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Settling in

Settling in Barcelona

For a French family, Barcelona has one huge advantage: no visa. But the order of the paperwork matters. The EU citizen registration certificate and its NIE, then the empadronamiento at the town hall, which unlocks healthcare and school, the social security number, the health card, housing and the children's T-16. Here is what we would have liked to know before arriving, checked against official sources.

Verified on 31 October 2026

Arrival and first steps

As EU citizens, the French settle in Spain freely. Beyond three months, each person registers with the central register of foreigners, and registration at the town hall (padró) becomes the key to almost everything. Consular registration is done online.

Good to know

  • No visa or residence permit is needed for a French national, but beyond three months each person must apply in person, within three months of arrival, for the EU citizen registration certificate at the Oficina de Extranjería or the police station of their province: form EX-18, valid passport or ID card, fee 790 (code 012). The certificate is issued on the spot. Source
  • This certificate carries your NIE, the foreigners' identification number assigned once and for life: it is neither a residence nor a work permit, but it is essential for any economic or administrative step (bank, contract, taxes). For EU citizens it is a paper document, the 'green NIE', issued at the police station of your province of residence. Source
  • The empadronamiento, registering the whole family on Barcelona's residents register, is the step that unlocks the others: it produces the 'volant de residència' and the 'volant de convivència', the latter being required to pre-register or enrol a child at school. It is done at the citizen service offices (OAC) or online. Source
  • The Social Security number (NUSS) is requested online on the Import@ss portal with the NIE or passport; for a child, the parent applies, with the family record book. It is used for registration by the employer, for benefits, and it is the number used to issue the health card. Source
  • Registration with the French consular register is not compulsory but strongly recommended beyond six months: free, valid 5 years, it is done online on service-public.fr with French ID, proof of residence in Spain and a recent photo; your file can be linked to that of a family member already registered. Source
  • Week 1, in order: registration certificate and NIE for each adult, empadronamiento for the whole family as soon as you have a lease, Social Security number, then the health card at the CAP, a bank account and the consular register. Keep several copies of the lease and passports: every counter will ask for them again.

Addresses

  • Consulat général de France à Barcelone

    Consulate

    Ronda Universitat, 22B, 4e étage, 08007 Barcelona

    In the heart of the Eixample, a stone's throw from plaça de Catalunya. Open to the public Monday to Friday 9:00 to 13:00 and Monday to Thursday 15:00 to 17:00; passports and ID cards by appointment, document collection without. The consulate does not answer visa questions.

    Website Source

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Housing: neighbourhoods and renting

French families follow the schools: Sarrià-Sant Gervasi and Pedralbes for the Lycée français, the Eixample for Ferdinand-de-Lesseps, Gavà and Castelldefels for Bon Soleil. The market is tight, files are put together fast, and rents have been capped since 2024.

Good to know

  • According to the 2025 municipal registers, one in four French residents of Barcelona lives in the Eixample, the central district of large flats near the Ferdinand-de-Lesseps school; next come Ciutat Vella, Sarrià-Sant Gervasi, chosen by Lycée français families, Sant Martí (Poblenou) and Gràcia. Source
  • Almost half of the French in Catalonia live in Barcelona itself; outside the city, Castelldefels and Sitges rank among the favourite towns, and Sant Cugat del Vallès is the residential suburb of well-off families, well connected to the centre. Source
  • Barcelona has the highest average rent in Catalonia, well above the Catalan average, according to the deposits registered with INCASÒL; in the capped 'tense' areas, increases have slowed markedly since 2024. Source
  • Since 16 March 2024, Catalonia caps rents in 140 municipalities declared 'tense residential market areas', Barcelona included: for a new lease, the rent cannot exceed that of the previous contract nor, for large landlords and homes newly put on the rental market, the official reference index, which the advert and the lease must state. A public calculator gives the index for each address. Source
  • A residential lease is compulsorily extended, year by year, up to five years if the tenant wishes (seven if the landlord is a company); the legal deposit (fiança) is one month's rent for a home, and since the 2023 housing law agency fees are paid by the landlord. Source
  • The landlord cannot demand more than one month's rent in advance, must give you written receipts and return the fiança at the end of the lease if there is no damage; in Catalonia, they must lodge this deposit with INCASÒL. You pay the deposit before moving in and repair the damage you cause. Source
  • Have the file ready before viewings: employment contract, payslips or proof of income, passport or NIE card; some landlords ask for a bank guarantee of three to six months' rent held in an account, and a one-month down payment can reserve the flat, later deducted from the deposit. Source

