Immigration procedures in Barcelona and its province

How we work if you live in the province of Barcelona

• From Barcelona and online. We help you by WhatsApp, phone, video call and email. We don’t see people in a physical space.
• Your case first. You can start with a case review, by video call or phone. Before we start, we tell you which procedure fits your situation, which documents you need and the fixed price.
• What you have to do in person. Fingerprinting for the TIE (foreigner identity card) is done by you, in person, at a police station (RD 1155/2024, art. 209.3). You also collect the card yourself. And some town halls hold an interview for the integration report.
• Your documents, through a secure channel. Please don’t send documents on WhatsApp. If we need any, we’ll give you a secure way to send them.

We explain it in detail in how we work.

What is the same across the province

The Oficina de Extranjería de Barcelona (Barcelona’s government immigration office) handles, for the whole province, the residence permits that fall to the central government. It reports to the Delegación del Gobierno en Cataluña (the central government’s office in Catalonia) and has two locations in the city of Barcelona. Its locations, opening hours and phone number are in the guide to the Oficina de Extranjería de Barcelona. If you have to go in person, see how to book the appointment yourself.

The Generalitat de Catalunya (the Government of Catalonia) has two roles of its own. Initial residence and work permits are submitted to its Departament d’Empresa i Treball (Department of Business and Labour). So are some changes to a residence and work permit (Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia, art. 138.2). Its Departament de Drets Socials i Inclusió (Department of Social Rights and Inclusion) issues the integration and housing reports. You request them at your town hall. We explain this in the guide to the integration report in Catalonia.

The padrón (your town hall’s register of residents) proves where you live. If you are from outside the EU (European Union), renew your registration every 2 years, unless you have long-term residence. If you don’t renew it, your registration expires (Law 7/1985, art. 16.1).

In figures. On 1 July 2026, the province had 1,126,859 inhabitants with foreign nationality, 18.7% of the population. This is a provisional figure from the Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE, Spain’s National Statistics Institute). According to the Observatorio Permanente de la Inmigración (OPI, Permanent Observatory on Immigration), on 30 June 2026 there were 82,376 people with a valid arraigo permit in the province. More figures in Barcelona data.

City of Barcelona

444,123 people with foreign nationality live in the city, one in four (25.9%; INE, 1 January 2026).

• Police. The Brigada Provincial de Extranjería y Fronteras (the police’s provincial immigration and borders unit) divides procedures between four offices. TIE fingerprinting is done at Rambla Guipúscoa, 74. Cards are handed out at Carrer de Mallorca, 213. We cover the rest in the guide to the Oficina.
• Padrón. To register on the padrón in Barcelona you don’t need a residence permit. You have to prove your identity and that you can use the home. There is also registration for people with no fixed address. Information is available on 010, at the citizen service offices and on the Oficina Virtual de Trámites (online procedures office).
• Integration report. It is handled by the Ajuntament (Barcelona City Council). Its Punto de Información y Arraigo (PIA, information and arraigo point) answers questions about arraigo, the report and the documento de vecindad (neighbourhood document). It is at Carrer de Tarragona, 141, from 9:00 to 15:00; interviews, by appointment, are at number 173. City Council contact: pia@bcn.cat and 93 256 44 76.
• Public service at no cost. SAIER (Service for Immigrants, Emigrants and Refugees) is run by the City Council. It gives information on immigration and international protection to people living in the city. It works by appointment.

L’Hospitalet de Llobregat

This is the town on this page with the highest share of foreign residents: 85,805 people, 28.5% (INE, 1 January 2026).

• Police station. The one at Plaça del Repartidor, 8, has almost everything on its list: TIE, NIE (foreigner identity number), EU rules (régimen comunitario) and invitation letters. If you have the nationality of an EU country, you can request your registration certificate here.
• Padrón. Registering in person is immediate. Online, with the VÀLid identification system, the City Council has up to 3 months. If you are from outside the EU, they ask for your residence card or a valid passport.
• Integration report. The City Council prepares a draft report and sends it to the Generalitat within a maximum of 30 working days. There is a municipal fee of 27.75 €: you receive it by SMS and email so you can pay it. The check is preferably done with a personal interview. If you don’t accept it, no draft report is issued. If a document is missing, you have 10 working days to provide it.
• A shortcut. If you did the first-reception course at the municipal Reception Service, you don’t have to submit that certificate. And if you have been on the L’Hospitalet padrón for 2 years without a break, you don’t need the historical registration certificate either.

Badalona

The city has 44,126 residents with foreign nationality, 18.9% (INE, 1 January 2026).

• Police station. The one at Avinguda dels Vents, 9-13, does not list TIE issuing or EU rules. For fingerprinting you will have to choose another police station that does it. For example, the one in Santa Coloma de Gramenet (Carrer d’Irlanda, 67). For the EU registration certificate, one that handles EU rules, such as the one at Rambla Guipúscoa, in Barcelona. The Badalona station does handle the NIE and invitation letters.
• Padrón. Before your registration expires, the City Council lets you know by post, in the 3 months beforehand. You renew in person, with no appointment and no fee. If you don’t renew, you are removed from the register.
• Integration report. It is handled by the City Council’s Departament de Migracions (Migration Department). You can submit it all year round, online (with Autofirma or VÀLid) or in person by appointment. The City Council does not charge a fee for it. For social arraigo, they ask for Catalan and Spanish. If you can’t prove them, a certificate of at least 45 hours of training in these languages is accepted. Also a certificate of training activities on values. The draft report goes to the Generalitat within 30 working days from when the documents are complete.
• Municipal service. The City Council has an information and guidance service on immigration. It is for foreign residents registered on the Badalona padrón.

