What to Do in Your First 7 Days After Moving to Barcelona

The first week after moving to Barcelona is one of the most important periods of your entire relocation, because the tasks you complete in these seven days determine how smoothly the next few months unfold. Get the sequence right and you arrive at day eight with your TIE appointment booked, your bank account open, and a genuine sense of belonging in the city.

Before You Start: What to Have Ready Before Day One

The first seven days go significantly better if a small number of things are already in place before you arrive. Your accommodation should be confirmed with a physical address and a signed rental contract or confirmation letter, because you will need both your address and your contract for the empadronamiento registration you complete in the first day or two. If you are still looking for long-term housing, our guide on when to start planning your move to Barcelona covers the housing search timeline in detail.

You should also have printed or downloaded copies of your key documents before you land: passport, visa, NIE number if already assigned, accommodation contract, health insurance policy, and university acceptance letter if applicable. Digital copies stored in your phone or a cloud folder work for most purposes, but some Spanish administrative offices still ask for printed copies, so having both ready saves time.

Day 1 After Moving to Barcelona: SIM Card, Transport Card, and Getting Your Bearings

The first day is not for bureaucracy. It is for the practical things that make everything else possible and for giving yourself permission to absorb where you are.

Your first priority on day one is getting a Spanish SIM card. This is not optional and it is not something to leave until later in the week. Almost every administrative process you will complete in Barcelona over the next seven days, from booking your TIE appointment to receiving bank verification codes, relies on having a working Spanish mobile number. The three main operators are Movistar, Vodafone, and Orange, all of which have shops in central Barcelona, and lower-cost alternatives like Yoigo and Pepephone are widely available at smaller retailers and online. You will need your passport to register the SIM. The whole process takes about 15 minutes.

After your SIM is sorted, buy a T-Casual transport card from any metro station. This is a ten-journey card valid across metro, bus, and tram within Zone 1, which covers the entire central city. It costs around €11.35 and means you can move around Barcelona freely from your first afternoon without needing cash for every journey. If you plan to stay long-term, a monthly T-Usual pass is significantly better value, but the T-Casual is the practical choice for your first week while your bank account is still being set up.

Take the rest of day one to walk your neighbourhood. Find your nearest supermarket (Mercadona is the go-to for most residents, with Lidl a close second for value), locate the nearest metro station you will use regularly, and work out roughly where your local Ajuntament or district office is, because you will be going there tomorrow.

Day 2 After Moving to Barcelona: Empadronamiento Registration

Completing your empadronamiento is the single most important administrative task of your first week, and day two is the right time to do it. Empadronamiento is your registration on the municipal census at your Barcelona address, and it is a legal prerequisite for your TIE application. Many banks also require it before they will open an account, and it underpins access to several local public services.

The process is handled at your local Ajuntament (City Hall) or the district office that covers your neighbourhood. Barcelona is divided into ten districts, each of which has its own office that handles empadronamiento registrations. You can find your relevant office on the Barcelona City Council website. Some offices accept walk-ins while others require an appointment, so checking before you go saves a wasted journey.

What to bring to your empadronamiento appointment: your passport in original and photocopy, your rental contract or a letter from your landlord confirming you live at the address, and in some cases a completed registration form downloadable from the Ajuntament website. The registration is free, it is usually processed the same day, and you will leave with a certificate confirming your address in the city. That certificate is what you need for everything that follows.

Day 3 After Moving to Barcelona: Book Your TIE Appointment

Your TIE (Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero) appointment needs to be booked as close to your arrival date as possible, because the wait for a slot in Barcelona can run from two to six weeks and your legal deadline for submitting the application is 30 days from the date you entered Spain. Day three is a good target, since you now have your empadronamiento certificate from yesterday, which is one of the required documents.

The booking system is the Sede Electrónica at icp.administracionelectronica.gob.es. Open it in Chrome or Firefox rather than Safari, use a Spanish IP address if you have any trouble loading it, and select "Policía: Toma de huellas (Expedición de tarjeta) e Identidad" under the Barcelona province. Enter your details exactly as they appear on your passport and your NIE number. If no slots are showing, do not assume you have to wait. New appointments are released in batches, most reliably on Thursday afternoons around 15:00 and Monday mornings from 8:00. Expanding your search to nearby towns within the Barcelona province, particularly Badalona, Sabadell, and Sant Cugat, significantly improves your chances of finding an earlier slot.

