Authorities indicate they are seeking to address these issues.'Īccording to the UK Foreign office website, 'Nearly 19 million British nationals visited Spain last year.

In some cases, these incidents have resulted in injury. Local authorities have reported a significant increase in the number of petty theft schemes that have included acts of violence, such as aggressive thefts of jewelry, watches, and purses. 'an increase in violent crime in the city of Barcelona in the summer of 2019, specifically in popular tourist areas. In August 2019 the US Consulate General in Barcelona issued a Security Alert advising U.S. In general the Barcelona area where you need to take extra care in the very late and early hours of the day, is in the lower part of the Raval part of Barcelona's old medieval city and also around the port end of La Rambla, but even here extremely violent crime is fairly rare during daylight hours. In 2022 also be careful when using your phone in public and if you are travelling by car don't leave items of value visible, even in underground parking lots. There has been a rise in assaults by criminal gangs targeting very high end watches, jewellery and phones. We do recommend that tourists do not wear expensive watches and jewellery especially outside high-end hotels, luxury shopping areas, outside popular night clubs in upmarket areas. In general violent crime levels are generally considered to be low, in comparison with other major cities, and the increase in violent crime is being addressed by police, but be vigilant. In recent years there has been a rise in petty crime with violence.įor 2022 the area to avoid and exercise the most caution is the Raval area of the old city. Precautions are recommended to avoid petty theft because Barcelona has a well-known problem with many pickpockets. Having said that, like any modern city, there is some crime and there are terror threats. The vibe when one walks around is that Barcelona is still that of a safe and friendly place and residents and tourists alike look and feel relaxed and happy.ĭuring the day in most areas of the city it does not feel dangerous. It is generally safe to withdraw cash from ATM machines, but be aware of your surrounds and be careful to hide your pin-code and be vigilant at all times.īE very vigilant if you withdraw cash alone at night in very early hours of morning and try to avoid doing so. Public transport, metro and taxis are also generally considered safe from violent crime - and reliable for residents and tourists to use. Barcelona is generally still considered to be a safe place to visit by international standards.īarcelona is one of the most popular destinations to visit in Spain and before the Covid pandemic the city welcomed around 9 million tourists a year. Is it safe to travel to Barcelona in 2022? Is Barcelona safe for tourists in terms of general crime? This is our Barcelona safety guide with guidelines about Barcelona general safety and tourist crime. See separate article re Coronavirus Barcelona.

Pickpocket guide