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City guide

Barcelona

Spain

Barcelona ticks nearly every box: the sea in the city, a directly managed French lycée of almost 2,800 pupils, and a way of life where children have dinner on terraces. The challenges: housing, and choosing between Spanish and Catalan.

Currency
Euro (€)
Languages
Spanish and Catalan
Time vs Paris
None
Emergencies
112

FIAFE network

The Accueil for French-speaking families

In each city, a volunteer-run association from the FIAFE network welcomes, informs and helps French-speaking families settling in.

Barcelone Accueil

Since 1961

Heir to the Cercle des Français, Barcelone Accueil has kept the community alive since 1961: welcome coffees, afterworks, a food and wine club, sports and the "Si Barcelone m'était contée" cultural walks.

Where to meet them

Fridays from 10am to 12pm at the Institut français de Barcelone (Carrer Moià 8).

Visit the association's website Email the association See the FIAFE page

What they offer

  • Welcome coffees and lunches for newcomers
  • Afterwork drinks between francophones
  • Food and wine club, chef-led workshops
  • Cultural walks through Barcelona's history

Other support networks

Two large national networks also support the French abroad, each with its local chapter.

  • UFE

    UFE Catalogne

    The Catalan chapter of the Union des Français de l'Étranger, based in Barcelona: welcome, mutual aid and events for the French in Catalonia.

    Visit the website
  • Français du monde – ADFE

    Français du monde – ADFE Catalogne

    The Catalan section of Français du monde - ADFE supports French residents of Barcelona and Catalonia with their paperwork.

    Email the chapter

The French business network

The local French chamber of commerce (CCI France International network) is a real asset for work: networking, job offers and help to restart a career or start a business locally.

CCI France International

CCI France Espagne, Barcelone

The Franco-Spanish chamber in Barcelona, Spain's oldest foreign business association, brings together over 500 companies: events, introductions and support to work or start a business in Catalonia.

Visit the website CCI country page

AEFE network

Accredited French schools

Schools accredited by the French Ministry of Education follow the French curriculum: your child can continue their schooling seamlessly, abroad and back in France.

💰 Compare school fees
  • AEFE direct management

    Lycée français de Barcelone

    Nursery to final year (ages 3 to 18)

    📍 Pedralbes · 2,790 pupils

    School website 📅 2026-2027 calendar
  • AEFE partner

    Lycée français de Gavà Bon Soleil

    Nursery to age 16

    📍 Gavà (south-west of Barcelona) · 1,230 pupils

    School website
  • AEFE agreement

    École française Ferdinand-de-Lesseps

    Nursery to age 11 (primary)

    📍 Eixample (Gran Via) · 610 pupils

    School website

Source: official AEFE directory, verified June 2026. aefe.gouv.fr

Tutoring and private lessons

To support your children's schooling across two systems, two solutions designed for expat families.

  • Axiom Academic

    Private lessons and tutoring for expat families: French curriculum, IB and British curriculum, at home or online, with teachers who know the schools in your city.

    Discover Axiom Academic

  • IB Tutor

    Tutors specialised in the International Baccalaureate: online lessons in every IB subject, to aim for top grades from MYP to the diploma.

    Discover IB Tutor

Schools and education

The Lycée français de Barcelone, directly managed by the AEFE in Pedralbes, is the flagship. Ferdinand-de-Lesseps (primary, right in the Eixample) and Bon Soleil in Gavà complete a dense network.

Good to know

  • The LFB (direct management) is in high demand: file the application as soon as the move is confirmed.
  • Ferdinand-de-Lesseps is the family-sized primary option in the city centre.
  • Bon Soleil, in Gavà, attracts families settled south, by the beaches.
  • Catalan public school is free and immersive, but teaching is primarily in Catalan.

Children's healthcare

The Catalan system is solid: registering at the town hall (empadronamiento) opens the public health card, and affordable private insurance buys fast appointments.

Good to know

  • First step: the empadronamiento at the town hall, prerequisite for healthcare and school.
  • The targeta sanitària (CatSalut) gives access to the local health centre and its paediatrician.
  • Local private insurance is widespread and affordable for families.
  • 112 is the single emergency number; Sant Joan de Déu is the big paediatric reference.

French-speaking community

The French community of Barcelona is one of the oldest in Spain, from the smart Pedralbes-Sarrià area near the lycée to the bohemian families of Gràcia.

Good to know

  • Barcelone Accueil (FIAFE network) welcomes every Friday at the Institut français.
  • Sarrià, Les Corts and Pedralbes are the lycée neighbourhoods; Gràcia and the Eixample charm urban families.
  • UFE Catalogne and Français du monde complete the associative network.
  • The Institut français offers classes, a media library and a French film club.

Family outings and events

Barcelona is a children's city: urban beaches, Gaudí parks, interactive museums and neighbourhood festivals where giants parade. With Tibidabo mountain watching over it all.

Good to know

  • CosmoCaixa, the science museum, is one of Europe's best children's museums.
  • The beaches from Barceloneta to Mar Bella are equipped and metro-accessible.
  • Ciutadella park and Tibidabo (a century-old amusement park) are the Sunday classics.
  • Neighbourhood festes majors (Gràcia in August!) amaze children: giants, castellers and correfocs.

These landmarks change fast: the MumExpat community will keep them up to date.

Coming soon: the full Barcelona guide.

Verified addresses, paediatricians recommended by mums, a family agenda updated every week. Join the waitlist to discover the Barcelona page first.

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