WELCOME PACK

Y O U R P E R F E C T G U I D E T O S T A R T

#MAKETHEBLUEXPERIENCE

B A R C E L O N A I N D E X

1. Blu Selection 2. facts and figures 3. Barcelona cost of living 4. Transportation a. To and from the airport b. During your stay in Barcelona 5. Housing a. Where to find flats b. Flat areas 6. Spanish/Catalan traditions a. Traditional celebrations b. Spanish/Catalan customs 7. Hidden spots a. Food and drinks b. Locations 8. Barcelona Art and Start-up scene a. Art and Architecture b. Star-ups 9. Working in Barcelona a. NIE b. Social Security 10. #Makethebluexperience 1 . B L U S E L E C T I O N

ABOUT US

Blu Selection is a Barcelona start-up offering quality recruitment solutions to companies and expats, constantly striving to do things differently in order to be more efficient in the ever-competitive and challenging job market.

The team at Blu Selection is made up of expats from all over, speaking a total of eight different languages. Our team spirit and work environment are built on friendship, humor and our positive mindset, all things we hope to bring to all of our collaborators.

OUR VALUES

At Blu Selection, we value our candidates as much as we value our clients, and want to ensure all collaborators a great experience. We aim to be recognized as trusted partner and career adviser. Our goal is to match qualified candidates with our clients, leading to satisfaction and success in this challenging environment. Passion and competency are what we want, and it is what we offer.

Our experience lies in recruiting for BPOs, Call Centers, Sales Offices, IT Companies and Shared Service Centers. It’s important to us that we take the time to understand the needs of our clients and their projects by identifying upcoming challenges and analyzing the best sourcing methods in order to define the most efficient collaborated recruitment process.

We take great pride in our support for our candidates throughout the recruitment process. A free service for our candidates, and with follow ups even after job offers. By offering advice on what to expect and how to settle in a new city, we keep in touch and remain available after they start their new position. 2 . B A R C E L O N A F A C T S & F I G U R E S

POPULATION 1.6 million in Barcelona City (city area about 101 km²), and a total of 3 million when including surrounding areas. The city district with the largest area is -Montjuïc, and the district with the largest population is located in the inner city, with a total of their 266,000 inhabitants. 20% of the people living in Barcelona (2014) have foreigners origins.

NUMBER OF VISITORS In 2015 more than 8.3 million people visited Barcelona - an increase of 165% compared with 2000.

LANGUAGES Catalan (Català) and Spanish (Castellano) 95% of the residents understand Catalan and more than 75% speak the language actively.

GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT 64.241M of euros; around 5% of the total GDP of Spain.

PASSENGERS HARBOUR Almost 2,5 million passengers pass through the Barcelona harbor, making it the most visited harbor in Europe.

ARRIVAL 76% of visitors arrive by plane, by train 11%, 8% by car and 4% by bus.

NUMBER OF STORES About 35,000

BEACH LENGHT 4 km of sandy beach

MODERNISM More than 2,000 buildings of the Modernism (Catalan Art Nouveau) in . 3 . C O S T O F L I V I N G

F O O D

Dining out

Basic breakfast: €3 Combo meal in a fast food restaurant: €7 Menu of the day for students on campus: €8 Menu of the day for lunch in business district: €10 Basic dinner out with beer or wine for 2: €20 Dinner in an expensive restaurant for 2: €55-75

Beverages

Water (33cl bottle): €1 Coke (33cl bottle): €1.70 Small coffee (espresso): €1.20 Beer (50cl draught): €2.50 Beer (50cl bottle in bar/pub): €4 Cocktail drink in club: €7 Wine bottle in a restaurant: €8-15

Supermarket

Bread/baguette: €0.8 Milk (1l): €0.8 Water (1.5l): €0.6 Pack of cigarettes: €5 C O S T O F L I V I N G

T R A N S P O R T

Single ticket: €2.15 10-journey pass for all transports and 1 zone (whole Barcelona): €9.95 Monthly pass for all transports and 1 zone (whole Barcelona): €50 Taxi trip on business day (8km): €13 Taxi trip from center to the airport: €25 Bicing annual pass (city bike): €47

