Moving to Barcelona (or Spain)?

Advice gained from first-hand experience of moving to Barcelona from the UK and of living in Spain. Your Barcelona guide, living and working in Barcelona.

There is now a new flat finding service for Barcelona and the surrounding area. This service is aimed at people living outside Spain or Barcelona and who need to find a property here either to live in or for a holiday home.

The service includes arranging viewings of properties at a time when you are in Barcelona, driving you to viewings, recommending locations and translating, and it can save you a good deal of time and money. Barcelona Property Finding Service continues here >>

If you're from another EU member state you don't need a work visa in order to work in Spain but you do need an NIE (Numero de Identificatión de Extranjero). Go to your local Oficina de Extranjeros (Foreigner's Office) to collect an application form and pay the fee. You will need your passport (or photo ID). How To Get Your NIE >> continues...

Work in Barcelona as an English Language Teacher

Find work in Barcelona by teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL). You can take a course online or in a classroom, and get help finding work when qualified. Free TEFL taster course, so you try before you buy, and courses start from as little as €189 for 40 hours online training with your own online tutor. Read more about Teaching English as a Foreign Language >>

Cheap Mobile Phone Calls in Spain

What you need to know when buying a mobile phone in Spain: should you buy an unlocked phone? How to rent a SIM card or mobile in Spain and in the UK; how to avoid roaming charges and how to use mobile voip (voip applications for your mobile) which means you can make cheap international and national calls using voip directly from your mobile phone. Mobile Phones in Spain continues here >>

A new bed and breakfast in Barcelona has been added to our list of B&Bs that we recommend. Nisia Bed and Breakfast is in Gracia (just north of the city centre, but with easy access by metro to the centre). Prices start at €60 per night for a double room with ensuite, and of course breakfast is included. Read a full review of Nisia Bed and Breakfast here >>

The Santander Zero Credit Card could save you a lot of money. It's a UK credit card which has no foreign exchange fee, so you can use it freely when abroad without worrying about additional costs on currency exchange. There is also no immediate interest charged on cash withdrawn from a cash machine when abroad. More about the Santander Zero Credit Card >>

Legal requirements for driving in Spain; including having a valid driving license, why you should apply for a Spanish driving licence if you're a resident in Spain, passing your driving test in Spain and taking lessons in English, and how to import a car to Spain. Driving in Spain continues here >>

If you want to work as a freelancer in Barcelona, then read our article on how to become self-employed (autonimo/a) in Spain – what you are required to do legally and how to do it... How To Be Self-employed in Spain >> continues...

Lloyds Bank International in Spain (formerly Halifax Hispania) gives customers banking in English. If you also have (or set up) a bank account with Lloyds or Halifax in the UK, it's FREE to transfer money between your bank account in the UK and your Spanish Lloyds bank account.

The Lloyds Xtra account offers free banking, with an annual fee of €25 and a minimum opening balance of €600. The account comes with a Visa Electron, which you can use to withdraw money free of charge at ServiRed cash points, a cheque book, guaranteed bank cheques and free direct debits. Available to non-residents and residents. Free Banking in Spain in English >> continues...

Finding work in Barcelona is not so easy if you don't speak Spanish, and a lot of the Catalan companies also prefer their employees to speak Catalan.

Having said that, it is possible to find work in Barcelona, even with the current credit crunch affecting jobs here too. There are many international companies based in Barcelona as well as those small to medium-sized businesses set up by expatriates, many of which need employees who speak English. Top Six Ways to Find Work in Barcelona >> continues...