Barcelona, a magnet for international talent
Barcelona is extremely attractive to international talent, and this means that an increasing number of foreigners are coming to the city to work or study and then staying on.
These expats, dubbed Barcelonians by choice by Barcelona Global, make a real impact on the community, business, and day-to-day life of the expats.
The city’s quality of life, magnetism, job opportunities, startup ecosystem, and international education hub are just some of the many reasons why expats decide to come to Barcelona. The city is estimated to be home to people from 179 different countries and newcomers are now offered a range of services that include help on city lifestyle, tips how to meet people in the same situation, and musts do’s and don’ts of life in Barcelona. There are many reasons why expats decide to come to Barcelona: the quality of life, the magnetism of the city, the job opportunities, the startup ecosystem, and the international education global biomedical hub , among many others.
Every two years, Barcelona Global, in collaboration with Banco Sabadell, conducts the International Talent Monitor, a survey designed to take the pulse of one of the most important groups for the city’s future.
In recent months, the city has created the Barcelona International Welcome Desk, a step forward in helping newcomers to adapt to life in Barcelona. This service, created by the Barcelona City Council and Barcelona Activa, with the collaboration of Barcelona Global, has been set up to help newcomers tackle administrative procedures, one of the main concerns of newcomers reflected in the International Talent Monitor. We can also find other similar initiatives as Barcelona International Welcome Desk , like Banco Sabadell’s Welcome Hub.
The Barcelona Welcome Hub de Banco Sabadell, also seek to help international professionals touch down in the city. Its new city center branch caters exclusively to the needs of this group and also acts as a meeting point for the new arrivals.
A unique, dynamic space spread over three floors and 950 square meters on Avenida Diagonal, 456 (between Paseo de Gracia and Rambla de Catalunya), the Welcome Hub boasts a comprehensive range of services. A team of twelve specialized professionals attend to clients in English, French, Russian, Catalan, Spanish, and other languages in the offices.
The objective of this branch is to offer 360º financial services to any foreigner coming to live or work in Barcelona. The one stop shop will therefore be able to meet the needs of all customers, from the most routine enquiries up to private banking services.
Opening a current account, setting up direct debits, getting a mortgage, managing transfers, processing a golden visa, and taking out health insurance are just some of the procedures that this new office can help customers with. The role of the global biomedical hub is to offer much more than purely banking services; it will help expats tackle all the administrative procedures and non-financial services they need to deal with when come to live in the city.
Institutions, companies and the people of Barcelona are helping to forge stronger relations between the international community and the city. The expats are a key asset for Barcelona as they act as ambassadors of the city among friends, family and acquaintances in their home countries, so it is vital to understand their needs and help them settle in.
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