Catalan municipalities impede resident registration for thousands

A new ECAS report analysing 60 Catalan municipalities finds that 40 of them create obstacles to the empadronamiento process, with 26 failing to guarantee ordinary registration and 29 outright refusing it. The study cites four main barriers: excessive documentation requirements, digital appointment systems, intrusive verification checks, and delays that exceed the legal three‑month deadline.

The report warns that these “extensive and structural” violations disproportionately affect people without stable housing, informal renters and immigrants who need registration to access public services or apply for residency permits. Advocacy groups say refusing to register “is a trap for the solitary” and undermines both individual rights and municipal planning.

ECAS urges municipalities to comply with the law and simplify the process to protect vulnerable residents and improve service planning.