Re-Location and On-boarding
When new ICFOnians begin their experience at the institute, in addition to taking on a new academic and/or professional challenge, they are also often settling into a new home and are in need of personalized assistance with legal matters and domestic issues.
The Human Resources and Education (HRE) Unit provides information, advice and assistance that prepare ICFOnians for a successful landing at the institute and in the Barcelona area.
Legal processes:
- Visas and residency permits
- Public Health affiliation paperwork
- Social Security affiliation paperwork and registration in health system
- Registration of residence (“empadronamiento”)
- Opening a bank account
Housing
The choice of where to live- in Castelldefels, Barcelona, or maybe even neighboring Sitges or Vilanova, may be overwhelming for people who do not yet have the lay of the land. Personal consultations with the HRE team help take the mystery out of the process, as does information on relocation forwarded to all newcomers in advance of their arrival. When needed, assistance is also provided on finding accommodation, rental contract signature and in contracting utilities, internet etc,
Family Support
We pay special attention to the additional needs of families, providing assistance for example in enrolling children in childcare or schools, providing information on specific legal issues and on available public health benefits for partners and children.
Orientation
Upon arrival at ICFO, all new ICFOnians meet one on one with a member of the HRE team. They are oriented as to the layout of the institute and guided through the paperwork and onboarding process for a successful and straightforward start. The corresponding group welcomes newcomers with the information specific to the workings of the group.
Drawing on its Mediterranean location as well as the culture, art and commerce of Catalonia, Barcelona ranks high as one of the most livable cities in Europe. ICFO provides support for adaptation to the area and integration into the ICFO community. In this scope, courses in the local languages are offered to all interested ICFOnians. Likewise, ICFO’s social events throughout the year commemorate local holidays and traditions, providing common ground for interacting with ICFOnians from all areas of the institute and giving an introduction to the Catalan cultur
Itai Epstein
Postdoctoral researcher at ICFO
When I moved from Israel to Spain with my family, ICFO HR personnel provided amazing assistance in all related aspects of this transition, such as housing, documentation handling, and so on, in order to make the transition as smooth as possible.
Lynn Lin
PhD student at ICFO
With the help of a strong HR team at ICFO and their amazing guidelines, I managed to get my residency permit and other living necessities without any problems.
Adam Summers
Posdoctoral researcher at ICFO
Moving to a new country is never easy but the team at ICFO helped immensely. They expertly guided me through every step of the visa and immigration process.