I received tons of messages from you asking about the topic of FC Barcelona socio and how to become one. So here’s the most up-to-date guide where I will show you step by step how to become a socio (or soci in Catalan, you can use both forms).
IMPORTANT NOTICE: the article has been updated on 14th April 2022 after the Club opened a new way to become a socio: by an online petition. Also updated for the 2023/24 season.
So who exactly are socios?
FC Barcelona is a unique club. It’s a club with a specific philosophy, deeply rooted in the local identity of the city and autonomous region of Catalonia, and at the same time, it’s a global brand and one of the biggest football corporations in the world. A club that has its football academy La Masia as a symbol but at the same time burns money on overrated foreign stars. Also, the owners of FC Barcelona are unique.
Catalans love to meet, gather and do stuff together. Going to a restaurant or a bar by yourself is considered a bit weird. Gossip and chit-chat are a part of everyday life so after nearly five years of living here I understand why FC Barcelona doesn’t belong to just one person but socios – members. Currently, in 2022, there are around 150,000 socios but this number changes every year.
Members have also an influence on the functioning of FC Barcelona. First of all, it’s because of them there can be no sheik who comes to Catalonia with a bag of gold to buy the club. It’s a good thing. Also, if we’re run by a horrible president like Bartomeu, socios can prepare a vote of no confidence and get him out of the club.
So if FC Barcelona is a democracy then logically we need elections to choose our Presidente. And that’s exactly what happens every few years. The current president is Joan Laporta who won the last elections in March 2021.
Finally, if there is a crucial decision to be made regarding FC Barcelona’s future the board can call for a referendum. Some of the last ones include the one about the change of the club’s crest (dismissed, thank God) and the construction of Espai Barça (approved). There is also a General Assembly (Asamblea General de Socios) to which you can be randomly chosen if you’ve been a socio for at least 5 years.
How to become an FC Barcelona socio (member) in 2023
It’s quite easy actually. The 3-year waiting period introduced by Sandro Rosell has been scraped and it has been permitted to become a by filling out an online form, not just in person, as it used to be (voted in favor by Asamblea General de Socios on Oct 24th, 2021).
ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS FILL OUT THIS ONLINE FORM. After a couple of days, you’ll get a confirmation to your email and the Club will send you the welcome package via mail.
You can also do it on the spot once you’re at Camp Nou. To become a socio in person you need to go to OAB (Oficina de Atenció al Barcelonista). It’s a building on the corner of Travessera Les Corts and Aristides Maillol. If you go through the gate ACCES 15 with a BENVINGUTS photo turn right behind the tapas bar.
All you need to prepare is your Passport/ID and your bank account number (although you can also pay by card).
And that’s it! Congratulations, you’re now a socio!
FAQ (frequently asked questions):
1. Is it worth it to become an FC Barcelona socio?
I think it is. Apart from being a club member and having a real influence on FC Barcelona politics, you will get discounts for tickets and the ability to buy them in a pre-sale for the most anticipated games like El Clásico. After a few years more you’ll have the ability to vote in the referendums and you can get elected as a socio compromisario).
Members have also Barça TV + for free in addition to some local discounts like in the Catalan theme park Port Aventura.
Recently with the introduction of online voting, you don’t even have to live in Spain to make an influence.
2. How much does being a member cost and what are the required documents?
Currently, in 2023, the socio membership fee costs 208 EUR per year, paid in full in December or January of every year. Regarding the documents, as I mentioned above, you only really need your ID and a bank account number so that the Club can charge you automatically. It works like every other subscription service in the world. If there’s a payment error don’t worry, you can always pay the fee manually via your socio panel.
As soon as you become a socio you’ll get a welcome pack for starters which is a nice gesture. In this video below you can see what I got.
3. How to get FC Barcelona season ticket?
If you are a Barça socio you can also try to get your own season ticket (asiento). Currently, however it takes around 10 years in total. You can sign up for lista de espera 2 years after having gotten your socio card. You have to sign up for the list in person at the OAB office at Camp Nou. For the first three years, you have to renew your application at this office so be prepared to travel to Camp Nou at least once per season. Which is what you’d do anyway, right? You can then consult your position on the list here.
As for prices we used to say that Barça has one of the most expensive tickets and one of the cheapest season tickets in the world. We’re in the transition phase playing in the Montjuic stadium when everything’s out of the ordinary but here are some historic prices for context:
Season ticket prices started at around 250 EUR per year for seats around Gol 1 and included all the competitions. So once you had it, there was no need to pay extra for any games. The most expensive asientos located at the prestigious Tribuna cost around 900 EUR. All of this might however change after the Nou Camp Nou is finished and its capacity is expanded to 100,500 seats.
