Moving to Barcelona from Ireland in 2026: EU Rights, Tax

You have the freedom to move, no visa to queue for and a flight booked, and then a Spanish form called EX18 appears in the instructions your landlord sent. Irish citizens are the easiest English-speaking movers to Barcelona on paper, but there are still registrations that must be made in the right order. This guide sets out what the EU, the Spanish police and the Irish Embassy say.

Do Irish citizens need a visa or permit to live in Barcelona?

No visa. The European Commission's Your Europe page says EU citizens have the right to live in another EU country, to work, study, look for a job or retire, and that you can stay up to three months without registering as a resident. If you want to stay longer than three months, you might need to register your residence, and after five continuous years of legal residence you automatically acquire the right of permanent residence.

In Spain, that registration is the certificate of registration of EU citizens. The Spanish police page says citizens of an EU or EEA state who will live in Spain for more than three months must apply in person within three months of entering Spain, at the Oficina de Extranjería for the province where they will live or, where there is none, at the corresponding police station. The documents are a valid passport or national identity card, the form EX18, proof of paying the fee and documents showing you meet the conditions in article 7 of Real Decreto 240/2007.

• Fee: €12 for the EU registration certificate, according to Orden PJC/617/2025 (BOE, 16 June 2025), paid with Modelo 790 code 012 at a bank.
• Conditions: the Embassy of Ireland says that since 2012 applicants may need to show sufficient financial means and proof of health insurance. Check the current requirements for your situation (working, self-employed, student or retired) with the office.
• Document: the certificate shows your name, address, nationality, identity number and registration date, but is not valid as ID, so your passport remains your photo ID.

What are the first steps in Barcelona for an Irish citizen?

• Padrón: register at a citizen advice office (OAC), online or through 010, with ID and proof of your home. The council says you do not need regular residence to join. The Irish Embassy notes you will generally need the certificate for tasks such as enrolling children in school or applying for a local health card.
• NIE: the Barcelona International Welcome page says EU nationals can obtain an NIE for specific purposes such as buying a home, getting a driving licence or opening a bank account. The fee is €9.84 and appointments are best booked as soon as you arrive because demand is high.
• Health card: apply for the Catalan TSI once you are on the padrón. The Embassy says you will generally need the registration certificate for tasks such as applying for a local health card.
• Bank account: the Bank of Spain says banks must offer a basic payment account for up to €3 a month to anyone legally resident in the EU, and the Spanish consumer centre says companies must accept an EU IBAN for direct debits, so an Irish account can keep working for some payments.

Our first 30 days checklist, padrón guide and bank account guide cover each in detail.

Is the Irish EHIC enough for health cover in Barcelona?

No, not for living here. The Embassy of Ireland says the EHIC gives only short-term entitlement and does not provide indefinite cover, does not cover repatriation to Ireland, and advises private comprehensive medical insurance. Workers and the self-employed access state healthcare through Spanish social security, and our TSI health card guide explains the public card, while the private health insurance guide covers private cover.

Can you keep driving on an Irish licence?

Irish licences are EU licences. The Punto de Acceso General, Spain's government portal, explains the validity and exchange rules for EU driving licences, so check it for the renewal and exchange position before your licence expires. Our licence exchange guide covers the practical steps.

How is tax handled when you move from Ireland to Spain?

You are a Spanish tax resident if you spend more than 183 days in Spain in a calendar year, or the main base of your economic activities or interests is in Spain, or your spouse and dependent children live here, according to article 9 of Ley 35/2006. The Irish Embassy notes that residents may owe Spanish income tax (IRPF) on income and assets, that Ireland and Spain have a double taxation agreement signed in 1994, and recommends advice from an adviser who knows both systems.

Irish citizens abroad cannot vote in Irish elections or referendums, the Embassy says, but EU residents in Spain can vote in municipal and European elections if registered on the padrón and on the electoral roll. For tax see our Spanish tax return guide.

How do you get the free guide and help connecting with professionals?

Our free 19-page Barcelona English Speakers Directory 2026 puts the practical steps from this guide into a few pages you can keep on your phone: page 3 covers your first 30 days, page 4 the official fees and when a gestor is worth paying, page 5 how to see a doctor in English and page 13 everyday admin. It is plain English, free, and every page links to checked English-speaking professionals. Download it, then join the WhatsApp community for one-way updates when rules, fees or appointment systems change, because a guide goes out of date and the updates keep you current.

If you would like help before you arrive, tell us what you need and which neighbourhood you are considering, and we will point you to English-speaking professionals who serve it. Use the finder on the home page or the request form on any category page, for example gestors. We do not test fluency and a listing is not a ranking or an endorsement, so ask each professional directly whether they work in English with clients and what the work will cost.

Find an English-speaking gestor for your registration, NIE and tax set-up: All of Barcelona, or by area: Eixample, Poblenou, Sarrià-Sant Gervasi, Les Corts, Diagonal Mar & Vila Olímpica, Gràcia, El Born & Barri Gòtic and Sants.