Sant Cugat requires people to attend in person to register after detecting thousands of irregular registrations

Ayuntamiento de Sant Cugat del Vallès is changing the rules for the municipal register. It now requires owners and tenants aged over 16 to attend in person. The measure seeks to curb fraud after 4,000 irregular registrations were cancelled. How does it affect those who live there or plan to move?

Ayuntamiento de Sant Cugat del Vallès has made an unexpected change to the management of the municipal register, a decision that directly affects people who live in or are seeking to settle in the city. From today, both owners and tenants aged over 16 must attend the municipal offices in person to complete their registration. The measure, which takes effect immediately, is intended to put a stop to attempted fraud and ensure that only those who genuinely live in the municipality appear in the official register.

The decision follows the detection of a high number of fictitious registrations: in recent months, the council cancelled almost 4,000 records of people who did not live in the declared homes. This tightening of requirements seeks to prevent the register being used to obtain public services or social benefits improperly, a practice that had caused concern among municipal officials.

From now on, owners and tenants aged >16 must attend in person to register (no delegations or online-only registration). Around 4,000 false registrations detected; Policía Local will carry out surprise inspections (including at night). Affects new registrations/changes: more control, fewer "favour registrations" (school places, healthcare). Homeless people under Servicios Sociales supervision.

For residents, the change means a more demanding and less flexible procedure, especially for those who managed registration remotely or through representatives. Physical presence now becomes an indispensable requirement, which could slow some processes and require diaries to be reorganised. The Ayuntamiento insists that the measure is necessary to protect the integrity of the register and ensure that municipal resources reach people who genuinely live in Sant Cugat.

The municipal register is much more than a simple administrative record: it determines access to essential services such as healthcare, education and social assistance. In cities in Barcelona's metropolitan area, such as Sant Cugat del Vallès, control over the register has become particularly relevant in recent years, given increased mobility and pressure on public resources. Maintaining the reliability of this register is key to efficient municipal management and to ensuring fairness in the allocation of services and benefits.