For a complete guide to the booking process, what documents you need to bring, and how the card collection works after the appointment, read our full guide on how to book a TIE appointment in Barcelona.

While you are working through the Sede Electrónica, also pay your Tasa 790 Código 012 TIE application fee. Download the Modelo 790 form, fill it in, and take it to any Spanish bank branch to pay the €16.08 fee and receive the stamped receipt. You need this receipt at your appointment and the bank is the only place you can pay it.

Day 4 After Moving to Barcelona: Open a Spanish Bank Account

A Spanish bank account is not a bureaucratic nicety. It is how you will pay your rent, receive transfers, pay utility bills, and operate financially in Barcelona. Most landlords will not accept recurring rent payments from a foreign account indefinitely, and cash payment arrangements for monthly rent are both inconvenient and, in many cases, legally problematic.

To open an account as a non-EU resident in Barcelona you typically need your passport, your NIE number, and your empadronamiento certificate. Having all three in place by day four puts you in a strong position. The banks most commonly used by international students and expats in Barcelona are CaixaBank, which has an extensive branch and ATM network across the city, Santander, and BBVA. N26 and Revolut are also popular for their lower international transfer fees and English-language apps, and both can often be set up more quickly than a traditional Spanish bank account.

If your NIE was not assigned before your arrival and you are still waiting for your TIE appointment, some banks will open an account with just your passport and a declaration of fiscal residence, but this varies by branch and by the specific officer you speak to. It is always worth trying, and having your empadronamiento certificate and your TIE appointment confirmation with you demonstrates that you are actively completing the process.

Once your account is open, set up a transfer from your home country account to cover your immediate expenses. Services like Wise and Revolut offer significantly better exchange rates than standard international bank transfers and are widely used by British, American, and international expats managing money across borders.

Day 5 After Moving to Barcelona: University or Work Registration

Day five is for the institutional registration that is specific to your reason for being in Barcelona, whether that is enrolling at a university, registering with your employer, or setting up your freelance or remote work structure.

For students, this means completing your formal university enrollment if you have not already done so from your home country. Most Barcelona universities require your NIE number for full enrollment, which means students who arrived before receiving their NIE may need to complete a provisional registration first and finalise it once the number is confirmed. A full list of what to bring is covered in our guide to documents you need to study in Spain as a non-EU student, but the core items are your acceptance letter, passport, visa, empadronamiento certificate, and health insurance policy documentation.

For people moving to Barcelona for work with a Spanish employer, day five is a good time to confirm your Social Security registration (número de afiliación a la Seguridad Social) if your employer has not already processed this. Social Security registration gives you access to the public healthcare system and is a condition of legal employment in Spain.

For remote workers and freelancers, particularly those on the Digital Nomad Visa, registering as an autónomo (self-employed) with the Spanish tax authority (Agencia Tributaria) is a step that typically comes slightly later in the process but is worth beginning to plan. Some Digital Nomad Visa holders choose to use a gestor to handle this registration, which is a practical option given that the Spanish self-employment tax and social security system has specific rules that differ significantly from the UK and US equivalents.

Day 6 After Moving to Barcelona: Healthcare Registration and Practical Setup

By day six the major administrative tasks are either complete or in motion, and the focus shifts to setting up the practical infrastructure of daily life in Barcelona.

If you are working legally in Barcelona and contributing to Social Security, you are entitled to register with the public healthcare system. Visit your nearest CAP (Centre d'Atenció Primària), which is Barcelona's equivalent of a GP surgery, to register with a doctor and receive your health card (targeta sanitària individual). You will need your TIE or your TIE appointment resguardo, your empadronamiento certificate, and your Social Security number. Registration at the CAP is the entry point to all public healthcare in Barcelona, from GP appointments to specialist referrals.

If you are on a visa category that requires private health insurance, such as the Non-Lucrative Visa, confirm that your policy is active and that you have digital and physical copies of your insurance card and policy document accessible. Spain's private healthcare sector is strong, and most major private insurers have English-speaking practitioners available in Barcelona.

Use the rest of day six for the practical setup that makes daily life run smoothly: registering your utilities if they are not already included in your rent, setting up your internet if your accommodation does not have it, finding your nearest pharmacy, and identifying the supermarkets and markets you will use regularly. The Mercat de Santa Caterina in El Born and the Mercat de l'Abaceria in Gràcia are among the best neighbourhood markets for fresh produce and are genuinely worth building into your weekly routine.

