THE BASICS
BEFORE MOVING
Eurosender offers a range of affordable options to help you relocate to Barcelona:
The citizens of the EU do not need a visa for Spain when immigrating to Barcelona.
The non-EU citizen can stay in Barcelona for 90 days without a visa. When you decide to move to Barcelona for longer than 90 days, you have to obtain a visa for Spain. Here are the most common visa types expats get when relocating to Barcelona:
There is a lack of housing for all those who are willing to live in Barcelona. The average cost of rent in Barcelona is not extremely high. It is possible to rent a 1-bedroom flat in Barcelona city centre for about €900. However, you can rent the same apartment outside of centre for €750. Those who want to buy real estate property will have to pay at least €3,000 per 1 square meter. When planning to relocate to Barcelona, keep in mind that utilities are rarely included in the rent price. Thus, your cost of living in Barcelona will also include around €100 per month for utilities.
RECOMMENDED
LIVING IN BARCELONA
The cost of living in Barcelona is significantly higher if compared to other Spanish cities. Local citizens and residents even go for protests, as the cost of living is rising every year because of the influx of tourists.
At the same time, the average salary rate in Barcelona has not risen that much over the last several years. If you are going to immigrate to Barcelona, be prepared for higher than the Spanish average prices for everything: starting from food to apartment rentals.
Do you need to send urgent documents to Barcelona to secure a place to stay before moving?
The job market in Barcelona includes a high percentage of positions in the most developed sectors of the economy: car manufacturing, chemical and metallurgical industries, telecommunication and, of course, tourism. The most popular jobs for expats are in tourism, language teaching, and the IT sector.
Expats who are moving to Barcelona to find a job should take care of their employment situation in advance. Looking for a job for foreigners in Barcelona means that you will have to apply for many vacancies and experience high competition. That is why it is better to secure a job before you immigrate to Barcelona.
Schools in Spain are divided into public, private (international) and semi-private. Expats living in Barcelona with children will be glad to know that the public school system in Barcelona is free. Still, parents pay for books and materials. International schools in Barcelona are private schools so-called schools for foreigners. These schools follow the language and curriculum of a foreign country and usually provide a very high standard of education. Semi-private schools in Barcelona is a great choice for parents who would prefer smaller class sizes, but who cannot afford a private international school in Barcelona. However, these schools generally follow the Spanish curriculum and the primary teaching language is Catalan.
The healthcare system in Barcelona is of high quality. Everyone who has received a healthcare card (TSI) after moving to Barcelona has an opportunity to reach the services of Catalan public healthcare system. However, a visit to public healthcare centres is usually associated with long queues and weeks of waiting before getting specialist care.
Thus, expats immigrating to Catalonia prefer the private healthcare system in Barcelona and invest in private health insurance. It also grants access to private clinics with English-speaking doctors, which is of high value to expats who are not confident with their Spanish or Catalan yet.
The EU and EEA citizens may use their valid International driver’s license in Barcelona. You must register with travel authorities within six months after becoming a resident of Spain and obtain a Spanish driver’s license. Those who immigrated to Barcelona from the USA can drive in Barcelona with the US license. You should also obtain an International Driving Permit (IDP). After six months, you are required to apply for a Spanish driver’s license.
MOVING DESTINATIONS
Take advantage of the international removal services to Barcelona Eurosender offers, as we partnered with reliable logistics service providers operating globally.
Discover the cheapest way to move furniture to Barcelona! Immigrate to Barcelona from the UK with the most cost-effective shipping service.
Enjoy the convenience of the door-to-door shipping when moving to Barcelona from Ireland. Move personal belongings to Barcelona safely using Eurosender platform.