E N T E R T A I N M E N T

Cinema ticket: €4 to €11 Monthly gym pass: €20 - €60 Club ticket: €10 to €20 (most of the clubs are free before 2 am) Theater or music concert ticket: €12 to €50 Football game: From €20

R E N T

(see details in the following pages)

Monthly rent for 85m^2, furnished accommodation in expensive area: €1200 Monthly rent for 45m^2, furnished studio in normal area: €600 Monthly rent for a single room: €350 4 . T R A N S P O R T A T I O N

T O A N D F R O M T H E A I R P O R T

The international airport of Barcelona (El Prat) is located 12km from the city center. Ways to arrive Barcelona from the airport:

METRO

To get from the airport the newest and cheapest way to arrive Barcelona is by Metro; is line L9 Sud. The ticket you need is included in T-Dia, T-Mes, T-Jove, T-Trimestre, T-50/30 and T-70/30 but if you want a single ticket it will cost you €4,50.

TRAIN

The frequency is every 30 minutes, from approximately 6:00 am to 10:00 pm. The length of the trip is around 25 minutes. Normally you have to take R2, which stops at Sants, Passeig de Gràcia and Clot. This train leaves from Terminal 2. It costs the same as your metro pass. Check the schedule on www.renfe.com

AEROBUS

It goes directly between the airport and the city center (stops in Plaça Catalunya and Plaça Espanya). When going to the airport, it is important to take the appropriate bus to the terminal your flight leaves from (A1 = terminal 1; A2 = terminal 2). The frequency is about every 5-10 minutes for Terminal 1, every 10-20 minutes for Terminal 2 (depending on the time of day), from 5:30 am to 12:30 am. The journey lasts about 35 minutes and it costs 5,90€. Check www.aerobusbcn.com to confirm schedules and fares. T R A N S P O R T A T I O N

BUS & NITBUS

There is the bus 46 which will take you to both airports gates. It has plenty of stops around the center of the city and it is very convenient if you are not in a hurry since the 1 zone bus/metro ticket will take you there! There is also the NitBus N17 between the airport and the city center (Plaça Catalunya and Plaça Espanya). However, be careful to catch the correct one since some N17 doesn’t go to the airport! Better ask the driver. The frequency is every 20 minutes, from 11:00 pm to 5:00 am The journey last for approximately 30 minutes. It costs the same as your metro pass.

TAXI

It takes approximately 30 minutes to reach the airport from the city center. The approximate price is around 35€. Extra fees for luggage may be added. T R A N S P O R T A T I O N

D U R I N G Y O U R S T A Y I N B A R C E L O N A

The main public transport operator in Barcelona is Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona (TMB), it runs nearly 100 lines of buses and 160 metro stops. Moreover, there is another type of public transport or alternative once, such as Bicing.

METRO, BUS & TRAM The tickets available, which can be used in all the previous transports mentioned are: • One-way ticket: €2.15 • T10, which includes ten journeys: €9.95 • T-Dia, unlimited trips within a day: €8.40 • T50/30, 50 journeys made in 30 consecutive days: €42.50 • T Familiar (70/30), multi-person card with 70 journeys made in 30 consecutive days: €52.50 • T-Mes, unlimited journeys done in 30 consecutive days: €52.75 • T Trimestre, unlimited journeys made in 90 consecutive: €142 • T-Jove, young ticket (less than 25 years old) for unlimited journeys made in 90 days: €105 If you need any further information or a map, you can find it in this link: https://www.tmb.cat/en/barcelona/fares-metro-bus

BICING It is the urban transport based on the shared use of the bicycle. A simple, practical and sustainable service that you can use on your trips around the city. The annual payment of €47.16 for 30’ free in each journey.

