Practical tips for students in Barcelona

When you move to study in another city, the first thing that worries you is choosing the best university or hitting the university residence with the best services. But once you are installed, there are sure to be a lot of doubts about such basic topics as opening a bank account, or getting access to public health ...

We offer you a series of useful general tips in all our cities. You will find numbers, links and general contacts for Catalonia and also specific for Barcelona.

One of the main concerns when you settle in another city is how to access the health system. The health card allows you to access the services of the public health system. All registered people, with residence permits, can obtain the health card. You should go to the Primary Care Center (CAP) in your neighborhood. You can also call 902 111 444.

What is this "All registered people?" The census, or census, is the census of inhabitants of the city and allows you to be a resident of the city of Barcelona, ​​with all the advantages that this entails. All people, with or without a residence permit, have to register. It is necessary to demonstrate residence in the municipality in procedures related to the Immigration Law and to access public services. You have to go to a Citizen Service Office (OAC) or call 010.

If you have questions about how to get around Barcelona and its surroundings, you have different means of public transport: metro, bus, rail (Rodalies de Catalunya and Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat) and tram, in addition to taxi.

We recommend that you consult the website of the Barcelona Metropolitan Area (AMB), public administration of the Barcelona metropolitan area.

Finally, how to open a bank account?

Banks and savings banks are open from Monday to Friday, generally from 08:30 to 14:00. There are banks that also open on Thursday afternoons, except in summer, which only open in the morning. Foreign students, researchers and professors (both those who come from European Union countries and those who do not) can open a debit account as a non-resident in the different financial entities, for that it is enough to present their current passport. People who come from countries of the European Union can also choose to open an account as residents. We recommend that you check with different financial institutions the conditions they offer and choose the one that suits you best.

You will need to present the passport or NIE (community: it is requested at the Foreign Office of Rambla Guipúscoa, 79. Barcelona - prior appointment → -; non-community: it is requested at the Foreign Office of Passeig de Sant Joan, 189. Barcelona) and a letter of admission from the host university or research center or some document that proves that you are studying or researching in a center in Catalonia.

We hope we have helped you with these practical tips for foreign students in Barcelona.