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Emergency services
In an emergency, dial:
T
112 for ambulance,
police and fire services;
T
061 for
ambulance;
T
080 for fire service;
T
091 for
national police. For local police numbers see
“Police and crime”, below.
Entry and residence
requirements
EU citizens need only a
valid national
identity card or passport
to enter Spain.
Other Europeans, and citizens of the United
States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand,
require a passport but no visa and can stay
as a tourist for up to ninety days. Other
nationalities may need to get a visa from a
Spanish embassy or consulate before
departure. Visa requirements do change and
it’s always advisable to check the current
situation before leaving home.
Most EU citizens who want to stay in Spain
for longer than three months, rather than just
visit as a tourist, need to register at the Oficina
de Extranjeros (foreigners’ office), where they’ll
be issued with a residence certificate. You
don’t need the certificate if you’re an EU
citizen living and working legally in Barcelona,
or if you’re legally self-employed or a student.
US citizens can apply for one ninety-day
extension, showing proof of funds, but this
must be done from outside Spain. Other
nationalities wishing to extend their stay will
need to get a special visa from a Spanish
embassy or consulate before departure.
The office in Barcelona dealing with
residency matters for foreigners is the
Oficina
de Extranjeros
, Avgda. Marqués de
l’Argentera 4, La Ribera,
o
Barceloneta
T
935
201 410 (Mon–Fri 9am–2pm), though this is
scheduled to be replaced by new offices at
c/Murcia 42, Sant Marti,
o
Navas/Clot. There’s
also a telephone helpline on
T
012 (Mon–Fri
9am–5pm) that deals with all aspects of
residency and immigration
, and you’ll find
more information at
W
www.gencat.cat.
Anyone planning to stay in Barcelona for
more than just a few weeks will need a
Numero de Identidade de Extranjeros
(NIE),
an ID number that’s essential if you’re to
open a bank account, sign a utilities, job or
accommodation contract, or for many
other financial transactions. Applications
are dealt with at Pg. de Joan Borbó 32,
Barceloneta,
o
Barceloneta
T
932 440
610,
W
www.mir.es.
Health
The
European Health Insurance Card
gives
EU citizens access to Spanish state public
health services under reciprocal agreements.
While this will provide free or reduced-cost
medical care in the event of minor injuries
and emergencies, it won’t cover every
eventuality – and it only applies to EU citizens
in possession of the card – so travel
insurance (see next section) is essential.
For minor health complaints look for the
green cross of a
pharmacy
(
farmàcia
), where
highly trained staff can give advice (often in
English), and are able to dispense many
drugs (including some antibiotics) available
only on prescription in other countries. Usual
hours are weekdays 9am–1pm & 4–8pm. At
least one in each neighbourhood is open
daily 24hr (and marked as such), or phone
T
010 for information on those open out of
hours – Farmacia Clapies, Ramblas 98,
o
Liceu (
T
933 012 843) is a convenient
24hr pharmacy. A list of out-of-hours
pharmacies can also be found in the window
of each pharmacy store.
Any local
health-care centre
(Centre
d’Atenció Primària, CAP) can provide non-
emergency assistance. In the old town,
there’s one at Ptge. Pau 1, Barri Gòtic,
o
Drassanes
T
933 425 549, and another
at c/del Rec Comtal 24, Sant Pere,
o
Arc
de Triomf
T
933 101 421 (both Mon–Fri
9am–8pm, Sat 9am–5pm). Or call
T
010 or
consult
W
www.bcn.cat for a full list.
Catalan names
Traditionally, a person gets two surnames, one from dad and one from mum. They
are not always used, but it explains why many of the names given in this book may
be longer than those you are used to seeing. Thus, Antoni Gaudí i Cornet took
Gaudí from his father and Cornet from his mother (the “i” simply means “and”).
BASICS
|
Travel essentials