TAXI Taking a taxi is a good alternative, especially at night when the metro doesn't run anymore. We recommend you to use the App “My taxi”. 5 . H O U S I N G

W H E R E T O F I N D A C C O M M O D A T I O N

There are two basic ways to find a flat or room here in Barcelona:

The first one is through Facebook groups. We share with you here the names of the most popular and active groups to find you perfect place to live here in Barcelona:

1. Barcelona Rentals: Find or post rooms, accommodation, and housing (https://www.facebook.com/groups/barcelonarentals/)

2. Barcelona rent a room/flat/apartment (https://www.facebook.com/groups/558757407534549/?fref=ts)

3. Alquiler de habitaciones y pisos / Rooms flats rent Barcelona (https://www.facebook.com/groups/habitacionesbarcelona/?fref=ts)

4. Uniplaces https://www.uniplaces.com/d/barcelona/bluselection Use our promo code: BLUSELECTION for a 25% discount on their service fee.

5. Papayapods https://papayapods.com/

The second option to find flats or rooms to rent is through web pages like Airbnb, Habitaclia, Idealista, Fotocasa or the App Badi. You will be able to filter your search according to your needs or possibilities, for example, filter by your budget or the area you want to live in. H O U S I N G A R E A S

Average price of a rental apartment between the different districts of Barcelona (Euros per month, 2016)

Source: http://www.elperiodico.com/es/graficos/barcelona/alquiler-pisos-barcelona-precio-barrio-15090/ H O U S I N G A R E A S

Preferred top districts to live in are:

1. Gràcia: was an independent town until the late 19th century and even now the community is quite small. The people are exceedingly proud of their roots, they don't say they come from Barcelona, they say Gràcia. The area is popular for their artists and a generally bohemian crowd. It also has a high ethnic population and the highest concentration of foreign restaurants in Barcelona.

2. Poblenou: is one of ten districts that make up the Barcelona district of Sant Martí. Today it is a constantly changing area, which houses the technology district 22 @, and the remaining of old factories with a neighborhood lifestyle that tries to keep the family spirit and traditional environment.

3. Sarrià: is a neighborhood of the Sarria-San Gervasio district of the city of Barcelona. The Sarrià combines spaces where you can easily recall the old rural town, especially near the main street of Sarria. It is one of the richest and most expensive neighborhoods.

4. Eixample: is the most populated district of the city. Initially, the Eixample was built following Cerda’s Plan. The engineer Ildefons Cerda designed a neighborhood with a grid layout of streets, octagonal blocks and with wide spaces for pedestrians and interior gardens. 6 . S P A N I S H / C A T A L A N T R A D I T I O N S

T R A D I T I O N A L C E L E B R A T I O N S

In Catalonia there are a variety of celebrations, most of them are very old. Here we have a list of the important ones:

Christmas (25th of December): They have the tradition of “El tió”. The tradition involves hitting a trunk of a tree with a cane, which children have previously given food and taken care of. After that, the trunk is supposed to offer presents to children who have behaved well. New Year: On New Year's Eve many families come together to celebrate the new year. When you hear the twelve chimes, you eat a grape each time it rings. Els reis (5th of January): Another child and religious celebration is held the night of the 5th of January when the three Kings (Reis in Catalan) arrive from Jerusalem bearing gifts for everyone, young and old. Easter (Semana Santa in Catalan): It is a traditional festival. There is the tradition of giving a cake, "la mona," to the godson. Sant Jordi (23rd of April): Is the patron saint of Catalonia. On this day it is common that women receive roses from men and they receive books in exchange. It is also the world book day. Sant Joan: It is celebrated the night before St. John day, so the night of 23rd of June called “verbena”. The tradition combines bonfires, firecracker, and bakeries sell a special cake called Coca de Sant Joan. All Saints Day: Celebrated on the 1st of November and is dedicated to the death. There is the tradition to eat “Panellets” (kind of buns) and “castanyes” (chestnuts) as a dessert to celebrate “La Castanyera”. 6 . S P A N I S H / C A T A L A N T R A D I T I O N S

C A T A L A N / S P A N I S H C U S T O M S

1. Eat “Pa amb tomàquet”; it is one of the traditional tapas and it is made of a toast of bread with a squeezed tomato on it. It seems basic, but we are sure you will like it!

2. Vermouth (Vermut in Catalan), it is a wine macerated in herbs served during aperitif, composed of white wine and other bitter substances. Traditionally, the locals drink vermouth before the meal, in order to arouse the appetite. Of course, and how could it be otherwise, always together with a good “tapa”.

