10 Most Important Things You Need to Know Before Moving to Barcelona
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El Clot neighborhood. Photo by Oh-Barcelona.com (CC BY 2.0).
Moving to Barcelona
When people decide to move to Barcelona, the same few things invariably come up: what paperwork do I need? What’s the best neighborhood to live in? How do you rent a flat? To make these things as easy and stress-free as possible for English speakers moving to Barcelona, here are 10 of the most essential questions you need to have answered before you arrive.
Photo courtesy of BCN Life.
1. Why Barcelona?
We could be here for a while! There are so many reasons: amazing weather; very walkable; incredible architecture; inexpensive; excellent public transportation; wonderful food; world class sports teams (força Barça!); safe and great for kids; fun activities; festivals; friendly people... But one of the most enticing elements of the city for English speakers is how international the city is; there are pockets of expat communities here to make you feel right at home!
So, now that you know what a wonderful place it is, you just need to figure out how to make your dream of moving to Barcelona come true.
Photo courtesy of BCN Life.
2. What Paperwork Do I Need to Legally Live in Barcelona?
The answer to this question depends on where you are from. If you are an EU national, the process is easier than if you are a third-country national (from a non-EU country).
For citizens of the European Union, you only need to obtain a NIE when you move to Barcelona. Here are some tips. Make sure to get NIE appointments for each individual family member, as couples and families can’t just use one appointment. Also, make sure you have all the correct documents and forms completed properly or you’ll be sent home to try again another day.
The best option is to use a good NIE expediter to get all your appointments together. In addition, the NIE expediter will make sure all the forms are filled out correctly, and will help you obtain and organize the documents needed to complete your residency process.
However, for third-country nationals—such as Americans—the process is more difficult, as non-EU citizens are required to first obtain a visa to live in Spain for longer than 90 days. One of the most popular visa application methods is the non-lucrative visa. This is the visa that my family and I used to move to Barcelona, however, over the years this process has become much more difficult to navigate. Another popular visa is the “golden visa,” which provides permanent residency in Spain if you spend €500,000 or more when buying real estate in Spain. The right golden visa expert can also help you find the perfect property to buy.
Getting your visa processed and approved can be both frustrating and daunting; one of the best ways to de-stress your move to Barcelona and ensure you pass all the stringent, regional requirements is to use a relocation team experienced in handling the legal requirements you’ll face.
Plaça de la Virreina. Photo by Oh-Barcelona (CC BY 2.0).
3. What Are the Best Neighborhoods to Live In?
There are so many great areas in Barcelona, but if I had to pick just one, I’d definitely say Gràcia. (Surprise—this is where my family and I live!)
Gràcia Village (Vila de Gràcia, in Catalan) is a local favorite, located away from the hustle and bustle of the more touristy center. It has everything that is great about Barcelona all in one barri: it’s great for families and has more plazas than any other neighborhood in Barcelona. It is also popular with the younger crowd, with a vibrant nightlife and is home to the biggest annual neighborhood festival in Barcelona, the Festa Major de Gràcia (each barri has its own, but everyone knows Gràcia’s is the best!).
For a quieter spot there is Sarrià or Les Corts, and—if you are looking for more of a hipster locale—Sant Antoni at the edge of l'Esquerra de l’Eixample is fantastic. El Poble-Sec, a diverse neighborhood next to Montjuïc Mountain, is a wonderful, green space that is great for jogging, hiking, or a stroll among the trees. Other neighborhoods to look out for include l’Eixample, Sagrada Família and Sant Gervasi, each of which have their own charms.
Ciutat Vella, Barcelona’s medieval old town, is the first place people moving here come across, with its narrow, winding streets and the famous Les Rambles. If you want to be in the mix of everything, then the Barri Gòtic, El Raval or the trendy El Born are the ones for you. If you’re lured to Barcelona to live the beach life, then you can’t get much closer than Barceloneta, a small, busy area right by the sea. However, just keep in mind that these downtown areas are more popular with tourists, and the more touristy the area, the more susceptible you are to pickpockets.
