Temporary Protection (Ukrainians) in Barcelona
Catalonia
Barcelona has one of Spain's four CREADE centres, so first applications for temporary protection are handled here directly rather than referred elsewhere. The centre issues the residence-and-work document alongside the social security number and health card, which is the difference between one appointment and a month of separate errands.
Catalonia then adds a layer the other CREADE cities do not have. Schooling, healthcare and social services are run by the Generalitat, and school placement in particular goes through the Catalan system, with Catalan as the main language of instruction. Families frequently arrive expecting a Spanish-language school place and find the reality more complicated — this is worth understanding before, not after, enrolment.
Local context: Barcelona
| Extranjería office | Oficina de Extranjería de Barcelona — the busiest in Spain, where appointment availability is the usual bottleneck |
|---|---|
| Work authorisations | Filed with the Generalitat, not the state — a separate procedure with its own portal |
| Company registry | Registro Mercantil de Barcelona |
| Local context | Multinational employers and a dense startup ecosystem, so employer-sponsored and highly-qualified routes are common here |
| Work authorisation | Granted by the Generalitat, not the state (Real Decreto 1463/2009) — Catalonia is the only community with this competence |
| Residence permits | Central Oficina de Extranjería — so a work-and-residence case spans two administrations |
| Tax administration | Agencia Tributaria (state) + Agència Tributària de Catalunya for regional taxes |
| Forms and notices | Frequently issued in Catalan |
Sources: Real Decreto 1463/2009 (BOE) · Generalitat de Catalunya — Treball · Cita previa — Sede electrónica · Agencia Tributaria
What we handle: Temporary Protection (Ukrainians)
Registration, renewal, rights, work, healthcare and a path to arraigo.
- Registering for temporary protection (protección temporal)
- Renewing your protection and understanding your rights
- Working legally under temporary protection
- Empadronamiento (town-hall registration)
Questions about this service
Will my child be taught in Catalan or Spanish in Barcelona?
Catalan is the main language of instruction in Catalan public schools. Newly arrived pupils are usually supported through a reception programme, but the working language of the school is Catalan. This is a real planning consideration for a family choosing between Barcelona and a city outside Catalonia.
Does temporary protection let me work in Barcelona immediately?
Yes — the document issued is a residence and work authorisation, and it does not need the separate Generalitat work authorisation that other non-EU routes require in Catalonia. That is one of the few places where the Catalan split does not apply to you.
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