I've just spent a frustrating half hour trying to navigate around the BCN website and specifically trying to understand the confusing interactive maps on that site. I've decided that the information I'm looking for probably can be obtained more quickly by asking FTers who know the airport.

BCN will be our last EU stop before flying back to the US (via ZRH, leaving T1). Hence, that's where I'd expect to get our VAT refund forms (from the UK, Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain) stamped. The airport provides a multilanguage instruction sheet about VAT refunds, which explains that one needs to get the forms stamped by the Guardia Civil before either mailing them or taking them to cash refund points at designated places on the first or third floors of the terminal (depending on the handling agent). All very standard procedure.

But what the instruction sheet fails to mention is where I might expect to find landside access to the Guardia Civil office, so that I can get the forms stamped before surrendering our checked bags. A small diagram on the sheet suggests that there is such an office on the departure floor (3), but I can't ascertain whether it is landside or airside (as such offices sometimes are).

Could someone familiar with BCN T1 please advise?