Barcelona

If Spain is your main destination, the German Embassy in Ulaanbaatar issues the visa on Spain's behalf. Book an appointment online with VFS Global and attend in person at the embassy premises to give fingerprints. Fee €90 (ages 6–11 €45, under 6 free) plus a 100,000₮ VFS service fee. Apply between 6 months and 4 weeks before travel; processing takes at least 15 days.

Tip: The Spanish consulate's BLS centre in Beijing serves residents of China — if you live in Mongolia, apply in Ulaanbaatar.

Medical insurance of at least €30,000 valid across Schengen is mandatory. Attach a return ticket, hotel bookings, bank statements and an employment letter. On first entry to Schengen the EES system records your fingerprints and face; ETIAS does not apply to visa holders.

The Sagrada Família, Park Güell, Casa Batlló and La Pedrera all use timed tickets that sell out, especially in summer. Buy only on the official sites — look-alike reseller sites charge more.

The Aerobús runs 24 hours from both terminals to Plaça d'Espanya and Plaça de Catalunya. A single is €7.45 and a return €12.85 (valid 90 days); children under 4 ride free. Buy online, at the machines or from the driver.

Tip: Keep an eye on your luggage on the bus — airport buses are a favourite for thieves.

Metro L9 Sud serves both terminals; it needs the special Airport ticket at €5.90 — the T-casual is not valid. From T2, the Rodalies R2 Nord train runs to Sants and Passeig de Gràcia. The Hola Barcelona travel card covers both.

Use only the official black-and-yellow taxi rank; ignore strangers offering 'taxis'. If you fly MIAT to Frankfurt, you enter Schengen there and continue to Barcelona on an intra-Schengen flight — leave enough time between connections.

If your phone supports eSIM, buy and install a travel eSIM from Airalo, Holafly or similar before you leave: it works as soon as you land in Frankfurt or Barcelona. Pick a Europe-wide plan and it works in your connecting city too.

Tip: Download Barcelona in Google Maps and Spanish in Google Translate for offline use.

Buy a SIM at a Movistar, Vodafone or Orange store with your passport — registration is required by law. Budget brands (Lowi, Digi) exist too. City stores are cheaper than airport kiosks.

A single ticket in zone 1 is €2.90. The T-casual gives 10 journeys for €13.00 on metro, bus, tram and city trains, for one person. The T-familiar gives 8 journeys in 30 days for €11.50 and can be shared by several people — good for families.

Green line L3 serves La Rambla, Passeig de Gràcia and Montjuïc; L2 and L5 go to the Sagrada Família. For Park Güell take bus V19 or 24, or L3 to Vallcarca and the outdoor escalators. For Tibidabo, take the Tibibus or the funicular.

Take the FGC R5 train from Plaça d'Espanya to Montserrat, then the rack railway or cable car up to the monastery. Combined train-and-lift tickets save money. Allow a full day.

Almost everywhere takes cards and phone payments; markets and small bars may want a little cash. Withdraw euros from bank ATMs; independent ATMs at tourist spots charge high fees. Tipping is optional — round up for good service.

Tip: If the ATM or card reader offers to charge you in tögrög, say no — choose euros.

In Barcelona you pay a per-person, per-night tax: the Catalan rate plus a €5 city surcharge — 5-star €12, 4-star €8.40, tourist flats €9.50, youth hostels €6. Under-17s are exempt, and no more than 7 consecutive nights per stay are charged. Hotels collect it separately.

Spain has no minimum purchase for Tax Free for non-EU visitors. Show your passport in the shop to get a DIVA form and scan it at a DIVA kiosk at the airport where you leave the EU.

Pa amb tomàquet (bread rubbed with tomato), seafood paella, black squid-ink rice (arròs negre), patatas bravas, jamón, croquetes and crema catalana for dessert. Children love churros with chocolate and tortilla (potato omelette).

Tip: The picture-menu paella on La Rambla is usually frozen — eat the real thing in Barceloneta or Gràcia.

Spaniards eat lunch in the afternoon and dinner very late; turn up early and restaurants may be empty or closed. The weekday lunchtime 'menú del dia' — two courses, a drink and dessert — is a cheap set meal.

Beyond La Boqueria, the Santa Caterina and Sant Antoni markets are cheaper and calmer, used by locals. Buy groceries at Mercadona, Bonpreu, Lidl and Carrefour Express. Tap water is drinkable but tastes of chlorine, so many people buy bottled.

In Catalonia police, ambulance and fire all answer on 112 — free, 24 hours, from any phone, in several languages. The city police (Guàrdia Urbana) is 092. The emergency department is 'Urgències'; the children's hospital is Sant Joan de Déu.

Gangs work La Rambla, La Boqueria, the metro, the area around the Sagrada Família and Barceloneta beach: wiping 'bird droppings' off your clothes, asking directions with a map, shoving as metro doors close. Don't leave your phone on the table and keep your bag in front. The street 'find the ball under the cup' game is a scam.

Peaceful protests against mass tourism happen from time to time — steer around them. If you lose your passport, report it to the Mossos d'Esquadra police and contact Mongolia's honorary consul in Barcelona or the embassy accredited to Spain — check contact details on consul.mn.

Barcelonans are proud of the Catalan language and culture. 'Bon dia' (good morning) and 'Gràcies' (thank you) go down well. Speaking Spanish is fine, but avoid lumping Catalans in as simply 'Spanish'.

Walking the streets in swimwear or shirtless away from the beach brings fines. Drinking alcohol in the street and making noise at night are banned. Cover shoulders and knees in churches.

Friends greet with a kiss on both cheeks; a handshake is usual on first meeting. You ask for the bill — 'El compte, si us plau' or 'La cuenta, por favor'. Meals are slow and relaxed — nobody will rush you.

The TMB app has metro and bus times and tickets; Google Maps covers Barcelona's public transport well. Book official taxis with FreeNow; Uber and Cabify also operate.

Bookmark the official sites: sagradafamilia.org, parkguell.barcelona, casabatllo.es and lapedrera.com. Google Translate's camera mode translates Catalan and Spanish menus on the spot.

The Aerobús runs 24 hours; a single is €7.45, and a return ticket stays valid for 90 days. Check your terminal (T1 or T2) in advance. Be at the airport 3 hours before an international flight: the EES exit check, DIVA Tax Free and security can be slow.

Leave the Schengen area no later than the date on your visa — EES records your exit day automatically, and an overstay will hurt your next application. If you connect via Frankfurt, you exit Schengen there. Carry Tax Free goods in your hand luggage.