Barcelona invests €2.4 million to verify the census of foreigners without a fixed address

The Barcelona City Council has awarded a contract worth €2.4 million to verify the census of foreigners registered without a fixed address, just as the Spanish government has opened a regularisation process.

The Barcelona City Council has launched a verification service for the registration of foreigners without a fixed address. The contract, awarded on July 9, amounts to €1.2 million for the first two years, with a possible extension that would raise the total investment to €2.4 million over the next four years.

A key service amid regularisation

This initiative comes just as the Spanish government has opened a regularisation process for foreigners living in Spain. In light of this deadline, the Barcelona council has decided to strengthen control mechanisms to ensure that the census data is reliable.

According to municipal sources, the service will focus on the preparation of Residence Knowledge Reports (ICR), a document that verifies that the person actually resides in the city. This report is mandatory for registrations without a fixed address, which is the most complex case.

The regulations approved by the Generalitat in May last year establish that if there is a discrepancy with the data from the City Council, a home inspection can be carried out. The regulation states: “Both for registration in the municipal census and for the family reunification support service, situations may arise where verification of the residence is necessary.”

Two contracts, two objectives

The City Council has tendered two separate contracts. The first, for the verification of the ICR, has been awarded to the company SM, Sistemas Medioambientales for €1.2 million, with the possibility of extending it for another two years. The second, for the preparation of housing suitability reports, has been awarded to the firm M&P Ledesma y Asociados, for €35,486 for the next two years, also extendable up to €71,000.

This latter service is essential for family reunification procedures, as the Administration requires a suitable housing arrangement to grant approval.

What rights does registration provide?

An internal report from the council reminds that registration in the census facilitates access to rights such as public healthcare or basic education. Furthermore, it is a requirement for most procedures related to the Immigration Law, such as family reunification or social rooting.

In the case of registration with a fixed address, if the availability of the apartment cannot be verified, inspection services will visit the residence to confirm the information. If everything is in order, the citizen receives residence or cohabitation certificates at their home that confirm the registration.

For registrations without a fixed address, the process is more complex: it is mandatory to carry out the ICR, which verifies the residence where the verification result is recorded. With that report, the foreigner can then confirm their registration in the city.

The ultimate goal, according to the City Council, is to ensure a reliable database of the managed files and to formalise reports with relevant data for immigration-related procedures. Barcelona residents who need these procedures should be aware that verification may include a home inspection visit.