Barcelona has consolidated itself as one of the cities with the greatest capacity to attract talent in Europe. In order to contribute to receiving and retaining this international talent, the Barcelona City Council launched the Barcelona Welcome International Desk at the end of 2021. Three years later, the office has served more than 3,100 users, from 123 different countries, at the single window for international talent.
Consolidated as a tool for attracting and retaining international talent, the municipal single-window service aims to facilitate the establishment of talent in the Catalan capital, whether upon arrival in Barcelona or when about to do so. It does this by providing information on practical aspects of living in the city, streamlining procedures such as registration in the census, and advising on international mobility, immigration, taxation, and social security.
In 2024 alone, it handled more than 1,200 requests at the single window, a figure that slightly exceeds the records of the previous year, which means that the volume of activity achieved in 2023 has been maintained, a year in which there was a leap in scale compared to the activity of the first year of operation. According to data from the Barcelona City Council, the majority profile of users consists of people under 30 (47%) with university studies (95%) and mainly from the European Union (58%).
The main motivations for coming to Barcelona are to work in a highly qualified position (29%) and to pursue undergraduate or postgraduate studies (28%). However, during 2024, the increase in researchers has stood out, almost tripling their weight, and becoming the third largest group served by the service.
The Welcome Desk service is supported by the municipal website Barcelona International Welcome, which contains practical information about the city and the main procedures to carry out upon arrival, as well as an agenda of activities designed to facilitate the integration of international talent into the city's life. Assistance is provided in person, by appointment, from the office located in the Mediatic building, in 22@, and also online, by video call. The latter has allowed 15% of users to contact the Welcome Desk from their country of origin, before arriving in the city.