3 Tips for moving to Barcelona with your family

At Inlea we are experienced in moving people around the globe. We are currently in the process of relocating a team member from Russia over to Barcelona together with his wife and two kids. Here is some advice for moving to Barcelona with you family:

1- Sort out your Número de Identidad de Extrangero (NIE)

You will need a NIE if you plan to live in Spain, as it is necessary for all the essentials, such as renting a house or apartment, signing up for electricity bills or getting a phone number. If you are relocating because of work, it is likely that your employer will help you sort this out, especially if you are from outside of the EU. If you are from the EU, you will have to make an appointment online on www.seap.minhap.gob.es. You will have to pick “Certificado UE”, print the application form and fill it in. You’ll only have to make two visits to the office to arrange the paperwork and you will have your brand new NIE!

2- Prepare your family for the new language

There is a very large network of expats from all over the world in Barcelona, so the chances are you children and partner will be able to find people with whom they can interact in their native language. Having said this though, the sooner your family is exposed to and learns the languages (Spanish and Catalan), the sooner they will be able to adapt to the new culture and the easier it will be for them to move around so prior to moving, it would be great if you could all sign up to some Spanish and or Catalan lessons to have an idea of the basics, and then continue to learn once you are settled in.

3- Make an effort for your children to integrate into the Culture

There are many of some of the best international schools in Barcelona, however, for your children to successfully integrate into the Catalan culture, it could be a good idea to incorporate your children into the Catalan public schooling system. The kids will be brought up trilingual which is a huge plus.