Sant Cugat del Vallès

Sant Cugat has 14,939 residents with foreign nationality, 15.3% (Statistics Institute of Catalonia, Idescat, 2025 figure).

• Police station. The one at Carrer del Vallès, 1-3, issues the TIE and handles the NIE and invitation letters. It does not list EU rules. For the EU registration certificate, go to a police station that does. For example, the one in Cerdanyola (Carrer de la Mare de Déu de les Feixes, 4) or the one in Sabadell (Carrer del Montseny, 137). We explain this on the EU registration certificate page.
• Padrón. Registration is immediate if everyone aged over 16 goes to a citizen service office. If anyone doesn’t go, the City Council may first check that you live at the address. There is no fee. Appointments are booked online or on 010 (900 104 941 from a mobile or from outside the town).
• Integration report. There is no fee and you can request it at any time. There is only an interview if it is needed to check a requirement, such as your level of Catalan or Spanish. The City Council says the report is valid for 3 months: bear this in mind so you don’t submit it after it has expired. If you have heard nothing after 30 working days, the Generalitat gives information on 012.
• Municipal service. The City Council’s “Assessories d’estrangeria i protecció internacional” (immigration and international protection advice service) give guidance on integration reports, arraigo and family reunification. Appointments can be booked at pio@santcugat.cat or on WhatsApp at 638 334 264. These are City Council contact details, not ours.

Molins de Rei

Molins de Rei has 2,404 residents with foreign nationality, 8.8% of its population (Idescat, 2025 figure).

• Police station. In Molins de Rei there is no police station handling immigration procedures in the police search tool. The nearest one on the list is in Sant Feliu de Llobregat (Carrer de les Carreretes, 9-11). It handles the TIE, the NIE, EU rules and invitation letters.
• Padrón. It is handled at the Oficina d’Atenció Ciutadana (citizen service office) at Carrer de Rubió i Ors, 2-4 (City Council phone number: 93 680 33 40). It is open Monday to Friday from 8:30 to 14:00, and also on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 15:00 to 19:00. From 15 June to 15 September, mornings only. The registration certificate (volante de empadronamiento) can be obtained online with a digital certificate, or in person with no appointment. You can use idCAT, the electronic DNI or the certificate from the Fábrica Nacional de Moneda y Timbre (Spain’s Royal Mint).
• Integration report. We have not found a municipal page specifically for this report. The Generalitat asks for it to be submitted, preferably, at the town hall where you are registered on the padrón. Ask at the citizen service office about the channel, the interview and whether there is a municipal fee.

Procedures we help you with

The full requirements are on each procedure page. Here, just to point you in the right direction:

• Types of arraigo. If you live in Spain and don’t have a residence permit yet. In general, they require 2 years in Spain.
• Socio-labour arraigo (arraigo sociolaboral). With a contract for 20 hours a week or more; you can work from the start notification.
• Social arraigo (arraigo social). With close family members who have residence, or with an integration report.
• Extraordinary arraigo (arraigo extraordinario). What to do after the regularisation, whose application period closed on 30 June 2026.
• Residence renewal. When your permit is close to expiring.
• Family reunification (reagrupación familiar). To bring your family to Spain if you already have residence.
• Residence for family of a Spanish national. If your partner, your father, your mother or your child has Spanish nationality.

Prices with VAT included and the government fee on top: see prices.

Sources

Accessed on 13 October 2026, unless another date is given.

• Delegación del Gobierno en Cataluña, immigration: locations of the Oficina de Extranjería de Barcelona.
• Policía Nacional, office search tool (accessible version): offices handling immigration procedures in Barcelona and the procedures each one handles.
• Generalitat, Treball: procedures submitted to the Generalitat.
• Generalitat, Drets Socials i Inclusió: immigration reports and Tràmits gencat: integration effort report.
• Ajuntament de Barcelona: registering on the padrón, immigration reports and PIA and SAIER.
• Ajuntament de L’Hospitalet: registering on the padrón and draft municipal integration effort report.
• Ajuntament de Badalona: padrón renewal for people from outside the EU, integration effort report for social arraigo and immigration information and guidance service.
• Ajuntament de Sant Cugat: immigration procedures and municipal service, integration effort report and registering on the padrón.
• Ajuntament de Molins de Rei: padrón registration certificate, appointments and citizen service office.
• BOE, Law 7/1985 on the Bases of Local Government, art. 16.1: renewal of the padrón every 2 years.
• BOE, RD 1155/2024, consolidated text, art. 209: the TIE is personal.
• INE, Continuous Population Statistics, table 59591 (provinces, 1 July 2026, provisional) and table 79544 (municipalities, 1 January 2026). Accessed on 7 October 2026.
• Idescat, The municipality in figures: Sant Cugat del Vallès and Molins de Rei.
• OPI, people with a valid arraigo permit on 30 June 2026. Accessed on 7 October 2026.