# Help on Moving to Barcelona



## alv3rn (Sep 25, 2013)

Hi, 

This issue may have appeared on this forum before but i'm not the best with navigating these things. If anybody can help me this I would be soooo thankful.

I want to move to Barcelona. I have done my C.V. in Catalan and have already had interest from a few place wanting to interview me. But I need help with the order and strategy of what I need to do. 

I believe the first things I will need to obtain are a residential NIE number and a Social Security Number. As a EU citizen I believe I will be able to sort this out with minimal fuss. But the next thing I need to do is the difficult bit. As I understand in order to get a residential bank account I obviously need to have documentation to prove I have a place of residence in Spain. However, if I put a deposit down on a place to live I run the risk of not being able to secure work and therefore not being able to pay rent. Is there anyway around this? Can I start by using a non residential bank account and then switching once I have work? Or is my only option is to take the plunge with a deposit on a room and hope for the best.

Any help regarding this will be gratefully recieved.

Alex


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## roseandian (Dec 12, 2012)

*moving to Barcalona*

Hi

In my opinion you should secure a job first. You will need to get an NIE number and although you would think that you are entitled to one that is not what happens in practice. 

We moved to a town nr Barcelona in February this year, we had a rental agreement, job contract and it was still difficult to get an NIE. You must provide all your documents in Spanish or Calalan. 

without the NIE number you will not be able to work, sign up for utilities (although if you rent an apartment that wont matter,) get a mobile phone as they all request your nie number for registering the sim ( a legal requirement). join the library etc etc, 

We did eventually get the NIE number but not before travelling to Badalona on numerous occasions and we were lucky that we had help from Spanish friends.

You do need the NIE for a residents bank account which we wanted as it gaveus a no commission account, but you can open a non resident account immediately.

You will also need to sort out your health care as your EHIC card will not cover yo for more than 90 days but if you phone Newcastle they will arrange for you to have a letter to bring to the Seguridad Social Offices to allow you the same health cover as everyone else. Spain has an excellent free Health service.

If you are self employed however you will not be able to get a letter to cover you but as soon as you have an NIE you automatically are entitled to free health care you just need to register at the Seguridad Social

We have thoroughly enjoyed living here we have been accepted by our neighbours who are so friendly to us and our two dogs. We did not know Spanish before we came so have had lessons especially as most people do not speak English, that hasnt been a problem as the people in our town are lovely.


So the order I would do things is 

1. get a job 
2. find accommodation
3. get your NIE Number
4. sort out health care, 
5 Enjoy

hope this helps


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## alv3rn (Sep 25, 2013)

Thank you for taking the time to do such a detailed response.

Below is an extract of an email from a potential employer........

_We have received your CV this week and your profile seems to match the English native position that we are currently looking for Reservations Sales Agent.

Before starting the interview process, we would like to know if you live in Barcelona and are you ready to start on Wednesday 25th of September.

If is Yes and you are still interested let me know at what hour are you available tomorrow or Friday for an interview in CPM office.
We offer:
- Multilingual and excellent work environment
- Training & languages lessons
- Full-time position (39hours/week)

Additionally, be aware that if an interview is organised, we will expect you to present the following documentation to start to work:
- NIE / Resident Card (official paper) / DNI (Spanish people)
- Social Security Number (official paper)
- Passport (official paper)
- Bank account details (libreta or screenshot of bank account details from online bank)

Thanks a lot for your interest and looking forward to hear from you,
Regards,_

Obviously I was unable to take them up on their offer for an interview as I didn't have all the documentation required. And after your response, I think i'm going to find myself in a catch 22 situation.

Alex


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## roseandian (Dec 12, 2012)

Speak to them, the reason they need the documents i imagine is the same as British Employers ie they need to know you are entitled to work in Spain, they might give you time to get your NIE once you start. You get your NIE form the National Police in the town that you live, you could phone them to ask their advice. 

Good Luck with your search for work,


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## alv3rn (Sep 25, 2013)

thank you


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## zenkarma (Feb 15, 2013)

alv3rn said:


> Obviously I was unable to take them up on their offer for an interview as I didn't have all the documentation required.


Erm, no!

You couldn't take them up on their offer because you're not currently resident in Barcelona! It does say, _if yes..._then. You don't currently live there nor are resident. So it's no.

The NIE number is a tax number. You need one if you buy property, a boat or a car or if you work obviously. It's not required for anything else! Not quite sure why you'd want one for a mobile phone sim! Neither do you need one to rent an apartment or sign up for utilities.

A National Insurance number is also self evident, it's where your social security contributions will go.

Your best bet is to simply get out there and stay in a hotel or find a place to rent for a few months. You'll have to be out there for any job interviews in any case.

An NIE number is fairly simple to get in Spain, you can even get them in this country.