It is now also possible to get a season ticket from someone if they transfer their card to you. The club charges 3 times the yearly fee of a season ticket plus you need to pay the person selling the abono. There are many offers online with prices starting from around 2000 EUR. So altogether be prepared to spend around 4000 EUR to skip the waiting list.
4. Is there an age limit on becoming a socio?
No there isn’t. You can even sign up a newborn if you wish. Also, children younger than six years old can register for free and children from 6-14 years old only pay some of the yearly fees.
Summary
As you see the topic of becoming an FC Barcelona member is quite complex and I wanted to create the best and most up-to-date guide you’ll find on the internet. Luckily, after Laporta took charge of the office the 3-year waiting period is no longer required and you don’t have to be at Camp Nou in person unless you want to. I hope you found my guide helpful and who knows, maybe you’ll take part in the next elections.
Personally, I would like to have more foreign socios. If you have any questions drop a comment below!
40 Responses
l want to be a member ,lm a Barcelona fans since 1994
cool! Good luck!
Hey, two question.
1. Can I become a socio even if I don’t know Spanish?
2. I live in New York and I found two places where there are penyas. So if I go through the process, after 3 years, when I become a socio, does that mean I can vote during elections and referendums as well or is it just being a member of the club?
Hi!
1. Yes, sure
2. Yes, exactly. After 3 years of being in a penya you just need to ask your penya president to send an email to the Club and they will check if you’re eligible to be a socio. Once they do you just need to go to OAB office at Camp Nou and can become a socio on spot.
To vote in the elections you have to be a socio for at least one year prior to the elections.
Hope this clears it up for you, cheers
Thanks a lot for the help🙏 This is going to be a dream come true for me😭😍
I live in NY ( Usa)
barca fan club since 1992
how to get that ? the link of Penya not working
thanks
hi bro, yes the link isn’t working as the Club disbanded Confederacio de Penyes. There is a Penya in New York, just google it. Good luck!
I have looked into and reached out to the NYC Penya, but I haven’t gotten any responses and they don’t really seem to update their social media or website. Is this penya even still active, and can Barcelona fans in NY start another penya?
Hey bro, sorry but I have no idea really
How can I become a social when an from Africa (Liberia)
unfortunately, I don’t know. I think you have to wait for the online form to open
Hi Adrian,
thanks for your good informations about this topic. Just one question, is it really mandatory to have an appointment by the OAB for joining as a socio, or can i go there also without an appointment and spontaneous?
Thanks for your help
BR from Austria
Jens
Hi Jens. You don’t have to have an appointment but it helps in case there’s a queue. Good luck!
Hola Adrian 🙂
wczoraj chcialem wypelnic online wniosek o czlonkowstwo socio (wersja angielska), jedyne jednak co znalazlem, to przekierowanie do rezerwacji terminu online do osobistego zlozenia wniosku. Szukajac /o co kaman/ w necie trafilem na Twojego bloga i mam male pytanie: pobladzilem gdzies na oficjalnej stronie FCB czy tez faktycznie nie aktywowali jeszcze mozliwosci online skladania wniosku?
Wielkie dzieki z gory za odpowiedz 🙂
Hej Piotr
miało być online i może kiedyś będzie ale póki co nie zrobili gotowego formularza. Więc musisz poczekać 😉
Dzieki za szybka odpowiedz!
tez tak podejrzewalem 😉
No coz, albo poczekac, albo przy nastepnym wypadzie na Camp Nou zarezerwowac termin w OAB 🙂
Witam ponownie 🙂
a wiec mam juz na luty termin w OAB, w zwiazku z tym ma cztery pytanka:
– w mailu potwierdzajacym jest informacja, o dokumentach, ktore trzeba miec przy sobie: DNI, Passaport. Musze miec oba dokumenty, czy wystarczy tylko dowod osobisty, na ktorym wsiadam do samolotu?
– sa jakies dokladne wymagania odnosnie zdjecia (tak jak np. przy podaniach o prace)? Czy wystarczy kwadratowe zdjecie z usmechnieta buzka? Moge je miec normalnie wywolane, czy tez musze miec w formie digitalnej?
