This is a quick step-by-step guide for those who are in the process of moving to Barcelona. If you’re struggling with the authorities or if you have any other problems getting your new life organized, because you don’t speak much Spanish or Catalan then this information might be very helpful. I’ve had a hard time going through this myself. But I finally managed to get everything organized, thanks to great friends and other helpful people.

If you have any additional information or other experiences please let me know in the comments or send me an e-mail. Also, the process described here is for EU citizens. It might be slightly different for people coming from non EU member states.

General

• It’s always good to bring copies of all the required documents. Sometimes they want to keep them, sometimes need. Mostly I didn’t need copies (I stated it below where I needed them), but it’s better to have them with you instead of having to come back again.
• When I went to the various offices I spoke very little Spanish and was able to handle all my stuff (sometimes with hand and feet). If you don’t speak any Spanish I highly recommend to take a friend with you who knows the language.

NIE

The NIE number is a tax identification number in Spain, known in Spanish as the “Número de Identificación de Extranjero”. The NIE Number is issued by the National Police of Spain and in accordance to Spanish law is required for the purchase or sale of any real estate, vehicle, or boat within Spain.

You primarily need this document if you want to work legally in Spain or to take advantage of other things like health insurance.

Which forms are required to apply for the NIE?

I’ve found this document ex_14.pdf: NIE application, which I thought was the right one. However, when I was at the office they told me that this one is only used for people staying less than 3 months. Instead they gave me this document ex_16.pdf (Application for Certificate of Registration as an EU resident or family member residence card of citizen of the Union) to fill out. However, I only had to fill out the paragraphs 1) and 4), which reduces the whole thing back to the ex_14.pdf again. Well, Spanish bureaucracy. Just accept it as it is.

What documents do I need to bring?

• Your passport
• The certificate from the registration office (see Empadronado further down). I’ve heard from some people that this isn’t required any more. However, when I was there I already had it and they also asked me for it.

Where do I need to go?

• You have to go to the police station in Barceloneta (Pg. Joan de Borbó 32) with your forms and papers. You will easily find it, because there’s always a huge line. Once you’re inside they will quickly check if everything is correct and give you a tax-payment form, which you have to take to a bank close by, pay €10.-, get it stamped and signed and return to the police station. A few minutes later you hold your NIE in your hands. It is a very easy process now. It was way more complicated some time ago.
• A comment on banks. Some won’t let you pay for the NIE tax unless you’re a customer at that specific bank. Some won’t let you pay for the NIE tax at all (for example Santander). Caixa Catalunya seems to be the bank that works best. However, due to the huge amount of people coming to pay for their NIE tax and generating long lines every day, they’ve decided to distribute the load over their different branch offices in Barceloneta. Meaning, depending on which day you’re going there you’ve to look for a sheet of paper hanging somewhere in the lobby, saying which branch will accept NIE-tax payments on that day. Then directly go to that branch office, instead of waiting 15 minutes in the queue and just to get told that you’ve to go to another office.

Seguridad Social

Once you have your NIE, getting Social Security is very easy. You just need to go to the Social Security office and apply for it. It takes less than 3 minutes (not counting in the line, if there’s one). There are several offices in Barcelona were you can get the Security Social number.

Just make sure you take the following documents with you:

• Original and copy of your passport
• Original and copy of your NIE

Empadronamiento

The Spanish word empadronar means to get registered at your local community. Besides other benefits, you need to be registered to get access to CatSalut (see further down), which is the public health insurance system in Catalunya.

To get your empadronamiento you will need to go to the Ayuntamiento (city hall) or Junta Municipal de Distrito (neighborhood administrative office) and take the following documents with you:

• Your passport
• Proof of where you’re living (can be the rental contract or a electricity bill with your address and name on it)

The “proof of where you’re living” might be a bit complicated if you’re sharing a flat. Then you need to go with the person there who is on the rental agreement. It’s important that this person is registered already.

Usually there are a lot of people in the line, so you’ve to stay there for a while and wait. But once it is your turn, it’s just a matter of a few minutes again.

CatSalut

CatSalut is the public health care system of Catalunya. You can find more information here.

What do I need to get the CatSalud card?

• Passport
• NIE
• Certificado de Empadronamiento

Bank Account

What do I need to open a bank account?

• Passport
• NIE

Eventually you might need:

• A work contract or a salary sheet
• Seguridad Social (possible but unlikely)

What’s the best bank to open an account?

There are many different banks, so every bank has its own procedure and can be better than another one. Please have a look at the following banks and get further information on their websites.

• BBVA ( Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria)
• BSCH
• La Caixa
• Caixa Catalunya
• Banesto

Some banks could be asking you to give them your salary paper. If you don’t have one (yet) try La Caixa. That’s the bank I ended up with, mostly for convenience. They’ve a branch office or at least an ATM at every corner of Barcelona and they didn’t ask me for a salary sheet.

Other information

Where can I make copies of my documents?

Normally it’s not hard to find a shop where you can make copies so you don’t need anything more than walk some meters and you will always find an internet cafe or some newspaper shop where you can ask for copies of your documents. The price per copy ranges between €0.05 – €0.20

Where can I take passport photos?

Even though I never needed them I always had some with me. Just to be safe. There are two ways to take passport photos:

• Go to one of the small self service machines in the metro or various shopping centers. The quality is not good, but sufficient and they’re cheap.
• Go to a real photo shop. The quality will be much higher, but so the price. If you need photos for your passport you might need to go to one of these places, though. For all other official documents the cheap ones should be fine.

If you have any more information or other experiences please share them with me. The information I’ve posted here is basically from the list Davide and I compiled for the CouchSurfing wiki. If there’s any new information I will always update both the CS wiki and this blog post.

Good luck and take it easy.

Tags: Bank Account, Barcelona, CatSalut, Empadronado, NIE, Seguridad Social