Moving to Barcelona: a step-by-step plan, documents and the first weeks

Moving to Barcelona: a three-stage plan

It is more practical to think in stages rather than in a to-do list. Each stage has its own questions, and a mistake at an early stage costs more than one at a later stage.

The ground is chosen at the start: where to start with a residence permit in Spain. Applying from Spain or through a consulate is a separate decision: applying from Spain or through a consulate.

Stage 1: what to prepare before applying

List your nationalities and countries of residence over recent years, valid passports and family circumstances, and add your sources of funds and planned employment. Descriptions are enough at this stage: you do not need to send full passport archives to several agencies at once.

For the visa, your passport must be valid for at least a year. You need criminal record certificates from the countries where you have lived in the last five years and a medical certificate showing you have no diseases that pose a risk to public health (article 38 Reglamento) [1]. Foreign public documents are submitted with an apostille if the issuing country is party to the 1961 Hague Convention, otherwise with consular legalisation, and with a translation into Spanish; in Catalonia, Catalan is also accepted (the Ministry’s Hoja 61) [2]. An apostille certifies the signature, the capacity of the signatory and the seal; it does not replace a translation: apostille and legalisation. The full list by ground: document checklist.

Set up a table with dates: document, date of issue, validity, whether an apostille and translation are needed. A criminal record certificate from your country of residence often takes weeks, so deal with it before other papers. Keep the calendar for all family members from the start.

Stage 2: between applying and arriving

After you apply, the main thing is not to miss any messages. For a consular visa you may be called to an interview or asked for documents, and there is little time to respond. For a request for documents the general rule of ten days applies, with a possible extension (article 27.4 refers to article 68 of Ley 39/2015); for attending a summons you get no more than fifteen days, otherwise the case is closed as withdrawn (article 27.3 Reglamento) [1]. Once the decision is made, you must collect the visa within a month, or you are deemed to have given it up (article 28) [1]. On answering requests: how to answer a requerimiento.

A residence visa is issued for one year at most and gives you the right to enter. Under article 37, if the permit is for more than six months, you must apply for the TIE in person within a month of entering [1]. If you apply from Spain rather than from abroad, you do not need a visa and the procedure is different. Open sources say nothing about leaving Spain while a DNV application is being processed, so plan on not travelling. Moving belongings, pets or a car is arranged separately: bringing pets to Spain.

Housing and empadronamiento: registering your address

Empadronamiento (padrón, registration in the municipal register of residents) in Barcelona is compulsory for everyone who lives in the city. It is not a residence permit or an authorisation, but a record of where you actually live [4]. You can do it online, by phone on 010 or in person by appointment. For a non-EU national a passport or TIE is enough, and the address is proven with a rental contract of at least three months (or one that has been extended) or a document from the owner; for a hotel, the document is provided under different rules. If the application is complete, confirmation arrives by post in about a week [4]. The city may request additional evidence that you actually live at the address [4].

So do not buy a “registration without living there”: the padrón records your real address, it does not create an immigration right. Discuss with the owner in advance whether they are willing to provide documents for registration. More: empadronamiento in Barcelona, housing for the first period: housing for the first weeks.

First weeks after arrival: what to do and in what order

There is no universal order, but there is a principle: start with whatever has a legal deadline.

These steps differ by ground: after a DNV, start with the first 30 days after a DNV. Under article 76 of Ley 14/2013, a TIE is needed if the permit is valid for more than six months [3].

How to make your moving budget clear

Split your costs into five parts: professional support, government fees, translations and apostilles, health insurance where the authority requires it, and living costs (housing, deposit, travel). For each line, note who you pay and what you get. Fees are published by the authorities and their amounts change, so take the figures from the authorities’ pages rather than from correspondence. Check whether responding to an additional request and resubmitting are included in your provider’s fee.

Assess the budget together with the calendar: booking periods, insurance coverage, tuition payments and the validity of certificates may overlap. Do not pay for everything on the same day just to feel ready.

Common mistakes when preparing a move

• Ordering translations before choosing the ground. The document may turn out to be unnecessary or in the wrong version.
• Not counting how long certificates take. A certificate from abroad can take weeks.
• Buying a “registration”. The padrón reflects your real address, and the city can check [4].
• Putting off the TIE. The deadline is one month [1].
• Starting work before you have the permit. Working without a permit is an infringement, not a “formality”.
• Copying someone else’s order from a chat. The steps depend on the ground, the consulate and the date.
• Not thinking through the family. Your partner and children apply on their own ground, and documents are needed for each of them [1].

When you need an individual review

If you have more than one possible ground, tight deadlines (academic year, contract, expiring visa), several countries of residence over five years, only part of the family on one ground, income from different countries, or it is unclear what to apply for and where. In that case the plan is built on your documents, not on a template.

How we can help

The ReloVictory team in Barcelona builds a stage-by-stage relocation plan: it helps you choose the ground, draw up the calendar and the document list, prepare the package and take the first steps after arrival. We are not responsible for the authorities’ response times. Book: consultation, step-by-step procedure: residence permit in Barcelona and route cards.

Frequently asked questions

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ReloVictory · Sources reviewed 02.10.2026 · Not a substitute for individual legal advice.