Addresses

  • Sarrià-Sant Gervasi et Pedralbes

    Neighbourhood

    The neighbourhood of the Lycée français (Pedralbes site, nursery at Munner), the Institut français and Turó Park Medical: residential, quiet, Sarrià's village feel, at the foot of Collserola. Among the highest rents in the city.

    Source

  • Les Corts

    Neighbourhood

    Between the Diagonal and Pedralbes, minutes from the Lycée: one of the safest districts, family blocks, the Camp Nou and the Clínic maternity site.

    Source

  • Eixample

    Neighbourhood

    The district most chosen by the French: large high-ceilinged flats, metro everywhere, the Ferdinand-de-Lesseps school, the consulate and the Jaimes bookshop. Heavy traffic and little greenery, but inner courtyards with playgrounds.

    Source

  • Gràcia

    Neighbourhood

    The former bohemian village: pedestrian squares where children play, local shops, festa major in August. Smaller flats, in high demand.

    Source

  • Sant Martí : Poblenou et Diagonal Mar

    Neighbourhood

    The sea on foot, big recent parks, new buildings and calm: the up-and-coming district for French families, twenty metro minutes from the centre.

    Source

  • Sants et Horta-Guinardó

    Neighbourhood

    More affordable and very Catalan: Sants with its railway station (direct trains to France) and its shops, Horta up on the hill with families settled for generations.

    Source

  • Sant Cugat del Vallès

    Neighbourhood

    Over the Collserola hills, the green and well-off suburb: houses with gardens, international schools, frequent FGC trains to the centre and the Lycée français.

    Source

  • Gavà, Castelldefels et Sitges

    Neighbourhood

    The south coast: huge beaches, houses, the Bon Soleil lycée in Gavà, Rodalies trains to Sants. Castelldefels and Sitges are among the favourite towns of the French in Catalonia.

    Source

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Phone and insurance

A phone line activates in minutes with your passport; a contract plan follows with the NIE. On insurance, only the car's is compulsory.

Good to know

  • For the phone, a prepaid SIM or eSIM activates in minutes with a passport; a contract plan usually requires the NIE and a Spanish bank account. Family bundles combining mobiles and fibre are the norm.
  • Third-party motor insurance is compulsory for any vehicle driven in Spain. Source
  • Tenant's home insurance is not compulsory but often required by the landlord; check it includes family liability cover for damage caused by children, and think about school insurance if the school does not provide it.

Banking and money

A Spanish account unlocks salary, rent and the direct debits for nursery or activities. It is opened with the NIE, and Bizum then handles daily life in Barcelona.

Good to know

  • To open an account, the bank checks your identity (passport or ID card) and asks for your NIE; it may also ask for proof of address or income. If you have just arrived, a non-resident account is possible, to be converted into a resident account once you have the registration certificate. Source
  • As a legal EU resident with no other account in Spain, you are entitled to a basic payment account (cuenta de pago básica), with no obligation to take out other products from the bank. Source
  • Until you have a Spanish account, your French bank card works just as it does at home: a payment or withdrawal in euros in another EU country must be charged as it would be in France. Still, check your card's terms before you leave. Source
  • Day to day, contactless cards work almost everywhere, and Bizum, the instant transfer by phone number built into the app of almost every Spanish bank, handles the rest: class collections, babysitters, sports clubs and many shops. Source
  • Since 2025, Bizum has been gradually linked to BANCOMAT in Italy and MB WAY in Portugal: you can send money by phone number from one country to another, depending on whether your bank has switched it on. Source
  • To send or receive money with France, a euro transfer is enough: since 2025, euro area banks must offer instant transfers, at the same price as a standard one, and check the payee's name before sending. French school fees can therefore be paid from your French or local account. Source
  • Your French IBAN is valid throughout the SEPA area: an employer, landlord, school or energy supplier is not allowed to refuse it because it is not local. If it happens, point to the rule; it is European law. Source
  • Keep your French account, useful for taxes, insurance and holidays back home, but tell your bank you are moving: it becomes a non-resident account and some terms may change. Check before you leave. Source

Addresses

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Setting up your home

Barcelona has four IKEA stores, including two city formats on Avinguda Diagonal, and almost everything can be delivered. For the rest: neighbourhood supermarkets, large shopping centres and a very active second-hand market, from Wallapop to the Encants.

