Practical Information

Visas

Citizens of the European Union do not require a visa to enter Spain. Nationals of other countries often do need a visa and should contact their local Spanish consulate for further information.

Insurance

Students are not insured by International House against illness, accident, theft or loss of personal effects, and IH can accept no responsibility in the event of such occurrences. Personal insurance coverage is therefore strongly recommended.

Illness

In the event of illness or accident, IH will undertake to contact a doctor or hospital on the student's behalf. There is also a city Medical Information Service which provides information on doctors, hospitals, pharmacies, etc. in Cataluña. (Tel. 902 111 444).

Students from European Union countries are advised to bring European Health Insurance Card which entitles them to free medical assistance.

Safety

Barcelona, Palma and Tarragona are not dangerous cities and violent crime is very rare indeed. However, incidents such as bag snatching do occur, especially in or around the most popular tourist attractions. Students are therefore advised to take sensible precautions and not to carry large amounts of cash around with them.

We also recommend that they leave their passport, flight tickets, etc. somewhere safe in their accommodation.

Food

Spanish meals typically consist of a light breakfast, a substantial lunch at around 14.00 and substantial dinner/supper at around 21.00. Lunch and dinner usually consist of 2 or 3 courses and a dessert and meals are usually served with bread and water or wine.

There are a large number of reasonably priced restaurants in each city centre that serve a "menu of the day" at lunchtime, which usually costs around €8-10. Coffee is invariably available in restaurants, but is not usually included in the price of a set meal.

Price Guide

• Loaf of bread: €1.10
• Litre of milk: €0.70
• Beer in a bar: €2
• Coffee in a bar: €1
• Soft drink in a bar: €1.75
• Sandwich in a bar: €2.50-4
• Menu of the day: €8-10
• Cinema ticket: €6
• Single bus or metro ticket: €1.15
• 10-trip bus or metro card: €6.30

Telephoning

The schools' telephone systems are in constant use. For this reason, incoming calls for students can only be accepted in the case of an emergency. IH Barcelona has a public telephone in the school that students can use at any time. International calls to most countries can be made from any public telephone.