Ukrainians in Barcelona

This guide is for people who live in Barcelona or have just arrived, and for those helping relatives. It covers only local matters: where exactly to go for temporary protection and the card, how to book appointments with the city’s offices, how to register your address in Barcelona and where to find free help. The general rules on legal status, documents, work and benefits are in the section Ukrainians in Spain.

# Which offices will you need in Barcelona?

For your status and documents, you will need the CREADE center, the National Police and the immigration office (Oficina de Extranjería); for address registration, the offices of the city hall (Ajuntament de Barcelona); and for work, health care and taxes, regional and state services.

Office	What it does for you	Address	How to contact or book
Centro de Recepción, Atención y Derivación (CREADE) de Barcelona	Books appointments to file a temporary protection application, gives advice (including in Ukrainian), opens access to the reception system	Calle de Sant Fructuós 78-80, 08004	+34 93 238 21 99, Mon–Fri 8:00–15:00
Brigada Provincial de Extranjería y Fronteras (Guadalajara)	Accepts temporary protection applications	C/ Guadalajara 1-3	Only by appointment through CREADE; +34 932 903 210
Brigada Provincial de Extranjería y Fronteras (Guipúzcoa)	Processes TIE cards for non-EU nationals	Rbla. Guipúzcoa 74	+34 932 951 071; booking through the state portal
Brigada Provincial de Extranjería y Fronteras (Mallorca)	Hands out finished TIE cards	C/ Mallorca 213, corner of Enric Granados	+34 934 514 804
Brigada Provincial de Extranjería y Fronteras (Sant Joan)	Assigns NIE numbers to non-residents from outside the EU, issues residence certificates	P.º Sant Joan 189	+34 935 209 523
Oficina de Extranjería en Barcelona, Sede 1	Handles permit applications: arraigo, family reunification, renewals	Paseo Sant Joan 189-193, 08037	+34 935 201 410; booking by email or online form
Oficina de Extranjería en Barcelona, Sede 2	The same	Calle Murcia 42, 08027	+34 935 201 410
Delegación del Gobierno registry (OAMR)	Accepts documents for the Oficina de Extranjería; registers you in Cl@ve	Calle Bergara 12, 08002	Day and time are agreed by email
Oficines d'Atenció Ciutadana (OAC) of the city hall	Padró, volant and certificat documents	13 offices, including Pl. Sant Miquel 3	Booking online, on 010 or at a Punt bcn kiosk
Servei d'Atenció a Immigrants, Emigrants i Refugiats (SAIER)	Free social and legal advice for newcomers	Carrer Tarragona 141, 08004	+34 93 153 28 00, [email protected]
Centre d'Atenció Primària (CAP), CatSalut	TSI health card	The CAP for your address	061 Salut Respon line
Servei Públic d'Ocupació de Catalunya (SOC)	Registration as a job seeker	Oficines de Treball	+34 930 886 200
SEPE, Dirección Provincial Barcelona	State unemployment benefit	Parc de l'Estació del Nord s/n, 08018	060 (paid number)
INSS, Dirección Provincial	Social insurance and benefits	C/ Sant Antoni Maria Claret 5 y 11, 08037	+34 93 434 52 00; appointments +34 901 106 570
Agencia Tributaria, Delegación Especial de Cataluña	Taxes	Plaza Doctor Letamendi 13-23, 08007	Find other offices with the search on the website
Mossos d'Esquadra	Catalan police: takes crime reports	You choose the station when you book	Booking on the website; emergency number 112
Consulate General of Ukraine in Barcelona	Consular services for Catalonia, the Valencian Community and the Balearic Islands	c. Numancia 185, bajos 2, 08034	+34 934 02 89 56 (16:00–18:00), [email protected]

Hours: the police units at Rbla. Guipúzcoa, C/ Mallorca and P.º Sant Joan are open Mon–Fri 9:00–14:00, and temporary protection applications at C/ Guadalajara are accepted Mon–Thu 9:00–14:00. The Oficina de Extranjería is open Mon–Thu 9:00–17:30 and Fri 9:00–14:00, and from 16 June to 15 September 9:00–14:00; the OAMR registry is open Mon–Fri 9:00–17:30, in summer 8:00–15:00. The OAC at Pl. Sant Miquel is open Mon–Fri 8:30–20:00, the INSS Mon–Fri 9:00–14:00, and the SOC answers the phone Mon–Fri 8:30–14:00.

