks
Before you move
First week
Month 1
The padrón is a piece of paper saying you live where you live. You'll need it for the health card, the TIE, and half of everything else, so book the cita early.
Field notes · Barcelona
Compare & choose
Every option gets a verdict
Apps to download
The ten that do something your usual apps can't.
10 apps · Checked August 2026
Bank accounts
A Spanish IBAN for rent, nómina and direct debits.
4 banks · Checked August 2026
Home internet
Gigabit fibre is cheap here. Watch the contract lock-in, not the speed.
4 providers · Checked August 2026
Co-living & flexible stays
Furnished places to land for your first weeks, before you commit to a 12-month lease.
4 options · Checked August 2026
Gym memberships
Municipal pools to boutique studios. The Barcelona spread.
4 gyms · Checked August 2026
Private hospitals & clinics
Where to actually get seen this week, the private hospitals expats use, and the free public option.
4 options · Checked August 2026
Health & travel insurance
What actually covers you as a newcomer. And what just looks cheap.
4 plans · Checked August 2026
Where to live
Six barrios ranked on rent, noise, and beach access, filter by what matters to you.
6 areas · Checked August 2026
Mobile providers
A working number and data. Prepaid or monthly.
4 providers · Checked August 2026
Schools: public, concertada, and international
What it actually costs and teaches, school by school.
6 schools · Checked August 2026
Editorial guides
Living
Your first 72 hours in Barcelona
Land, get connected, dodge the pickpockets, and book the one appointment everything else waits on.
Bureaucracy & Visas
NIE and TIE in Barcelona, step by step
The foreigner ID number and residence card every expat needs. And how to win the cita previa game.
Housing
Renting in Barcelona without getting burned
How the market really works, what the fianza and aval mean, and where the scams hide.
Healthcare
Healthcare in Barcelona: CatSalut and private
How Catalonia’s public system works, who qualifies, and the private cover most expats add.
Living
Best neighbourhoods for digital nomads
Gràcia to Poblenou compared on rent, noise, Wi-Fi, and how far you are from the beach.
Bureaucracy & Visas
Which Spanish visa do you actually need?
Digital nomad, non-lucrative, work or student. The overview, and the rare good news about applying from inside Spain.
Bureaucracy & Visas
Taxes in Spain: the expat basics
The Beckham regime, what autónomos really pay, and the foreign-asset form with the scary fines.
Avoiding scams
Scams and traps to avoid in Barcelona
Rental fraud, illegal agency fees, and the street scams that target newcomers. Know these before you sign or pay anyone.
Living
The 10 apps you actually need in Barcelona
The state login, the travel card, the Catalan health portal, the flat hunt. Ten downloads that do something your usual apps can't.
Schooling
Schooling in Barcelona: public, concertada, and international
Four real paths, a Catalan-immersion twist most newcomers don't expect, and a spring admissions window that catches people off guard.
Lifestyle
Weekend picks, seasonal events, and local rituals — updated without an app release.
Essentials
How to behave in Barcelona
Catalan vs Spanish, late dinners, and pickpocket habits.
Lifestyle
Your first weekend in Barcelona. What should you visit?
A Saturday-to-Sunday route for newcomers: the Gothic Quarter and El Born, Gaudí at Park Güell, sunset at the Bunkers, and a pintxos crawl to finish.
Lifestyle
Sports in Barcelona, from Camp Nou to the Med
Barça is the obvious headline, but the city also gives you Olympic pools, a mountain balcony to run on, padel by the hour and a sea you can train in.
Local picks
Places in Barcelona that work for English speakers — checked for what expats actually ask about, not star ratings.
ImmigrationFeatured
Balcells Group
An immigration law firm that's a fixture of Barcelona's expat circuit: NIE/TIE, non-lucrative and digital-nomad visas, EU registrations and appeals. English throughout, fixed quotes, and they'll book the dreaded cita previa for you.
English supportVisa specialistsFixed quotes
Eixample · Mon to Fri 9 to 6
HealthcareFeatured
Hospital Quirónsalud Barcelona
Private hospital with an international patient unit and English-speaking specialists across most departments. Direct billing with Sanitas, Cigna and Allianz; same-day private GP slots.
English doctorsInternational insuranceWalk-in GP
Les Corts · Open · 24h ER
Bureaucracy
Oficina de Extranjería, Barcelona
Where NIE and TIE applications happen. The cita previa (appointment) is the hard part. Book early and check daily. Bring every document twice; English help is hit or miss.
Appointment requiredCash onlyBring copies
Sant Martí · By appointment
Gestoría
Entre Trámites
An English-speaking gestoría built for newcomers: registering as autónomo, quarterly IVA and IRPF, and the paperwork around residency. Monthly plans with reminders so you don't miss a Hacienda or Seguridad Social deadline.
English supportAutónomo-friendlyMonthly plans
Eixample · Mon to Fri 9 to 6
Healthcare
Centro Médico Teknon
One of the city's top private hospitals, with an international desk and English-speaking consultants across specialties. Works directly with major global insurers; book GP and specialist slots online or by phone.
English doctorsInternational insuranceOnline booking
Sant Gervasi · Open · 24h ER
Pharmacy
Farmàcia Clapés
A 24-hour pharmacy on La Rambla used to tourists and newcomers, with English-speaking staff who can read a foreign prescription and point you to a GP. The reliable answer when something flares at 2am.
English spokenOpen 24hCentral
El Gòtic · Open 24h
Medical & dental
Turó Park Medical & Dental Center
An expat-favourite clinic where the whole team, GPs, dentists, specialists, works in English and quotes are itemised up front. Pricier than the corner consulta, but the no-surprises, one-stop care is why newcomers stick with it.
