Living in Barcelona | helpHousing

Living in Barcelona.

Many services, tips and useful information for an easy life in the city. Enjoy Barcelona!

Useful tips

Here are some tips for living in Barcelona. Here we are to help you and support you to make this process easier!

Before arrival

Rooms in shared flats in Barcelona

Look for your room in Barcelona.

Apartments in Barcelona

Look for your new home.

Apply for your NIE

Apply for your Identification Number for Foreign Nationals.

Airport transfer

So many connections to arrive at our office.

Facebook and WhatsApp groupchats

Keep in touch with us and other students.

More tips on our blog.

During your stay

Get a Spanish SIM card

Keep staying connected!

Create your Wise multi-currency account

Save money on international transactions and rental payments during your stay abroad!

Get your Welcome pack at the office

Our gift for you to enjoy your stay.

Apply for your public transport

Get your own public transport card.

Travels and activities

Get the most of your stay: never stop exploring!

Move around Barcelona

Some tips to move around the city.

Important telephone numbers

Emergency

Emergency (all kind of services): 112

Spanish national police: 091

Local police: 092

Ambulance service: 061

Fire brigade: 080

Useful contacts

To report robbery: +34 902 102 112 or go to the closest police station (main police station in Liceu - Comisaria de Policia de Barcelona (Ciutat Vella) - Carrer Nou de la Rambla, 76-80)

To call the Lost & Found office: +34 934027000 (Metro Catalunya L1 L3)

Emergency doctors (non-urgent cases): 1003

Emergency dentists: +34 961 496 199

Consulates in Barcelona

Find student housing in Barcelona

Are you thinking of a new experience in Barcelona? You have to know that you couldn’t find a better place to study abroad and to live in! But finding a student accommodation in Barcelona can be difficult mainly depending on the season. September is quite a tough month, because all the students and young workers arrive in town and start looking for a housing option. Many of them can even begin the hunting during summer in order to make sure they have the ideal room or flat.

Apply for your NIE/TIE

Are you ready to begin an amazing experience? We can’t wait to welcome you here, but first, you need to know how to get legal in Spain.

Here we put together some information about the application for the NIE in Barcelona and the TIE, the documents you need if you are preparing to reside in Spain.

Get a look here and collect all the information to apply for your documents and get legal in Spain.

Move around while living in Barcelona

Keep in mind that you have to choose accurately the location; it has to stay close to bus or metro stops, in order to avoid any waste of time in your daily life.

Barcelona has such a great public transport connection!

Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram... Join the community!

It may look obvious, but we strongly suggest you to start joining communities of young internationals in Barcelona: it’s important to get in touch with many people before the arrival and collect many interesting and useful information about the life in the city.

Look for keywords such as “Erasmus in Barcelona” or “Expats in Barcelona” on Facebook, you can also search some Whatsapp groups to get in touch directly with some fellow travellers and follow us on Instagram to find other tenants or your future flatmates!

Get a Spanish SIM card

Once you arrive, keep sharing your experience with all your friends and family! Before arriving here, you should check if your mobile phone plan is valid in Spain. If you’re coming from a European Country, it will probably work, but your data will be reduced. If you’re from a Non-EU Country, you will need a new sim card.

If you like a prepaid sim card, we recommend you Lycamobile, they have super low fares. However, if you prefer to have a contract, there are several options: Vodafone, Orange, Movistar, Yoigo, etc. Just check them all and find the best for you.

Come visit us at the office and we will help you with everything you need!

Open a Spanish bank account

What about managing the expenses in an easier way? We recommend to people with a different currency from Euro, to open a Spanish bank account. It’s an available option to both residents and non-residents in Spain.

The documents you’ll need may vary depending if you are applying as a resident or non-resident.

Documents as a resident:

A valid identification document (national ID for European members or passport);
A document that proves your address;
Your Spanish NIE (Número Identificativo de Extranjero);
A proof of your employment status (payslip, tax return, etc.).

Documents as a non-resident:

A valid identification document (national ID for European members or passport);
A document that proves your address;
A proof of your employment status (payslip, tax return, etc.).

Come at the office and we will explain you how to get your Spanish bank account!

Why live in a shared flat

Choosing the neighbourhood where to live in Barcelona is a very important decision, but deciding whether to rent a room or an entire apartment is just as, if not more, important because it will also affect your entire stay.

You may be wondering about the benefits of living in a shared flat. We believe it's the best option for you. Let's have a look here!

A shared flat is usually cheaper.
You can afford a room in the city center.
Shared flats make it very easy to get in touch with new people and new cultures.
You can make lifelong friends to share unforgettable experiences with.

We also have some tips to help you make the most out of your time while living in a student housing in Barcelona, sharing a flat.

Communication.
Sharing is caring.
Open-minded approach.
Keep in touch with the people you meet.
Privacy respect.