Opening a Warehouse or E-commerce Fulfilment Premises in Barcelona: What to Check Before You租

Calling a business an “online shop” does not establish whether its premises are an office, a wholesale business, an auxiliary stockroom or a logistics warehouse. If goods are received, stored, packed, classified or dispatched there, the applicable activity procedure depends on what actually happens inside, as well as the stock and the characteristics of the property.

The main question should therefore be answered before signing a lease or buying premises: can this particular property accommodate the proposed operation safely and lawfully? Floor area matters, but so do planning compatibility, the position above or below ground, escape routes, packaging, maximum stock, shelving height and any environmental, product-specific or fire safety controls.

Does an online shop need an activity licence for its warehouse?

Premises used to store, prepare or distribute goods must be classified under the intervention regime that corresponds to the actual activity. Catalan Law 18/2020 provides for activity notifications supported by a technical certificate or, in cases linked to factors such as size or capacity, by a technical project and certificate. Where prior sector-specific authorisation or a licence is required, that procedure must receive a favourable outcome before the start-of-activity notification is submitted. [4] [5]

“E-commerce” identifies the sales channel, not the use of the premises. A physical shop with an auxiliary stockroom, an office holding incidental supplies, a wholesale operation and a fulfilment centre that receives and dispatches goods may be treated differently. Having no customer access does not, by itself, remove the need to classify and formalise the activity.

Deposit and storage appears under CCAE group 521 in the annex to Law 18/2020 and is generally subject to notification with a technical certificate, excluding warehouses covered by the annexes to Law 20/2009. Prior fire safety intervention may also apply. For several wholesale and retail categories, the annex uses a general constructed-floor-area threshold of 120 m² to distinguish between a certificate and a project, but the precise CCAE code, notes and current consolidated legislation must always be checked. [5] [8]

• Physical shop with auxiliary storage: establish whether storage remains subsidiary to in-person retail.
• Office with supplies: confirm whether the goods are genuinely incidental or constitute a separate activity.
• Wholesale business: validate the CCAE code, floor area and operations undertaken.
• Storage or logistics centre: assess warehousing as the principal activity, not merely an online retail function.

Define the activity, goods and storage system first

Prepare an accurate operational description before assessing properties. It should state whether the premises will be used for storage, sorting, packing, labelling, product handling, physical sales, customer collection or distribution. Record the expected number of workers, delivery arrangements, vehicle types and any office, workshop, cold room or battery-charging area within the unit.

The inventory should show maximum quantities rather than average stock alone. Identify both products and packaging: cardboard, plastics, aerosols, alcohol, paint, batteries and flammable liquids do not present equivalent risks. Define the intended shelving layout and height, storage method and load-unit dimensions. These details can affect fire load, escape routes and the suitability of the building.

Royal Decree 164/2025 defines logistics warehouses by functions that include receiving, depositing, holding, safeguarding, classifying and distributing goods or merchandise. However, it excludes certain spaces from that concept, including storage integrated into premises whose principal activity is physical retail and some auxiliary stores belonging to service businesses. A room containing boxes is not automatically a logistics warehouse for fire safety purposes. [1]

• Will customers buy, collect or receive products at the premises?
• Will deliveries arrive as parcels, pallets or full vehicle loads?
• What products, packaging and maximum quantities will be stored?
• What will the maximum storage and shelving height be?
• Will there be cold rooms, machinery or battery-charging equipment?

Checks to complete before renting or buying

Start with the full address and cadastral reference, then review the property’s activity history and planning compatibility. Barcelona’s preliminary municipal enquiry can help identify the applicable procedure and whether a district or city use plan affects the activity. Where a prior planning report is required because of such a plan, the City Council requests a written description and drawings. Its official information generally gives the report six months’ validity if no works or activity file is started during that period. [7]

A technical inspection should compare the actual dimensions and heights with the available drawings. It should also examine entrances, exits, escape distances, structural conditions, fire compartments, existing services and the relationship with the rest of the building. A basement below homes, a ground-floor commercial unit and a detached industrial building can raise very different issues despite having the same floor area.