Addresses and phone numbers were checked against official websites on 13 October 2026. Check them again before your visit. Tax rules are described on the page Taxes in Spain.

# How do you book an appointment in Barcelona?

Each office books in its own way: CREADE by phone, the police through the state portal, the Oficina de Extranjería by email or online form, and the city hall online or on 010.

# Temporary protection and the TIE card

Call CREADE (+34 93 238 21 99): they will book you an appointment to file your application with the police at C/ Guadalajara 1-3. The call is free, and it is recorded. We explain how the procedure works and what protection gives you on the page Temporary protection in Spain.

You book a TIE appointment on the state appointment portal. According to the 2023 police instructions, you choose the province Barcelona, then the procedure “POLICÍA-TARJETA CONFLICTO UCRANIA” in the “TRÁMITES CUERPO NACIONAL DE POLICÍA” block, then the office. In the city, cards are processed by the police at Rbla. Guipúzcoa 74, and finished cards are handed out at C/ Mallorca 213. The Oficina de Extranjería does not book police appointments. TIE cards already issued for temporary protection have been automatically extended until 4 March 2027 (Orden INT/96/2026), so you do not need a new card for this. Fees and deadlines are on the page TIE in Spain.

# Oficina de Extranjería

The office advises filing applications electronically through the Mercurio platform with an electronic certificate (idCAT or FNMT). Renewals of the study permit, residencia no lucrativa, self-employment and residencia con excepción de trabajo are accepted only through Mercurio: applications filed any other way are not examined.

In-person appointments for arraigo (a temporary residence permit for people who already have ties to Spain) and other applications on form EX-10, and also for EX-19 (the card for a family member of an EU citizen) and EX-24 (relatives of Spanish citizens), are given only by email to [email protected]:

• subject line “PETICIÓN CITA PREVIA”;
• in the body: your passport or NIE number, first and last name, mobile phone, email address, type of application and number of applications;
• no attachments and no other data, or the email will not be processed.

The office itself sends you the place, day and time. For nine other procedures, including family reunification (EX-02) and renewal of an employee work permit (EX-03), you book through the inquiry form: choose Oficina de Extranjería de Barcelona and the section “CONSULTAS SOBRE CITA PREVIA”, and in the subject write “CITA” and the name of the procedure.

Appointments are given only to the applicant, and you are advised to book only once you have the full set of documents. Information is given by phone on the office’s number Mon–Fri 9:00–14:00. You can file documents without an in-person appointment through the registry at Calle Bergara 12: the day and time are agreed by email to [email protected]. Through the same registry you can register in person for Cl@ve (the state electronic identification system) or get an FNMT certificate, after arranging it by email to [email protected]. We explain what you need for arraigo on the page Arraigo in Spain.

# City council, SAIER and the consulate

You book an appointment at a city hall office (OAC) online, on 010 or at a Punt bcn kiosk. Same-day appointments are not available, and the appointment must be in the name of the person who will come and match their ID document. Some matters, including volant certificates for the padró, can be handled by video call.

For SAIER, you book with an online request in the city hall’s Oficina Virtual; the booking service calls you, so you do not need to go in person.

You book a consulate appointment through e-Consul (e-consul.gov.ua; the old address go.mfa.gov.ua redirects there) with electronic identification: an e-signature, Diia.Signature or the National Bank of Ukraine’s BankID. The consulate receives visitors on Mon, Tue, Wed and Fri 9:30–13:30, by appointment only; on Thursday it sees certain groups by appointment: people with disabilities, pregnant women and the seriously ill. Each consular service needs a separate appointment. A reminder comes three days before, and you must confirm the appointment in your online account within 30 hours, or it will be canceled.

# How do you register your address (padró) in Barcelona?

In Barcelona, you can register in the padró (the Catalan name of the municipal register of residents; in Spanish, padrón) online, by phone on 010 or in person at an OAC by appointment, and it is free. You need to register if you live in Barcelona permanently or for most of the year, with or without a residence permit.