Addresses

  • IKEA Diagonal

    Furniture and home

    Avinguda Diagonal 532, 08006 Barcelona

    City store in the upper Eixample, reachable by metro.

    Website Source

  • IKEA Glòries

    Furniture and home

    Westfield Glòries, Avinguda Diagonal 208, 08018 Barcelona

    City store in the Westfield Glòries shopping centre.

    Website Source

  • IKEA Badalona

    Furniture and home

    Polígono Montigalà, Carrer de Luxemburg s/n, 08917 Badalona

    Large store north-east of Barcelona.

    Website Source

  • IKEA L'Hospitalet

    Furniture and home

    Avinguda de la Granvia de l'Hospitalet 115-133, 08908 L'Hospitalet de Llobregat

    Large store south-west of Barcelona.

    Website Source

  • Mercadona

    Supermarket

    The country's largest supermarket chain, stores in every neighbourhood.

    Website Source

  • Carrefour

    Supermarket

    Hypermarkets and neighbourhood supermarkets, with delivery.

    Website Source

  • Westfield La Maquinista

    Shopping mall

    Paseo Potosí 2, 08030 Barcelona

    Large open-air shopping centre in the Sant Andreu district.

    Website Source

  • Diagonal Mar

    Shopping mall

    Avinguda Diagonal 3, 08019 Barcelona

    Seafront shopping centre near Diagonal Mar park.

    Website Source

  • L'illa Diagonal

    Shopping mall

    Avinguda Diagonal 557, 08029 Barcelona

    Shopping centre uptown, in Les Corts.

    Website Source

  • El Corte Inglés

    Appliances

    Department store: appliances, bedding, baby equipment, with delivery and installation.

    Website Source

  • MediaMarkt

    Appliances

    Appliance and electronics chain, stores and website with delivery.

    Website Source

  • Wallapop

    Second-hand

    Spain's classifieds app: furniture, pushchairs, bikes.

    Website Source

  • Vinted

    Second-hand

    Second-hand children's clothes, toys and baby equipment.

    Website Source

  • Mercat dels Encants

    Second-hand

    Carrer dels Castillejos 158, 08013 Barcelona

    The city's big covered flea market, next to Plaça de les Glòries.

    Website Source

Getting around with children

Metro, bus, tram, FGC and Rodalies trains share an integrated zonal fare system, and the T-16 makes public transport free for 4 to 16-year-olds. A car is of little use in town, and the ring roads are a low-emission zone.

Good to know

  • The T-16 is a personal, free pass for children and young people aged 4 to 16: unlimited travel on the whole integrated network of the fare zone where it was issued (metro, bus, tram, FGC, Rodalies), including the airport metro stations for zone 1. It is applied for online with the child's documents and arrives by post. Source
  • For adults, the T-usual is personal and gives 30 consecutive days of unlimited travel; the multi-person T-familiar offers 8 journeys in 30 days, handy for visiting grandparents. Everything loads onto the T-mobilitat card or phone, and the price depends on the number of zones. Source
  • Pushchair: buses are low-floor with a ramp and two reserved spaces facing each other for wheelchairs, authorised scooters and children's pushchairs; on the metro, spot the stations with lifts on the map before leaving, a few old central stations still lack them. Source
  • Your French licence remains valid in Spain while it is in force and exchanging it is voluntary; but a licence with no expiry date or valid for more than 15 years must be renewed in Spain two years after settling, and a French-registered vehicle must be re-registered to be driven. Source
  • The ZBE Rondes de Barcelona bans cars and motorbikes without a DGT environmental label from driving Monday to Friday, 7:00 to 20:00, inside the ring roads, Barcelona and neighbouring municipalities included; a foreign-registered vehicle must be entered in the metropolitan register to drive there, or face a fine. Source
  • Bicing, the city's shared bikes, works on an annual subscription and is for adults only; for trips out, Rodalies trains reach Sitges and Castelldefels, FGC trains Sant Cugat and Montserrat, and the AVE reaches Girona in under an hour. Source