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## samthemainman (Aug 15, 2012)

zenkarma said:


> Erm, no! You couldn't take them up on their offer because you're not currently resident in Barcelona! It does say, if yes...then. You don't currently live there nor are resident. So it's no. The NIE number is a tax number. You need one if you buy property, a boat or a car or if you work obviously. It's not required for anything else! Not quite sure why you'd want one for a mobile phone sim! Neither do you need one to rent an apartment or sign up for utilities. A National Insurance number is also self evident, it's where your social security contributions will go. Your best bet is to simply get out there and stay in a hotel or find a place to rent for a few months. You'll have to be out there for any job interviews in any case. An NIE number is fairly simple to get in Spain, you can even get them in this country.


This advice is not correct and your NIE, while being the same as your NIF (your tax number) is not just used for tax purposes. You can obtain a non resident NIE to purchase holiday property or a car, but you do need to register on the foreigners list (the EU one) within 90 days with the extranjería and you receive your NIE simultaneously, that is if you didn't have a no residents one before. You'll need proof of income or funds and proof of healthcare (which can be your 'alta' into the seguridad social or private healthcare for residents (EHIC or travel insurance doesn't count). There are stacks of threads on this.

You DO need your NIE for some, but not all utility bills. Water companies are the least flexible and in my experience do not accept passports. You need one for a contract mobile phone, for a residents bank account etc.

If it's your first job in Spain your employer should understand you need to obtain the documentation on the basis of a job offer. You can obtain a social security number with the correct offer paperwork from the employer, you then need proof from your employer that they have enrolled you (the 'alta') into it. Take that with your rental contract, passport, proof of healthcare policy docs or SS enrollment plus photocopies of both and you should be fine.

Don't fall into the trap of thinking you don't need registering or the corresponding resident's NIE if you intend hanging around longer than 3 months. It's not hard.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

samthemainman said:


> This advice is not correct and your NIE, while being the same as your NIF (your tax number) is not just used for tax purposes. You can obtain a non resident NIE to purchase holiday property or a car, but you do need to register on the foreigners list (the EU one)* within 90 days with the extranjería and you receive your NIE simultaneously,* that is if you didn't have a no residents one before. You'll need proof of income or funds and proof of healthcare (which can be your 'alta' into the seguridad social or private healthcare for residents (EHIC or travel insurance doesn't count). There are stacks of threads on this.
> 
> .


but the OP isn't resident yet - so that is hardly relevant (yet - though if/when he is it will be)



samthemainman said:


> You DO need your NIE for some, but not all utility bills. Water companies are the least flexible and in my experience do not accept passports. You need one for a contract mobile phone, for a residents bank account etc.
> 
> .




yes...but usually rentals keep the utilties in the owner's name - so it hardly matters - & again - the OP isn't even here yet

for a resident bank account you need a resident cert/card - not just a NIE



samthemainman said:


> If it's your first job in Spain your employer should understand you need to obtain the documentation on the basis of a job offer. You can obtain a social security number with the correct offer paperwork from the employer, you then need proof from your employer that they have enrolled you (the 'alta') into it. Take that with your rental contract, passport, proof of healthcare policy docs or SS enrollment plus photocopies of both and you should be fine.
> 
> Don't fall into the trap of thinking you don't need registering or the corresponding resident's NIE if you intend hanging around longer than 3 months. It's not hard.



in short, a lot of what you say is true - but is atm moot because the OP isn't even here yet.....


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## samthemainman (Aug 15, 2012)

Xabiachica you're right on all counts except that I thought it was obvious from my post that the NIE and residency are achieved simultaneously if you are coming here to live, or in the case of the OP applying for a job here with the aim of being successful. The point is that employers shouldn't turn away EU applicants on the basis of not having residency YET but as mentioned assist with the necessary paperwork to obtain the NIE with registration of EU citizen's certificate on the scrappy bit of green paper. I don't recommend the business of getting a non-resident NIE first and going back later for residency - my life is too short to queue twice if I can kill two birds with one stone. 

So in response to roseandians recommended order, I would do it differently.

Depending on your luck (and you moving here is dependent on a job offer - very sensible), I would 

1) Get a job
2) Find accommodation
3) Register with Social Security
4) Provide the SS to your employer, they obtain the 'Alta' form to show you're enrolled - this is sufficient proof of healthcare provision
5) Depending on your region register on the padron (in Valencia you do this before registering as resident, in other regions you have to do it the other way round)
6) Take all your documentation with photocopies and a small stapler (just kidding Xabia) with a smug face to the Extranjeria

On the issue of utility bills - some may agree to keep it in the owner's name, and I think the gas company did that for me, but others rightfully insist that it transfers to the tenant as bill payment is their responsibility after all. Also there are legal issues with giving your bank details for the direct debits and keeping your landlord's name on the record. Getting deposits back at the end of the contract term can be hard enough without getting into argiebargies over who's responsibility it was to pay up - so for me it makes more sense to change the name over. Horses for courses - I just know as a landlord myself in the UK I could never keep a bill in my name when my tenants are in...


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## alv3rn (Sep 25, 2013)

Thank you all for the taking the time to help me on this.

Today I got flights to go to Barcelona on 06/10/13 until 17/10/13. Not a lot of time to achieve what I want to accomplish but it's a start. I will send my C.V. out in mass a few days before I go and when I get there i'l go around all the agencies and view some rooms. 

Thank you


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