The city hall writes that the padró gives access to public health care and school and is needed for most procedures for foreigners, including arraigo and family reunification. Registration does not give you the rights of an owner or holder of the home. The general rule is described on the page Documents for living in Spain.

# Online, by phone or in person?

• Online with idCAT Mòbil, Cl@ve, DNIe or another qualified certificate: you fill out the form, attach the documents and sign. About 7 calendar days later, the city hall confirms the registration by letter or asks for documents; the longest response time is 3 months.
• By phone on 010: the city hall mails you instructions and a form. You must return the signed application with the documents within a month; within another month, the city hall makes the changes and mails you a volant de convivència certificate.
• In person at an OAC: you are registered on the spot if possible. If not, you get a receipt, and the answer comes within 3 months at most.

People who have no document for their home and people who have no permanent address can apply only in person.

# What documents does the city hall ask for?

Documents must be paper originals in Catalan or Spanish. A document in another language is submitted with a translation by a consulate, a sworn translator or a public body, together with the original.

• ID document: for non-EU nationals, a valid passport or residence card.
• Rental contract in your name for more than 3 months, or with an explicit extension beyond 3 months. It must include the full address, the cadastral reference (referència cadastral), the annual rent, the term and start date, the payment method, and the details and signatures of the owner and the tenant. If the contract was signed by a management company, add the document by which the owner authorized it.
• Proof of payment. If the contract has expired and been extended, has no end date, is a copy or was signed electronically, add one of two things: proof of the last rent payment, or the latest electricity, water or gas bill in the tenant’s name, paid within the last 3 months. Mobile phone and internet bills are not accepted. A bank transfer for rent must show the payment purpose, the full address and the month and year paid, and the payment date must be no more than 2 months old.
• Your own home: no documents are needed if you pay property tax (IBI) or the city hall can check it; otherwise, one document of ownership no older than a year.

The city hall may ask for other documents too. Printouts of electronically signed authorizations are not accepted, and an authorization or power of attorney is valid for 3 months from the date on the document.

# What if you do not have your own rental contract?

If the contract is in another person’s name or the home belongs to another person, submit the authorization form “Autorització per inscriure-us al domicili” from that person, a copy of their ID document and the documents for the home. In a hostel or other collective housing, the authorization is signed by the person in charge of the institution, with the institution’s stamp, name, address and tax number (NIF).

If you have neither documents nor an authorization, submit an application (“Instància”) stating who is registering and at what address, and the address check form “Model de comprovació del domicili”. The city hall checks that you really live there, registers you once this is confirmed and mails you the certificates. The city hall states plainly that you can register at the address where you actually live, even without documents that prove it.

People who live in Barcelona for most of the year without permanent housing (on the street, in temporary social services housing or in a different place each time) register at the address of a social services center or a municipal facility. For this, you need a report called Informe de coneixement de residència (ICR). You apply for it at an OAC by appointment, separately for each family member; for children, the legal representative applies. The ICR is issued free of charge by the municipal institute of social services after a check and a visit to the address, in about 3 months. The report is valid for 3 months, and you must register at an OAC within that time.

# How do you register children?

If you came with children, the other parent stayed in Ukraine and you are not divorced, the city hall asks for a joint statement by both parents on the children’s address (declaració conjunta). Without it, you need a court decision on custody or a statement under your own responsibility on the children’s address (declaració responsable de domicili de menors). For a child under 14, you submit the birth certificate; from 14, a passport showing the parents’ details or a residence card. If the child’s document does not show the parents’ details, add the birth certificate or the parents’ passports.

# How do you renew your registration and get a certificate?

Non-EU nationals without a permanent residence permit renew their registration every 2 years. The city hall sends a letter, after which you have 2 months to renew online or at an OAC. It is free, and without renewal the registration is canceled.

The certificates volant de residència (where and since when you are registered) and volant de convivència (who you are registered with) are free: online, the PDF is generated at once, and they are also issued by phone, at an OAC and at a kiosk. How long a certificate is valid is decided by the body that asks for it. The official certificat d’empadronament is signed by the city hall’s secretary and is needed only when a public body or a notary requires it. You can download your own certificat de residència online at once, while a certificate on household composition, on other people or with an apostille takes about 15 working days, also free of charge.