For the startup community, the area of choice is El Poblenou, a sprawling district farther up the beach from Barceloneta. While other expats choose its more modern neighbor, Diagonal Mar, which feels a bit like Miami Beach.
If you want to live outside the city and yet stay near the beach, towns to the south such as Castelldefels and Sitges are smaller, calmer and close to the airport. Or, up the coast from Barcelona you’ll find that Badalona and the areas surrounding Alella are nice, too. The most popular, family-friendly suburb is the affluent Sant Cugat del Vallès which sits just on the other side of the Collserola Mountains and is home to several international corporations.
Photo courtesy of BCN Life.
4. How Easy Is It to Rent or Buy a Flat in Barcelona?
This is arguably the most stressful part of moving to Barcelona! There are websites to start your search for real estate listings including idealista, habitaclia and fotocasa. But searching for listings online is one thing—actually converting a listing into your new home is another matter entirely, and even more difficult if you don’t speak the language. Just getting an appointment to see a place can start to seem like an insurmountable hurdle once you’ve sent dozens of emails and left countless voice messages all to no avail. Additionally, online listings are frequently inaccurate and the photos are often of very poor quality—providing little to no useful information. And, if you do happen to find a flat, getting approval on a long-term rental apartment is a daunting task.
However, using a home finding service in the city that specializes in both property rentals and buying property in Barcelona can eliminate the hassle of slow service and poorly described properties. Your home hunting professional will act as your personal shopper for real estate, searching for and visiting homes until you find the perfect one.
Photo courtesy of BCN Life.
5. How Difficult Is It to Get Settled into Your New Home When Moving to Barcelona?
This can be very difficult, unless you hire a settling-in service or know someone who can show you the ropes. You’ll need to open a local bank account before you can even set up your utilities, internet, etc. This is because in Spain you can only pay your bills via automatic withdrawals directly from your account. Additionally, sorting out rental payments to your landlord or a mortgage can require battles with the infamous Spanish bureaucracy as well.
Using an experienced relocation service agency to guide you through this process will help you avoid these headaches and allow you to get settled in quickly and efficiently.
Photo courtesy of BCN Life.
6. How Difficult Is It Adjusting to Life Socially and Culturally in Barcelona?
This depends on how many people you know in Barcelona when you move here, but in my view, the key to a happy life is having a good mix of involvement in local Spanish and Catalan activities and also being part of the lively expat community. It’s important to develop a support system to help you through the struggles you will face. Getting involved in the community makes you and your children feel connected to other people, which will make the overall experience of moving to Barcelona more fun and fulfilling.
As for integrating into the Barcelona culture, the first thing that I recommend is that you take language classes! And, while working towards mastery of the local language, you are sure to meet like-minded expats trying to find their way in Barcelona just like you. Learning the language will help you communicate better with locals so you won’t feel so lost. Getting involved with local sports clubs or hobby groups is another great way to meet locals, practice your newly-acquired language skills and develop a circle of friends here.
The same goes for kids. If you have children, make sure they attend extracurricular activities outside of school, especially if their learning is primarily in English. This is very important for the summer, where they will be able to meet local kids and make new friends while improving their language skills.
7. What Are the Best Schools for My Children in Barcelona?
This all depends on what you are looking for in a school. Are you here temporarily? Long term? Is making sure they learn Spanish a high priority? Is it important they attend a high school based on curriculum in the US or UK to attend university there? Knowing your options and finding the right school is very important. Here are the most popular options for English speaking expats:
British Curriculum:
There are a number of British international private schools that follow the British school curriculum, many of which also have International Baccalaureate (IB) programs. Some of these schools include Oak House, St. George’s British School and the British School of Barcelona. Private international British schools cost from €10,000 to €15,000 a year. There are also other international private schools that teach in English based on the British school system, and some of these are less expensive and may serve as a good option.