Day 7 After Moving to Barcelona: Explore the City and Start Building Your Life Here

The seventh day is for Barcelona itself. You have spent a week completing the administrative foundation of your life here and the payoff is that you can now move around the city with a working phone, a functional bank account, a SIM receiving important messages, and the knowledge that your legal registration process is underway.

Use this day to explore beyond your immediate neighbourhood. If you are living in Eixample, walk down to the Barceloneta beach and take the cable car up to Montjuïc. If you are in Gràcia, spend the morning in the Parc Güell and the afternoon finding a bar where you actually want to become a regular. If you are in Poblenou, cycle the Rambla del Poblenou and explore what used to be the city's industrial waterfront and has become one of its most interesting neighbourhoods.

Barcelona rewards people who engage with it rather than simply living inside it. Start learning a few phrases in Spanish if you have not already, and do not be intimidated by Catalan. Making any attempt at Catalan, even a simple gràcies or bon dia, is received warmly and signals that you are interested in the place you are living rather than just passing through it. Language exchange events are easy to find across the city, particularly in bars around the university area and in community centres in Gràcia and El Born, and they are one of the most effective ways to build genuine social connections in your first weeks.

The Week After Your First 7 Days in Barcelona: What Comes Next

Once your first week is complete, three things are worth tracking closely in the weeks that follow. Your TIE appointment confirmation, if you booked it during the week, is your most important pending item. Check you have the right documents prepared, that your Tasa 790 receipt is safely stored, and that your appointment time is in your calendar with a reminder. If you moved from the UK, our guide to moving to Barcelona from the UK after Brexit covers what to expect in the weeks following your arrival.

Your lote number tracking starts once you have attended your TIE fingerprint appointment and received your resguardo. The lote number on that document is how you track when your card is ready for collection, and checking it periodically on the Sede Electrónica is the only way to know when to book your collection appointment.

If you have not yet found permanent housing and are in temporary accommodation, the housing search becomes the priority in week two. Barcelona's rental market moves fast, and the earlier you can establish a permanent address, the sooner you can complete any outstanding registrations that depend on it.

How to Get Help With Your First Week in Barcelona

The first week in Barcelona is genuinely manageable if you know the sequence and have your documents in order. It is significantly harder if you are figuring it out alone, in a language you are still learning, while also trying to settle into a new city and recover from the disruption of an international move.

If you are arriving in Barcelona and want hands-on support through every step of your first week, from SIM card and transport card on arrival day to empadronamiento, TIE appointment booking, and bank account setup, book a free consultation before you land.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most important thing to do in your first week after moving to Barcelona? 

Completing your empadronamiento registration and booking your TIE appointment are the two most time-sensitive tasks of your first week. The TIE application must be submitted within 30 days of entering Spain, and the appointment booking process in Barcelona can take two to six weeks, which means starting on or before day three of your arrival is essential rather than optional.

Do I need an appointment for empadronamiento in Barcelona?

 It depends on your district. Some Ajuntament offices in Barcelona accept walk-ins for empadronamiento while others require a prior appointment. Checking your specific district office on the Barcelona City Council website before you go avoids an unnecessary wasted trip, and in most cases the process is completed the same day.

Can I open a Spanish bank account in my first week in Barcelona?

 Yes, and day four is the right time to do it. You will need your passport, NIE number, and empadronamiento certificate for most banks. Some banks will open an account with just your passport and a declaration of fiscal residence if your NIE is not yet confirmed, though this varies by branch. Having all three documents in place by the end of day three puts you in the strongest position for the day four bank visit.

What documents do I need for my first week in Barcelona? 

The core documents to have accessible throughout your first week are your passport, visa, NIE number, rental contract or accommodation confirmation, empadronamiento certificate (from day two onward), health insurance policy, and university or employer letter. Digital copies stored in a cloud folder and physical printed copies are both worth having, since Spanish administrative offices vary in what format they accept.

How long does it take to feel settled after moving to Barcelona? 

Most people begin to feel genuinely comfortable in Barcelona after four to six weeks, once the administrative processes are complete, a daily routine has formed, and social connections have started to develop. The first week, while busy with practical tasks, is also when the city starts to feel like home rather than a holiday destination, and engaging with the neighbourhood, local markets, and community spaces accelerates that shift significantly.