Residents » Overview » When You Arrive

Your first few weeks may be a little overwhelming. While enjoying the social distractions of your new city, there are a few ‘life admin’ basics that will ensure things run smoothly.

 Social Security - EU and EEA residents (and non-EU residents who have residency and work permits) should enroll in the social security system. If you have a job lined up, your company will do this for you. If you're self-employed, you'll have to do this at the Social Security Treasury offices (www.seg-social.es). See more in the Work section, p..

 Foreign Identity Card - Your NIE (Numero de Identidad de Extranjero) will be needed for any dealings with officialdom. You can apply for this at the Oficina de Extranjeros (www.extranjeros.mtas.es/en/index.html) or at your local police station.

 Open a bank account - Utility companies will pull monthly payments straight from your bank account. See banks on p..

 Turn on your new life - For info about connecting water, electricity, phone and internet service, see p.. For a list of social groups and business organizations, see p..

 Transfer you driver's licence - See for how.

 Register at your embassy - It's worth letting your embassy know that you're here. See p..

 Charm the locals - While you may have some Spanish under your belt, it's worth knowing Catalan too. It's the language on the street, and speaking it will help you integrate faster. Corsorci per a La Normalització Lingüística (www.cpnl.cat) can hook you up with free courses. See for more.

And most importantly, approach the whole process with a smile and a sense of humour. There's bound to be frustrating moments, and Spain can be very bureaucratic, but staying patient may keep you sane.

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