3. In “La festa Major”, which are town ceremonies of the different villages of Catalonia, there is the tradition to do two different important cultural celebrations. On the one hand, “els castells”, which are the famous human tower. On the other hand, there is the traditional dance called “La Sardana” which is a type of circle dance, normally combined with a Sardana band called “cobla”.

4. The nap (La siesta in Spanish): it is a period of time (approximately 20 to 30 minutes) when people sleep or rest after eating. It is gradually becoming very popular among foreigners. It is scientifically proven that siesta improves health, circulation, and concentration and prevent stress. 7 . H I D D E N S P O T S

F O O D & D R I N K S

1. Chök, the chocolate kitchen (In La Rambla, central location). In chök they love chocolate and the kitchen, who does not? They like to cook and also spend time in the kitchen, sharing moments in the most important site of the home. From here the idea of chök, a cuisine based on chocolate, is born, where you can taste exquisite products and experiment with new ways to combine flavors.

2. Quimet i Quimet (In Poblesec, close to Paral·lel). With only two tables and a bar, this small old cellar has no formalisms and is always crowded. They have their own beer, they serve the best vermouth from the tap and they offer a wide variety of wines. All this combined with some of the best tapas in the city will make your experience in Quimet i Quimet unforgettable.

3. The Yurbban Trafalgar Hotel Barcelona (Close to Urquinaona). The amazing terrace is located on the rooftop (8th floor). It has a 360º view. Don´t miss it to have a coffee, vermouth or drink there, especially on weekends, when they combine the sunset with live music. The best plan to relax and disconnect from the routine. H I D D E N S P O T S

L O C A T I O N S

1. The Plaza de Sant Felip Neri has become one of those places of serenity and silence full of meaning: a reflective space in the middle of the Gothic district. In the façade of the Church, one can still observe the holes caused by shrapnel impacts from the aerial attack of 1938.

2. Bunkers del Carmel; it is a viewpoint over the city of Barcelona that, until recently, was not well known by the people. In this lookout, we find the remains of an anti-aircraft battery of the Spanish Civil War. It is located at the top of Turó de la Rovira, in the neighborhood of Carmel. Famous for their wonderful views over the city. You should not miss it!

3. The anti-aircraft shelters; the civil war of 1936 and its bombings forced Barcelona to build these shelters in the subsoil of the city to assure the survival of the Catalan population. Today, some of these air raid shelters are open to the public. For example, the Refuge of the Plaza del Diamante, built at 13 meters depth, with a length of 250 meters and a capacity for 200 people. To visit it you have to make a http://blog.cristianismeijusticia.net/2014/07/28/construye previous reservation. ndo-memoria-historica-refugios-antiaereos-en-barcelona H I D D E N S P O T S

4. Laberint d’horta; It is a historic and protected garden in the city. It is a magical and mysterious park, located in the Horta- Guinardó district of Barcelona, on the outskirts of the city, at the foot of the Collserola mountain. It is formed by a neoclassical garden, another romantic garden and a spectacular labyrinth of cypresses, all dotted with statues with mythological allegories.

5. Parque de Montjuïc: The mountain of Montjuïc has been a testimony and protagonist of transcendental events, which has given it its current character. First, there was the International Exhibition held in Barcelona in 1929. More recently, there was the celebration of the 1992 Olympic Games which led to a major renovation.

In Montjuïc you can visit museums such as the Fundació Miró, the Museu d'Arqueologia, l'Etnològic and the National Art Museum of Catalunya-MNAC, housed in the National Palau. (central frame of the Exhibition of the 29). Also interesting to visit are, the Pavello Mies van der Rohe, the CaixaForum exhibitions, the Magic Fountain, Poble Espanyol or Palau Sant Jordi. 8 . B A R C E L O N A A R T & S T A R T U P S

