The Generalitat’s virtual and mobile citizen service offices have processed nearly 5,000 administrative requests in four months, information from the Department of the Presidency. The programme brings public administration closer to residents of small and remote municipalities through video consultations and mobile services, alongside physical offices.
Since October, the virtual office has handled 3,500 requests by video call. Five specially equipped vans have visited 200 small towns since April, handling another 1,200 cases. More than 2,000 requests concerned registering civil partnerships, while around 1,000 involved disability or dependency. Other frequent topics ranged from disability-degree reviews and dependency assessments to general enquiries and applications for social energy subsidies.
The initiative is part of a wider effort to simplify access to public services and reduce administrative barriers beyond major urban centres. The Generalitat has scrapped the previously mandatory appointment system. Presidency Councillor Albert Dalmau Miranda, appointed in August 2024 in the government led by President Salvador Illa, has outlined a plan to expand physical offices in towns such as La Seu, Tremp and Puigcerdà, while increasing video consultations. Mobile vans will also make monthly visits to rural areas. The virtual office offers 180 appointments a week, each preceded by a preliminary interview, and is staffed by seven specialized civil servants.
The vans have handled 348 digital-certificate requests and 134 dependency-related cases. The Generalitat is considering expanding the service, with user satisfaction currently rated at 4.93 out of 5. The approach also fits into a broader programme to make administration easier to handle: reporting by La Vanguardia described plans for a mixed Generalitat and basic-government service counter at the Generalitat’s Eixample office in Barcelona, with two basic-government employees expected to provide services there from November. Those services are expected to cover immigration procedures and administrative authorisations, alongside recognition of educational qualifications and international vaccination certificates. The Generalitat is also simplifying 210 procedures as part of its anti-bureaucracy programme.
Albert Tort, the Generalitat’s secretary of Telecommunications and Digital Change, said the aim was to “make things easier and simplify bureaucracy,” reducing what he called “the barrier between administrations.” The planned counter is intended to bring services and procedures from both levels of government together in one location, complementing the mobile and virtual channels already serving residents outside the basic urban centres.
Catalonia’s model combines digital access with in-person outreach to address gaps in public service delivery. The high volume of requests involving civil partnerships, along with cases related to disability or dependency, points to demand for accessible, personalized assistance with impressive administrative procedures. Other regions have also tested mobile approaches to local needs, including recent efforts to provide emergency accommodation for migrants in Ceuta, detailed in this report on new shelters for migrants.
