Accomodation and life in Barcelona

Among the student residences, which can also host researchers and professors invited to the program’s activities, are: Residencia Penyafort and Barcelona Resident. Both offer good facilities and affordable prices.

If you prefer to stay in a hotel or a hostel, 360 hostel Arts&Culture is a cultural hostel located in the heart of Barcelona. The project came about from an idea of Silvia Artigas, former student of the Cultural Management Program of the UB, and is a very good option for accomodation in the first days of arriving, while looking for a long-term stay.

Furthermore, the Barcelona Centre Universitari (BCU) provides useful information on living and studying in Barcelona: how to get here, cost of living, climate, moving around the city or services for the university community…

Otherwise, some of the best known booking engines are:
www.hostelworld.com
www.hostelbookers.com
www.gomio.com
etc…

Health insurance

• All international students must have health insurance covering the whole duration of their stay at the UB.
• Students from countries that are members of the European Economic Area (European Union countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) and who are entitled to Social Security benefits in their own country should present their European health insurance card. The form for this card is issued by your country’s public health authorities and entitles you to medical care in Spain.
• Students from countries outside the European Economic Area should establish whether there is a medical agreement between the social security system in their country and in Spain (this is the case for some Latin American countries).  If there is one, you should request the respective document from the health authorities in your country. This document will entitle you to medical care in Spain.
• Students who do not fall in any of the above categories must purchase health insurance covering the whole period of their stay at the University of Barcelona. Remember to ask the supporting document with all coverage information – if possible in Spanish, Catalan, English or French – to the insurance company.
• Upon check-in at the UB, students are required to submit a copy of their health insurance policy.

Check-in procedure

Students or researchers
In order to legally stay in Spain, you need to obtain the Residence Card for foreign students (TIE)*. This document allows you to stay in Spain for the whole duration of your studies and, also, gives the holder the possibility to travel within the European Union and to countries that have an agreement of free movement of persons with Spain or the EU.
*For foreigners wishing to take study in Spain and are not from a European Union country.

Important!
If the duration of your studies in Barcelona is equal to or less than six months, the Spanish consulate or embassy may issue a student visa with the specification “TOTAL STUDY PERIOD 180 DAYS”. Once a student has arrived in Spain, it is not possible for them neither to change a 180-day study visa for a multiple entry visa or a visa permitting a longer stay in Spain nor apply for a NIE. After the 180 days expire, students must return to their home country and cannot request for a visa extension. Neither it is possible to change a tourist visa for a student visa once arrived in Spain.

Students will have to request, within one month of their arrival in Spain, the proper student ID card from the Police Department in Spain (“Policia Nacional”).

What about Andorran citizens?
According to the Agreement among Spain, France and Andorra regarding entry, circulation, residency and permanence of their respective nationals, adopted ad referendum in Brussels on the 4th of December 2002 (BOE n. 153, 27th of June 2003): Andorran citizens moving to study in Spain should apply for a study residence permit and established norms under Foreign Legal Status will be followed. The permit is valid for one year and can be extended for one more year, provided that the student continues his/her studies.

Very important!
The new Law on Foreigners (Llei orgànica 2/2009, December, 11) stipulates that a fee must be paid when applying for extension, modification, renewal of the visa allowing for legal stay in Spain. This means that the fee has to be paid before submitting the application of renewal of a study visa and proof of payment should be brought together with other required documentation. The application will not be accepted until receiving proof of payment of the corresponding fee.
To proceed with payment, please follow the following steps:

• Go to the Ministry of the Presidency website.
• Check the 1.b box of section Permanencia y residencia de extranjeros – Prórroga de autorización de estancia por estudios. The fee amount to pay will be automatically generated (16,32 €).
• After filling all the fields, click on the button Obtener documento. A PDF document will be created and must be printed and paid in any bank.
• Bring with you the fee receipt when going to apply for renewal of your study visa.

1. Contracts will be adjusted to part-time (i.e. maximum 30,8 hours per week) and work hours cannot coincide with class hours.
2. If the contract is full-time, the duration cannot exceed 3 months, neither can coincide with class period.
3. The validity of work authorisation will coincide with the duration of the contract and cannot exceed the duration of study stay.

Opening a bank account
For opening a bank account, go to any bank with your Foreigner Identification Number (NIE). In some cases, banks can ask to provide also the city residency document.