FAQ

  • The Historic Archives of the City of Barcelona (AHCB), Barcelona Contemporary Municipal Archives (AMCB), Barcelona Photographic Archives (AFB), District Municipal Archives and Central Archives.

  • Entry to the archive centres is open and free of charge to anyone over the age of 16. All you have to do is bring some ID and book a day and time if the archive centre where you want to consult documents requires this.

    We recommend you check the digitised essential information first, before starting your search at the centre.

    Online search

  • The channels for requesting a prior appointment at the centres where this is required are as follows:

    • Contact them via the website of the archives you want to consult.
    • Email of the archives you want to consult.
    • Procedures portal: prior appointment procedure.
    • Barcelona City Council e-Register
    • Submit a request form at any Citizen Help and Information Office (OAC)  
    • e-Diary for requesting a prior appointment if you want to consult the Contemporary Archives

    When the documents requested are subject to restricted access, the Archives will inform the requester of the procedures and channels set up for this purpose by Barcelona City Council.

  • Yes. The consultation service is totally free of charge. You only have to pay for copies of documents, in accordance with the municipal taxes and public charges approved by Barcelona City Council.

  • Yes, provided you get prior authorisation from archive centre staff and there are no legal or document conservation reasons preventing that.

  • Yes. Restrictions on consulting and copying documents may be due to various reasons: the existence of third-party intellectual property rights when the City Council does not have authorisation, the poor state of the documents, or whenever it is considered, in accordance with the law, that general or personal interests are threatened.

  • Yes. We accept donations from private individuals, subject to prior evaluation. If you are interested in making one, get in touch with the Municipal Archives System Management.