American Curriculum:
If you are looking for an American based education that will be accredited in the United States, then you have limited options. The two main ones are the American School of Barcelona (ASB) and Benjamin Franklin International School (BFIS), which also have IB programs. However, they are the two most expensive schools in Barcelona, costing from €15,000 to €20,000 a year. They also require a one-time entry fee of around €6,000.
There is, however, a new American school option—Barcelona High School (BHS). BHS offers core academic subject classes from sixth to 12th grade and a high school diploma, all fully accredited in the US. What makes BHS unique is its highly effective university exam prep and university advisement program that includes PSAT, SAT, ACT, and TOEFL prep courses and training in addition to university admissions counseling, as the goal of BHS is to help students attend the best universities in the US. BHS has a flexible schedule and format which allows it to cater to athletes, performing artists, high academic achievers and those with extensive extra curricular activities who want to attend US universities on athletic or academic scholarships. BHS’s American school program costs €7,500 a year, and its university exam prep and university advisement program ranges from €1,000 to €2,000 more per year.
Concertadas (Semi-Private Schools):
If you are looking for schools that will best help your children learn Spanish or Catalan while also providing a good academic curriculum, concertada schools are an excellent choice. Some of these schools have high academic standards while also helping English-speaking students integrate. At the best concertadas, the curriculum is generally trilingual (Catalan, Spanish and English), though Catalan is usually the primary language of instruction.
Concertadas are considered semi-private schools: they are technically public schools but they charge tuition fees like private schools. Because they receive public funds, tuition is, however, significantly cheaper than international British and American schools. The median price range is €4,500 annually for the best ones.
Photo courtesy of BCN Life.
8. Can I Earn a Living If I Move to Barcelona?
Your options depend on if you are an EU citizen or a non-EU citizen. If you are an EU citizen, you can work as an employee with any Spanish company, no questions asked. You can also become an autónomo (freelancer). Another option is to set up your own company in Spain, which is recommended if your net income will be above €60,000, due to the tax benefits above this limit.
However, if you are a non-EU citizen, trying to earn a living when moving to Barcelona can be more difficult. If you plan to work here as an employee, you should already have a work contract in place and obtain your visa based on this work contract before moving here. If you lose your employment, you will also lose your ability to live in Spain. You can also work if you have a student visa, but only for limited hours and only as long as you are a student. For the non-lucrative visa, you are not allowed to work as an employee for a company in Spain. There are a number of ways to get authorized to work or earn income in Spain, but the key is finding the right legal advisor to guide you through the process.
9. What Is Healthcare Like in Barcelona?
The Spanish healthcare system is excellent and very reasonably priced, especially compared to the soaring costs in other parts of the world. Indeed, due to excellent medical care, coupled with low costs, Barcelona is one of the top medical-tourism destinations in the world.
Public healthcare in Spain is universal regardless of legal status (with limits). However, it is important to note that some visas (such as the non-lucrative visa) preclude you from this system and require that you contract private insurance as a condition of your visa.
If you are working in Spain and contributing to the social security system, you are eligible for the national healthcare system, though many locals and expats alike choose to supplement their health care with private insurance because it is so affordable.
10. How Do I Find Private Health Insurance in Barcelona?
There are two options for this: Spanish private insurance and international private insurance. Spanish is generally cheaper and more popular than international, however, international insurance does have some additional benefits and perks, such as broader coverage and the use of premium private floors in private hospitals.
You can learn more about BCN Life Relocation Experts at bcn-life.com, or follow on Facebook @BCNLifeRelocation and Instagram wearebcnlife.
Lia Morse Mashaka, Akida Mashaka.
Akida Mashaka is co-founder and managing director of BCN Life, the leading Barcelona relocation agency for English-speaking expats. Akida is an American Harvard Law trained attorney from Los Angeles, California. He lives in Barcelona with his wife, Lia who is also his business partner, and his two children.
Sponsored by BCN Life.
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