A R T & A R C H I T E C T U R E

Barcelona is one of the most impressive places in Spain for art and architecture. From the Catalan Gothic, the Renaissance period or the Baroque until the 20th- century artist like Pablo Picasso, Joan Miró, Salvador Dalí or Antoni Tàpies. Apart from the famous monuments as La Sagrada Familia, L’Esglèsia de Santa Maria del Mar, Parc Guell, el Palau de la Música Catalana or la Torre Agbar; we can also find plenty other famous masterpieces such as La Casa Batlló, La Pedrera or el Pavelló Mies van der Rohe. We would like to give you some recommendations for some outstanding museums in Barcelona: MACBA (Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art) located in , with a collection of more than 5.000 masterpieces from the mid-20th century onwards. MNAC (National Art Museum of Catalonia) located on Montjuic, near Plaza España. It includes Romanesque paintings as well as Modernism and Noucentisme style. The Picasso Museum, which is located in el Born and is housed in a medieval edifice. It includes the largest exhibition of the author.

S T A R T U P S

Privalia, Wallapop, Kantox, Glovo, Deliveroo, Blu Selection… Barcelona is becoming the new place to be in Europe. Startups are popping up like mushrooms and the success stories you can see here are amazing. Barcelona has the chance to become Europe´s new center for tech start-ups. The great living conditions and the access to a pool of candidates with different backgrounds and language skills make Barcelona very attractive for business investments. 9 . W O R K I N G I N B A R C E L O N A

N I E N U M B E R

DOCUMENTS REQUIRED

What you have to bring is:

• Offer letter from the company hiring you. It MUST include: Start date of contract, type of contract, full company name and its NIF. Signed in original! • The printed confirmation of your appointment • The EX15 document + 2 copies of this file You can find it at: http://www.exteriores.gob.es/Embajadas/CANBERRA/en/Documents/Solicitud%2 0NIE.pdf • Your passport and a copy of your passport! • Your European Social Security card or Private insurance card and a copy

WEBPAGE FOR APPOINTMENT

You can access the website to complete the process in this link: https://sede.administracionespublicas.gob.es/icpplus/index.html

The payment is €10.60 The bank accepts payment until 10:15 (Caixa). However the BBVA Bank has a machine to complete the payment (accessible from the street). W O R K I N G I N B A R C E L O N A

ONLINE PROCESS AND STEPS

1. Choose “Barcelona” in “Provincias Disponibles”. 2. In the menu that appears, click on “Certificados EU”, click it again and accept it (aceptar). 3. Next page explains the documents you have to bring, then click on “Entrar”. 4. Fill in your passport number, full name and click “Aceptar”

5. Click on “Solicitar cita” and click on “Siguiente”. 6. Fill in your phone number, email address and in “motivo o tipo de solicitud de la cita”, write: Solicitud NIE. Then click “Siguiente” 7. Choose your appointment (if several options are offered) and click “Siguiente” Save and Print the confirmation (you will need it at the appointment) S O C I A L S E C U R I T Y N U M B E R

DOCUMENTS REQUIRED

- NIE number - ID or passport - Offer Letter from the company

WHERE TO GO

Carrer Indústria, 114, 08025 Barcelona You won`t need an appointment, but we recommend you to go there in the mornings. 1 0 . # M A K E T H E B L U E X P E R I E N C E

W H A T I S I T A B O U T ?

You might have recognized in the past few weeks that we started posting our vacancies and tagging them with #makethebluexperience.

The Blu Experience? What is a “Blu”? And why do I want to experience it?

On this page, we would like to explain to you what it is about and what you can expect in the future.

When we speak about the “Blu Experience” we are speaking about the experience you have with the members of our Blu Team during the whole selection process. As we are working in a human-to-human business it is very important for us to have a good connection with our candidates.

Therefore we decided to make us, the Blu Team, more transparent to you. We want to share our passion and motivation that you see that behind Blu Selection there is more than just a voice on the phone.

#makethebluexperience will help us to give you an insight in our free-time, different cultural backgrounds and as well our motivators to challenge ourselves every day.

B R I N G Y O U R F R I E N D S

Now, with our new referral system, you can recommend Blu Selection to a friend who is also looking for a job. If your friend gets a job as well through us, you automatically win a free surf lesson in one of the most famous surf schools in Barcelona.

More information here.