# Where can you get help in Barcelona?

Newcomers get help from the municipal service SAIER, and people who have lived in Spain for more than 2 years go to the social services center (Centre de Serveis Socials) of their district for social assistance. You can find your center by calling +34 900 922 357.

SAIER has worked free of charge since 1989. It gives advice by phone Mon–Thu 9:00–15:00 and 16:00–19:00, Fri 9:00–15:00. Without an appointment, at Carrer Tarragona 141, it sees urgent social or legal cases Mon–Fri 9:00–15:00 within a daily quota of tickets, so the service advises coming in the morning. The service helps with social matters, education, job search and recognition of diplomas, international protection, urgent NIE renewal and family reunification. People who have been in the country for less than 2 years and do not speak the official languages get an interpreter.

Each district has a SOAPI service (Servei d’Orientació i Acompanyament per a Persones Immigrades). Every month, it runs 90-minute sessions on the padró, the health card, school and languages (you can sign up no earlier than 30 days ahead). People who have already attended a session can ask for an individual consultation: +34 695 152 724, [email protected].

The municipal PIA point (Punt d’Informació i Arrelament) at Carrer Tarragona 141 gives advice on arraigo and the integration report; interviews by appointment take place at Carrer Tarragona 173. Contacts: +34 93 256 44 76, [email protected]. In person 9:00–15:00, by phone Mon and Wed 8:30–18:30, Tue, Thu, Fri 8:30–15:00.

If you have no housing or money, the CREADE center opens access to the state reception system; the conditions are described on the page Aid for Ukrainians in Spain. The Red Cross round-the-clock line for people displaced from Ukraine in Catalonia: +34 900 221 122. The ministry’s free information line on temporary protection: +34 91 399 00 09. The city hall also runs a page for refugees in Ukrainian, “Reception and support in Barcelona” (the Barcelona Ciutat Refugi program).

Community organizations whose Barcelona addresses are published on official websites:

• Accem Catalunya: Carrer Casp 118, 3rd floor, doors 3 and 4, 08013; +34 934 09 90 74, [email protected].
• Comissió Catalana d’Acció pel Refugi (CCAR): an information and guidance point on international protection at Carrer Junta del Comerç 26; +34 935 955 539, [email protected].
• Red Cross: the Creu Roja Barcelona service for refugees and migrants works in the SAIER building at Carrer Tarragona 141.

Barcelona belongs to the consular district of the Consulate General of Ukraine in Barcelona, which also serves the Valencian Community and the Balearic Islands. The consulate’s hotline is only for threats to life or deaths of Ukrainian citizens: +34 629 382 936. Passports are also issued by the state enterprise DP “Document” (State Migration Service of Ukraine); its services are paid, and addresses and booking are on pasport.org.ua. According to pasport.org.ua, the center nearest to Barcelona is outside the city: Av. del Segle XXI, 6, 08840 Viladecans. The usual way to get a passport abroad is through the consulate.

The embassy’s list for Barcelona includes two Ukrainian community organizations: the Association of Ukrainians in Catalonia “Chervona Kalyna” and the Ukrainian Cultural Center in Catalonia. The list is old, and it has not been officially confirmed whether these organizations are active now; the municipal directory of reception organizations includes no Ukrainian organization.

# How are Barcelona and Catalonia different from other regions?

Catalonia has its own employment service and health card, the Government of Catalonia (Generalitat) handles part of the matters concerning foreigners, and you will need Catalan for the first reception certificate.

# Language

We did not find any requirement in official sources to know Catalan for the padró, the TIE card or the health card, and documents for the padró are accepted in Catalan or Spanish.

Catalan is needed for the first reception certificate (Certificat del Servei de Primera Acollida). The Generalitat writes that it is useful for arraigo social, for changes and renewals of permits and for citizenship. The certificate is free and covers three modules:

• A: at least 90 hours each of Catalan and Spanish, levels A1–A2;
• B: 15 hours on the labor market, at the SOC or accredited organizations;
• C: 15 hours on Catalan society and law, at SOAPI, in Catalan; you need to be registered in the padró in Barcelona and understand spoken Catalan at level A1–A2.