Any works notification or permit must be distinguished from the activity procedure. Shelving should not be purchased or installed before checking that its arrangement preserves escape routes, exits, fire compartments and access to protection equipment. If appropriate, a lease may be made conditional on a satisfactory technical feasibility review, although the wording and legal effect of any contractual condition require independent legal advice.

• Check planning compatibility and applicable use plans.
• Compare measured areas and heights with existing drawings.
• Inspect accessibility, evacuation and fire compartmentation.
• Review electricity, ventilation and other building services.
• Identify adaptation works before committing to shelving or equipment.

Technical certificate, project and fire safety assessment

The choice between a technical certificate and a full technical project cannot be made from floor area alone. It begins with the real activity and proposed CCAE classification, but capacity, environmental controls, fire safety legislation and rules governing particular products may introduce further requirements. Depending on the case, the submission may include plans, a technical report, regulatory justifications and completion or installation certificates. [4] [5]

Royal Decree 164/2025 approved the new Regulation on Fire Safety in Industrial Establishments and amended the Building Code’s DB-SI fire safety document, introducing specific treatment for “Storage” use. The assessment can depend on the building configuration, area, intrinsic risk level, fire load and storage height—not merely square metres. Guidance or designs based on rules predating the regulation’s entry into force should be checked against the provisions applicable to the particular project. [1] [6]

Existing warehouses are not automatically required to comply with every new provision because the regulation contains transitional arrangements. However, an extension, refurbishment or increase in risk may trigger additional obligations. Moving or altering shelving is not always immaterial: only certain changes that neither increase the risk level nor compromise evacuation, compartmentation or other requirements are treated as non-significant. [1]

• Current and proposed layout drawings, including areas and heights.
• Applicable fire-risk or fire-load assessment.
• Evacuation, compartmentation and fire protection design.
• Installation and completion certificates where required.
• Environmental or sector-specific documents for regulated goods.

Documents, costs and the recommended order of work

For an initial feasibility assessment, gather the operator’s details, full address, cadastral reference, available plans and a complete description of the operation. Add the proposed CCAE code for validation, measured floor areas and heights, maximum inventory with packaging, shelving arrangement, loading and unloading procedures, staffing information and details of existing services. Product safety information may also be necessary where regulated or hazardous goods are involved.

There is no reliable single price based only on size. The total may include municipal fees, professional technical work, building alterations, fire compartmentation, fire protection systems and upgrades to electrical, ventilation, climate-control or refrigeration installations. Two equal-sized units may require very different adaptations because of their goods, height, location and configuration. Fees, forms and municipal procedures can change, so consult Barcelona City Council’s official online office before filing rather than relying on an old published figure. [7]

A dependable completion time cannot be given without assessing the property and activity. Preparing documents is separate from carrying out works or securing prior sector-specific approval. A practical sequence is to define the operation, assess the location, identify the activity and fire regimes, design the adaptation, complete any works and prior interventions, obtain the relevant certificates and then submit the start-of-activity notification with the required technical documentation. [4]

• Do not describe premises as an office if regular storage and dispatch take place.
• Do not omit packaging or maximum quantities from the inventory.
• Do not assume the previous operator’s activity documents remain suitable.
• Do not increase stock or shelving height without reviewing the technical consequences.
• Do not confuse an activity notification with permission to carry out building works.

Frequently asked questions

Can I open a warehouse in Barcelona with no public access?

No public access does not remove the need to classify and formalise the activity. Storage, packing, staffing, installations, stock and fire safety must still be assessed. The applicable procedure depends on those details and on the property itself.

Does a small warehouse always require a technical project?

Not necessarily, but size alone does not provide the answer. Some activities follow a notification procedure supported by a technical certificate, while others require a project and certificate. Capacity, the precise CCAE code, goods and environmental, sector-specific or fire safety rules may alter the requirements.

Can I rely on the previous tenant’s activity licence or notification?

It should not be accepted automatically. Compare the operator, approved or notified activity, layout, installations, goods, shelving and current operating conditions. A change in the real use, stock, storage height or risk level may require a technical review and a new or amended procedure.