English-speakingMedical & dentalInternational insurance
Sant Gervasi · Mon to Fri 9 to 8
Relocation consultancy
RELOC Barcelona
A small team of relocation consultants, several of them former expats themselves, who help with orientation, removals, temporary and long-term housing search, school search, and immigration paperwork. Runs by phone, email, and video call rather than a public office.
English-speakingHousing searchSchool search
Barcelona-wide · Mon to Fri, by appointment
International school
American School of Barcelona
American curriculum through to Grade 12, with an IB Diploma or Career-related pathway for university applications abroad. The most comprehensive university-counselling track record of Barcelona's international schools, just west of the city in Esplugues.
American curriculumIB Diploma optionUniversity counselling
Esplugues de Llobregat · Mon to Fri, by appointment
International school
Benjamin Franklin International School
American-founded IB school (PYP through Diploma) in central Sant Gervasi, with a long-established expat community and no commute out of the city. The steepest entrance fee of Barcelona's international schools, but the most central campus.
IB curriculumEnglish-mediumCentral location
Sant Gervasi · Mon to Fri, by appointment
Language school
Camino Barcelona
A long-running Spanish school with small group courses, intensives and evening classes built around working schedules. They'll also prep the DELE exam you'll eventually want for residency or citizenship. In person or online.
Spanish coursesEvening classesDELE exam prep
Eixample · Mon to Fri 9 to 8
Coworking
OneCoWork Catedral
A polished coworking space with a rooftop over the Gothic Quarter and an events calendar that's an easy way to meet other newcomers. Day passes, hot desks and private offices; the community team works in English.
Day passesEventsEnglish-speaking
El Gòtic · Open · until 8pm
Gym
CrossFit Poblenou
A friendly box in the old industrial grid of Poblenou. Drop-ins welcome for €18, coaches default to English in the morning classes, and the after-WOD coffee crowd is half newcomers.
English coachingDrop-inCommunity
Poblenou · Open · until 9pm
Gym
DiR Diagonal
Big chain gym with a rooftop pool and a packed class timetable. Day passes for non-members, English-speaking front desk, and contracts you can cancel monthly without a fight.
English-speaking staffDay passesAccepts foreign cards
Sant Gervasi · Open · until 11pm
Gym
Metropolitan Sagrada Família
Premium club with pools, a big class schedule and a spa, near the Sagrada Família. English-speaking reception, day passes for visitors, and membership you can manage in English without a long lock-in.
English-speaking staffDay passesPool & spa
Eixample · Open · until 11pm
Neighbourhoods we cover
GràciaPoblenouEl BornSant AntoniEixampleBarceloneta
Join our community
How-tos
All guides →Apply for your Spanish entry visa
Most routes need a consulate visa before flying. The digital nomad visa is the one exception.
1 to 4 months at the consulate (skip if doing the DNV)€80 visa fee approx (consulate routes)
Arrange shipping & customs for your belongings
What you ship, and how, depends far more on where you're leaving than where you're landing.
4 to 10 weeks lead time€600 to 4,000+ depending on volume and distance
Sort pet relocation, if you're bringing one
Start this months out, pet import rules are strict and depend entirely on your departure country.
10 weeks to 6+ months lead time€200 to 3,000+ depending on distance and route
Forward your mail & cancel subscriptions
A short list to clear before you go, so nothing important gets lost at your old address.
1 to 2 hours, spread over a few weeksFree to around €50 for a redirection service
Notify your bank & tax office back home
Tell your bank and tax office at home before you leave.
1 to 3 hoursUsually free
Get your NIE (and TIE)
The foreigner ID number everything else in Spain hangs off.
30 min at the office · weeks for the cita€9.84 (tasa 790-012) · €16+ for TIE
Register your address (empadronamiento)
The free town-hall registration that gets you on the list for healthcare and schools.
20 min at the OACFree
Get a Spanish SIM card
Working number and data in 15 minutes. Passport is all you need.
15 min€10 to 20
Get a T-mobilitat transit card
Metro, bus, tram, and Rodalies on one contactless card.
15 min€4.50 card + €21 to 40/mo
Open a Spanish bank account
For rent, salary, and the Bizum payments everyone assumes you have.
45 minFree at most banks (with conditions)
Register with CatSalut (get your TSI)
Your Catalan health card. Public GP, hospital, and prescriptions.
20 min at the CAPFree
Set up home internet
Fibre is everywhere and fast. Pick the right contract length.
15 min to order · 3 to 10 days to install€25 to 40/mo
Exchange your driving licence
EU licences barely need anything. Non-EU depends on the country list.
1 hour at the DGT€28.87
Register as an EU resident (certificado de registro)
EU/EEA citizens: the green certificate you need after 90 days.
20 min at the office€12
Sign a lease (without getting burned)
Fianza, aval, and the temporada trap. Keys in hand with your rights intact.
1 to 4 weeks of hunting3 to 4 months' rent upfront
Get your social security number (NUSS)
Needed before your first day of work. And your employer can usually do it for you.
10 min online · days for the replyFree
Set up electricity, water & gas
CUPS codes, the cambio de titularidad, and why the previous tenant's contract is your friend.
1 hour total · 1 to 5 days activation€80 to 140/mo combined
Set up Bizum
How Spain actually pays. By phone number, instantly, from your bank's own app.
5 minFree
Register as a freelancer (alta de autónomo)
The double registration that lets you invoice from Spain. And the €80 first-year quota.
1 to 2 hours with a gestor~€80/mo first year (tarifa plana) · then €200 to 590/mo
Know what to do in case of an accident
One number for everything, a second one for when it's not urgent.
10 min to read and save the numbersFree
Handle a car crash, step by step
Most fender-benders settle on the spot. Know when that's not enough.
30 min on the spot, longer if anyone's hurtFree (your time only)