Existing knowledge can be credited. Catalan courses of the Consorci per a la Normalització Lingüística (CPNL) are free for levels A1 and A2 in the 2026–2027 academic year. Level B1 (Elemental) consists of 45-hour modules, each costing €25.50; the full 120-hour B1 course costs €68, and some learners get 50% and 70% discounts. Information on courses for foreigners: [email protected], +34 933 428 080.

# The TSI health card

In Catalonia, the health card Targeta Sanitària Individual (TSI) is issued by the health service CatSalut. There is a separate procedure for people with temporary protection: you apply at the primary care center (CAP) where you want to be treated, on form SA00429SAA, with the temporary protection decision or the document showing that you applied for it. This card gives general health coverage valid throughout Spain.

Under the general rule, the first TSI is issued if you are registered in the padró of any municipality in Catalonia: through an online form or at a CAP with your ID document and a certificat d’empadronament issued less than 3 months ago. The card is mailed to you free of charge, and after an approved online application, a temporary document with a CIP number arrives by email. You can find your CAP by address on the CatSalut website; for questions about the card, CatSalut refers you to the 061 Salut Respon line.

# Work

Job seekers are registered by the Catalan employment service SOC. Only holders of a Spanish DNI can register online straight away; NIE holders register by phone on +34 930 886 200 (Mon–Fri 8:30–14:00) with staff of the Oficines de Treball. Registration is free and voluntary, but it is mandatory for people who receive unemployment benefit.

Initial work permits for people who will work in Catalonia are issued by the Generalitat; the procedure is described on the Generalitat page for foreigners, and the Delegación del Gobierno refers questions on this to the 012 information line. The right to work and the employment contract are described on the page Work in Spain, and state benefit on the page Unemployment benefit in Spain.

# Benefits

From 1 October 2026, new applications for the minimum living income (Ingreso Mínimo Vital) in Catalonia are handled by the Generalitat. You apply on the Generalitat’s procedures website with two linked forms: first for the minimum living income (together with the child supplement), and then the system offers to continue with an application for the regional benefit Renda Garantida de Ciutadania using the same data. If you cannot apply online, you can call 012 or use a video call, and they will help you through the procedure. You can also apply at a Generalitat information office: at a self-service terminal without an appointment, or with help from a staff member (it is better to book). Applications filed before 1 October and existing payments stay with the INSS. The regional program for refugees, Programa català de refugi, is currently unavailable. The conditions of both benefits are described on the page Aid for Ukrainians in Spain.

The city hall also has its own one-off aid for families with children under 16 (Fons d’Infància), with separate conditions on padró registration and contact with social services; applications for 2026 are already closed.

# The integration report for arraigo

In Catalonia, the integration report (informe d’esforç d’integració) is prepared by the Generalitat together with the municipalities, and you apply at the city hall where you are registered. It is needed for arraigo social without family ties, arraigo socioformatiu and permit renewal. In Barcelona, PIA gives advice on it.

# Police

Documents (TIE, NIE, temporary protection) are handled by the National Police, while crime reports are taken by the Catalan police, the Mossos d’Esquadra, by prior appointment on their website.

# Waiting times

We did not find official data on waiting times for appointments in Barcelona for 2025–2026. The latest official evidence dates from 2024: back then, the Catalan ombudsman (Síndic de Greuges) received complaints about delays with the ICR report.

# What has not yet been officially confirmed?

Most local rules are confirmed, but you should check three things yourself:

• Whether people with temporary protection need the padró for the TSI card: the general CatSalut page requires it, while the page on temporary protection does not mention it. Take a padró certificate with you or ask at the CAP.
• The procedure name “POLICÍA-TARJETA CONFLICTO UCRANIA” comes from the 2023 police instructions. Check it on the portal when you book.
• Whether the Ukrainian organizations on the embassy’s list are active. Check their contacts yourself before you get in touch.

# What should you read next?

• Temporary protection in Spain
• TIE in Spain: getting and renewing the card
• NIE in Spain
• Arraigo in Spain
• Work in Spain
• How to open a bank account in Spain
• Valencia: a guide for Ukrainians, the same consular district
• All city guides for Spain