Finding work in Barcelona is easier if you speak some Spanish. However, jobs exist for English speakers. There are many international companies based in Barcelona. Small to medium-sized companies set up by expatriates, need employees who speak English. So it’s definitely possible to find jobs in Barcelona.
Several call centres are based here, and they require foreign language speakers – English as well as other languages.
One good way to get a job in Barcelona is to qualify as an English language teacher. Many language schools in Barcelona teach the TEFL and CELTA certificates. What’s more some help you find work once you’ve qualified.
Where to find jobs in Barcelona
- Firstly, check out infojobs.com – a large site, covering the whole of Spain. Search by city and also by job category. Most of the job postings are in Spanish, however there are vacancies advertised in English. You have to subscribe to the site in order to reply to job offers, but that is an easy process. Importantly as a member, you can have new job offers in your area and category emailed to you as they appear. There’s also a system to help you with your CV:
infojobs.com - Telus International is constantly hiring people who speak many different languages and they do not require team members to speak Spanish, so it’s a great opportunity for people newly arrived in Spain. Telus International is a Canadian company and one of the world’s leading providers of customer experience (CX) and digital services. With over 70,000 team members across the world, they provide customer service in more than 50 languages.
- The Europe Language Jobs website offers jobs in different languages in different European countries. Search by language, location and several other categories. They have a section for jobs in Spain for English speakers.
europelanguagejobs.com/jobs-in-Spain-for-English-speakers - Avis Contact Centres. Avis, the international car hire company, have their call centre in Barcelona. In the World Trade Centre to be precise. Avis are always recruiting as it’s a large call centre. Moreover, they offer full-time and part-time work. If you only speak English you can apply for work there. Avis also recruit people speaking Spanish, German, French, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch and Czech. They usually give a temporary contract initially followed up by a permanent contract if everything goes well.
www.avisbudgetgroup.jobs - The Local is a good resource for expats in Spain. In addition to other useful information and news, they have a jobs section. You can search by job category or by location. The website is in English, although some of the jobs listed are in Spanish.
thelocal.es - jobsinbarcelona.es is a large website covering job vacancies in several languages. Filter just the jobs listed in English and also by work category. There are hundreds of jobs in Barcelona listed here.
- LinkedIn is a great place to find work. Their jobs section can be filtered to include type of work and location. There is usually a good selection of the more technical jobs available: linkedin.com
- If you’re a nanny or would like to work in a private home caring for children, then check out the nanny and manny jobs listed at nanniesmannies.com. They have a dedicated jobs page.
- spain.xpatjobs.com. Similarly, this website lets you filter by location and job type; usefully also by both the required language for the job, as well as the language the advert is advertised in.
- Finally, JobFluent.com specialise in tech jobs, especially in software development and for startups.
jobfluent.com
Best of luck in your job search!
Teach English in Spain
With an English Language teaching qualification you have the opportunity to find jobs in Barcelona teaching English, especially during the summer.
Teach English as a Foreign Language (TEFL)
There are many language schools in Barcelona who employ teachers, usually on a short-term contract. Many larger businesses hire teachers to give English lessons to their employees. Of course, you also have the option of freelancing with this qualification.
Oxford TEFL
Oxford TEFL is a highly-regarded teacher training institution in Barcelona. They offer the Cambridge CELTA course as well as other English language teaching courses. They are based centrally in Eixample.
www.oxfordtefl.com
How To Be Self-employed in Spain
There are various legal requirements to being self-employed (autónomo/a) in Spain. The first and foremost is to obtain your Número de Identidad de Extranjeros (NIE). There is an article on how to get your NIE on my page about legal requirements for living and working in Barcelona.
Secondly, freelancers must register at the local tax office – Delegación de Hacienda. The Agencia Tributaria website (www.aeat.es) lists all the offices, so you can find your nearest office there. At the Hacienda you choose the area of work you’re involved with from one of their categories. You also need to register for IVA (VAT). In Spain your NIE number also acts as your VAT and tax reference number.
Social security as a self-employed person
The next stage is to register at your local social security office. Their official website is www.seg-social.es (you can view the website in English). To do this you need your registration form from the Hacienda, your passport as proof of identity and your NIE. Every month, despite what you earn, you must pay approximately €250. This money is similar to National Insurance payments in the UK and covers your unemployment benefit and national health contributions.
As a self-employed person you have to file a tax return for your business quarterly, in January, April, July and October together with VAT returns. Every year, following your first year, you must also file a personal income tax return (IRPF) in April. Any invoice (factura) you issue for your business must contain your full name, address and NIE number.
There are a lot of legal requirements and red tape involved with going self-employed, and I think an accountant or gestor is essential.
There is a website (in Spanish) which is a network for the self-employed in Spain. It gives information on all the legal requirements, in addition to help with everything concerned with being autónomo. From how to invoice to online marketing:
www.infoautonomos.com