The Generalitat and the State to unify procedures in an Eixample office

A single counter in Eixample could process immigration and social aid from both the Generalitat and the State. The Catalan Government has just approved the protocol to study the pilot project.

According to La Razón, the Catalan Government wants to test a model at the Citizen Attention Office (OAC) in Eixample, Barcelona, where one person can handle an immigration procedure and request social aid without changing administrations. The Catalan Executive approved a protocol on Tuesday to analyse the feasibility of turning this centre into the first unified office between the General State Administration and the Generalitat.

The aim is to bring together social and immigration services, benefits, and information in a single physical space. This seeks to reduce the fragmentation of administrative channels, which currently forces citizens to visit different counters.

At the office, staff will provide information on immigration and assist in filling out and digitising forms. They will also coordinate basic operations between both administrations. If a case requires specialised intervention, it will be referred to the competent authority.

During the pilot phase, methods will be studied for staff from both levels of government to work together, coordination mechanisms, and technological and logistical requirements. If the outcome is positive, the model could be extended to other offices in the region.

This initiative stems from agreements made by the Bilateral Commission Generalitat-State, established by the Statute of 2006. The single window was already included among the commitments from the meeting in February 2025 at the Palau de la Generalitat, and it reappeared in the latest Bilateral meeting, held on 20 May in Madrid and chaired by the Minister of the Presidency, Albert Dalmau.

The office is located at 641 Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes and opened on 18 May with 13 professionals and 264 square metres. By 15 October, it had registered 3,422 visits, mainly related to digital certificates, the Stable Couples Registry, large family titles, and disability degree processing.

This is a provisional location. Dalmau recalled last month that the Government plans to move the OAC to Torre Muñoz, on Paseo de Gràcia, when the permanent headquarters is ready.

The office is part of a network through which the Generalitat aims to concentrate services from its departments in one location. There, documents can be registered, digital certificates obtained, or files processed from any area without mandatory prior appointment. Alongside the one in Seu d'Urgell, which is already operational, the plan includes the first metropolitan offices in Sabadell, Santa Coloma de Gramenet, and Esplugues de Llobregat, which, according to the Government's estimates, will serve around 400,000 people.

With these, the network will reach 14 offices, with an investment of around 18 million euros. The Sabadell office will be the first to open, in early 2027.