Points to remember before you move to Barcelona

Barcelona is a beautiful city to consider moving to. Even though the economy is still somewhat fragile due to the country’s property crash and because of the global recession, now would be a good time to consider making that move.

However, before you do decide to up sticks and move to a much warmer climate there are certain things that need to be considered first, and below we take a look at what some of these are.

Table of Contents

1. Where To Live?

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If you are intending to move to Barcelona with children then the best locations to look for accommodation are Pedralbes in the Les Corts district, Sarriá, Tres Torres or St Gervasi all of which are situated in the district of the Sarriá-Sant Gervasi. Furthermore you might want to consider looking at St Just Desvern and Esplugues de Llobregat.

However if you are just coming alone or with a partner or a friend then the areas you may want to consider moving to include Esquerra Eixample in L’Eixample district or Vila Olimpica in the Sant Marti district.

Related article: Barcelona’s best neighborhoods to live in

2. Healthcare

You have the choice of either private or public healthcare when you decide to move to Barcelona. However in order for you to be able to take advantage of being given subsidized health care you will need to register at the nearest Social Security Office to where you are living.

However before you can register with them you first need to register at the town hall in order to obtain your Empadronamiento. To obtain this particular document when you go to the town hall you need to take with you a valid passport, a copy of the title for the property you own or a rental contract.

Photo by deming131 via VisualHunt / CC BY-NC-ND

As for private healthcare this is of course does tend to cost more but you will find that you don’t have such long queues. However to subsidise such an expense there are plenty of companies who now offer health insurance you can use to cover any costs you may incur.

3. Learn the language

It is important when thinking about moving to Barcelona that whilst the rest of the world considers it to be part of Spain, they people of this city consider themselves to be very much independent. Unlike other parts of Spain here the official language is Catalan and the road signs, instructions in the metro and other public notices all appear in this language. Certainly it is a good idea before moving that you learn even some basic Spanish phrases initially then sign up for classes once you have got settled in your new home.