– jak wyglada sprawa z przedluzaniem statusu socio? Idzie to automatycznie czy bede musial zawsze na poczatku roku organizowac wypad na Camp Nou?
– karte socio wystawiaja od reki czy musze czekac na poczte od FCB? Zakladam, ze wysylka do Niemiec nie bedzie dla klubu zadnym problemem 🙂
I ostatnie pytanko dotyczy twoich doswiadczen z serwisem klienta (?) klubu. Wyslalem jakis czas temu dwa zapytania na podanego maila w jezyku angielskim, probowalem dzwonic na podany numer i nic. Na maile nie przyszla zadna odpowiedz, a na infolinii posluchalem sobie 15 minut hymnu i to byloby na tyle. Znajomy, fan Atletico i ich czlonek (zwykly, Atletico nie ma socios) mowil mi pare lat temu, ze on kontaktuje sie ze swoim klubem tylko przez oficjalny pena, bo na maile po angielsku oni nie odpowiadaja. A jak to wyglada w FCB? Masz moze jakies doswiadczenia?
Sorry za zawracanie gitary, ale chcialbym, aby w OAB wszystko przebieglo bezproblemowo 🙂
I want to join barcelona I want to be a member
Thanks for the helpful guide!
I became a member a few days ago, any idea if online-based members also get a welcome kit along with the card? Thanks
Yes you should get it directly to your house
Hi guys!
I’m a masters student in Barcelona and were writing a thesis on the Barca feminini football team. Do you know if the socio and season tickets include access to other Barca activities, like the female team or the basketball or handball? Are there any socio or season tickets that are for the female team only? Thank you!
Hi Rachel. Socios get free tickets to every other team except basketball (there’s a discount though). So Femeni is totally free for socios. Good luck with your thesis!
Hi adrian, I’m going to OAB next week to become socios. I wanted to know if there is a need to bring a photo ID or something else in addition to the ID card and bank account. I also wanted to know if the welcome pack and the socios card we get directly at the first appointment at the OAB or if the OAB sends it to our home.
no you don’t anything else. And you should get the starter pack right there on spot. Good luck!
Thanks Adrian, but I was wondering how they put a picture on our membership card
they have a small camera in the office so no need to bring your own picture
I live in England. Could I buy champions League tickets & be in the Barça end as a member?
Cheers.
Yes. For any match
Hi adrian, one question and i think u should clear this up in the post. U say:
“You have to sign up for the list in person at the OAB office at Camp Nou. For the first three years, you have to renew your application at this office so be prepared to travel to Camp Nou at least once per season”
By application do u mean the application to be a socio or the wait list to get season tickets? Its a bit unclear. If ur just putting a name on a list, why call it an application?
Or are u refering to the actual socio application here? Just wondering if u have to go to camp nou at least once for 3 years if u want to become a socio. Thanks!
Hi Oscar,
I write “3. How to get FC Barcelona season ticket?
If you are a Barça socio you can also try to get your own season ticket (asiento).”
First you need to be a socio and only then you can think of getting a season ticket. Also only then do you have to travel to Camp Nou. No need to show up just for the socio card
I want to be a member at fc barcelona
Please is the online registration form open.
I want to be a socio.But in Nigeria
Hi. As I can see on FCB website, there’s another membership program called “culers” worth around €25. Does that help get match tickets (I am interested in Champions League) on priority, i.e. early access?
honestly I don’t know, never had that card
I think it is an appropriate place to ask my question. What do I need to buy to get exclusive access to the tickets? For example, if I want to visit Barcelona – Bayern Munich game, is it enough to acquire Culers Premium Membership for 34,99 EUR, or do I need to buy one Cullers membership for 200 EUR? What’s the difference between them?
Hi there. Thanks for posting this helpful article. 2 quick questions: Are you able to pay for someone to be a socio as I want to make my father be one as a Christmas gift? Since you pay every year in December or January when is the best time of the year to become a member? Thank you.
sorry for the late reply:
1. yes, I think you can
2. It doesn’t matter really, you only pay for the part of the year that’s left
i am becoming a socio this week. i want to become a seasonal ticket holder as soon as possible because i am not from europe and i travel to barcelona a few times a year to watch matches and i want to move the barcelona. what can i do?
you have two options: 1. become a socio, wait 3 years and sign up on the waiting list, wait for another 7-10 years to get a season ticket.
2. become a socio and find someone who wants to sell their abono. It costs 3x what the carnet is worth annually + whatever the person selling asks you. Probably around 5k EUR in total.
Want to register as a full member