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Admin: social security, taxes and the consulate

The Social Security number opens public healthcare, income tax is withheld at source and settled in spring, and the consulate remains your town hall and prefecture, without standing in for the Spanish administration.

Good to know

  • The NUSS (número de la Seguridad Social) is assigned once and for all: it is used for registration when you start work, for benefits, and the health system uses it to issue the health card. Apply online on Import@ss, with electronic ID or simply a copy of your NIE and a selfie. Source
  • You become a Spanish tax resident by spending more than 183 days of the calendar year in Spain or by having the centre of your economic interests there. Income tax (IRPF) is withheld at source by the employer, then the annual return is filed between the first week of April and 30 June of the following year; a joint return with the children is possible. Source
  • The 2025 income tax campaign opened on 8 April 2026 on the Agencia Tributaria website, which offers a pre-filled draft and a campaign calendar. Source
  • The inbound workers' regime, known as the 'Beckham law', lets employees moving to Spain, subject to conditions, be taxed mainly on Spanish-source income for the first years; it is applied for on hiring and excludes certain deductions, so do the sums before opting in. Source
  • What the consulate does: passports and ID cards, civil status (births, marriages), consular register, means-tested school grants for French children enrolled in AEFE network schools, elections, exceptional social assistance. Source
  • What it does not do: it does not cover your health or repatriation costs, does not intervene in Spanish justice, has no translation service, and the lists of French-speaking professionals it publishes are for information only, non-exhaustive, and do not engage its responsibility. Source

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Budget: what costs more, what costs less

One item weighs heavily in Barcelona: housing, especially in the French-school neighbourhoods. On the other side, free state schools, public healthcare with no upfront costs, the children's T-16 and daily life lighten the bill. No precise figures, but here are the orders of magnitude.

Good to know

  • Housing: markedly more expensive than in France outside Paris. Barcelona has the highest average rent in Catalonia and demand outstrips supply; the cap limits increases on new leases, but expect much more near the Lycée français. Source
  • Childcare: Barcelona has around a hundred municipal nurseries (escoles bressol, ages 0 to 3) with income-based fees, but public places are allocated by points (catchment, income, siblings) and are scarce in some districts; private nurseries cost markedly more. Source
  • School: state school is free from age 3 (meals and outings extra), with Catalan as the language of instruction; the accredited French schools charge fees but far less than in London or Geneva, see our school fees page. Source
  • Transport: free for children aged 4 to 16 with the T-16, and the adult pass stays moderate; a car-free family also saves on insurance, parking and ZBE constraints. Source
  • Health: public consultations, emergencies and hospital care are free; for publicly prescribed medicines, working people pay 40 to 60% of the price depending on income (a capped 10% for pensioners and reduced-contribution medicines); private family insurance is widespread and affordable. Source
  • Daily life: groceries comparable to France, a little cheaper in the big chains; restaurants, lunch menus and terraces markedly cheaper; museums charge but with many free slots; children's clothes and school supplies comparable.

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A place has closed, something has changed? Tell us: the mums of Barcelona will thank you.

Sources for this page

The public pages these landmarks come from. The official website always prevails.

  1. 1 Consulat général de France à Barcelone
  2. 2 Policía Nacional, certificat d'enregistrement de citoyen de l'Union
  3. 3 Ajuntament de Barcelona, International Welcome, inscription au padró
  4. 4 Generalitat de Catalunya, limitation du prix des loyers
  5. 5 BOE, Ley de Arrendamientos Urbanos (texte consolidé)
  6. 6 TMB, la T-16
  7. 7 DGT, venir vivre en Espagne depuis un pays de l'Union
  8. 8 Banco de España, la cuenta de pago básica

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