Living In Madrid
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- Living In Madrid
Madrid is a city of students. But it’s also a city of innovators, of entrepreneurs, of foodies, of artists, of tech-heads, of musicians, of footballers…but simply, Madrid is a place where everyone has a place. No matter what you study and where your passions lie, you’ll find your rhythm in the buzzing capital of Spain, where there’s something happening every single day. From outdoor concerts to international jazz festivals, sports tournaments, global conferences, and food festivals—as well as 12 bank holidays per year—this is truly a city that never sleeps.
Madrid, One of the best places to live in Europe
Madrid is consistently named one of the best places to study in Europe, both for its cultural activities and its cost of living. So if you’re looking for an affordable, diverse and lively place to study, Madrid is the ticket.
Beyond campus
Beyond Campus is an exclusive platform, made by IE students, for IE students. A team of IE MBA Alumni, who successfully identified a real need to find good, reliable, and safe accommodation for the growing IE community, founded this useful accommodation platform.
Not only do they have the best-curated apartments and all our recommended student residences near the city center and the new campus, but they also strive to improve the experience offering contracts in English, 24/7 service, and quality control of apartments, amongst other benefits!
Choosing a student residence will keep you from taking care of time-consuming logistical issues, such as utility bills and internet contracts, allowing you to focus on the important things!
Many of these residences will give you the option to sign up for additional services, such as food and laundry. On top of it all, they are one of the best places to make friends and get to know Madrid!
Choose your student residence
Below, you will find a list of residences included in the platform. If you are interested in booking this option, we recommend you do so as soon as possible, as they have limited availability and they can fill up quickly.
STUDENT RESIDENCES
Student residences take care of time-consuming logistical issues such as utility bills and internet contracts so that you can focus on the important things! Many of them give you the option to sign up for additional services such as food and laundry. Plus, they are one of the best places to make friends and get to know Madrid! We recommend that our students reserve rooms in student residences as soon as possible, as there is limited availability and they can fill up quickly.
- Renting an apartment
- Renting an apartment
You will find a variety of apartments at Beyond Campus. The team visits every apartment and selects the best ones to make sure they fit with your standards when you book them on the website. They also make sure prices fairly fit real estate’s market price so you are not over listed or scammed.
There are also other options if you choose not to use Beyond Campus to look for an apartment. However, before renting a flat in Madrid, there are several things to keep in mind. The most important factor, which directly influence the amount you spend on rent, is whether you decide to share an apartment.
Living alone is eventually more expensive. If you do not know anyone with whom to share a flat, but would like to find accommodation with another IE student, you can access your Slack account and look for the #housing_roommates channel (kindly note the Slack account is only available for enrolled students). This group was created to help you find flat mates among the IE Community.
HOUSING PLATFORMS
Another way to find a flat in Spain is by looking into the most popular housing search websites. Click on the links below to find out more:
* In order to avoid frauds when looking for a flat, we always recommend visiting it in person before signing a contract or making any payment.
Slack platform
You can also look for apartments and/or rooms available to rent through the SLACK platform. IE Students post in the #housing_roommates channel to share rental opportunities and to look for roommates.
Discover the Living Costs for Masters Students
DISCOVER THE LIVING COSTS FOR UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS
ARE YOU A LANDLORD INTERESTED IN RENTING FLATS TO IEU STUDENTS?
If you are a landlord, you can register your flat through Beyond Campus, IE’s new accommodation platform for students.
Transfer Service
Beyond Campus presents its new service called VTCREGO , which offers quality drivers with luxury class cars, guaranteeing maximum comfort. The drivers will be waiting for you at the airport, as the pick-ups are scheduled ahead of time. Rates are fixed, regardless of the time of arrival.
Click on the link above to find out more. If you don’t want to worry about anything on arrival but getting to your destination safely and on time, you can trust this service to professionals.
Other Resources
PHONE & WIFI CONTRACTS
Kindly note that it is highly recommended that as soon as you arrive in Spain you get a Spanish SIM card as you will need a Spanish phone number in order to secure your appointments in order to secure your NIE card.
IE has an agreement with the company Go!red with whom you will be able to get a phone or Wi-Fi contract with no need of showing them your NIE card (Student Permit/Certificate of registration). Contact them and let them know you are an IE student.
Another option is to sign a contract with one of the most popular telephone providers in Spain. These companies can also give you the option of a Wi-Fi contract. The most popular providers are Vodafone, Orange and Movistar. These companies often ask for students to show their NIE card/Certificate of Registration in order to sign a contract so many students start off by getting a pre-paid SIM card and later witch to a contract.
Bank Accounts
Although it is not a requirement, many students decide to open a Spanish bank account.
While students are welcome to try to open a bank account at the bank of their choice, banks have the right to ask foreigners for their NIE card (the Spanish ID number/card assigned to foreigners) to guarantee that they will be in Spain for extended stays.
IE has a deal with a branch of Banco Sabadell and Banco Santander To open an account with one of these two banks, you only need your passport and proof that you are an IE student (copy of your Enrollment Contract or an Enrollment Certificate in Spanish).