Labor Inspection accesses INE registry: what changes for your company

Key data

The Labor Inspection and Social Security Organization (ITSS) now has direct access to the INE municipal registry database through SECOPA web services. The agreement, published on April 20, 2026, formalizes this integration and significantly expands the investigation tools available to inspectors in their operations.

This is not a minor change. Until now, verifying whether a worker actually resided where they said or whether a company had its activity where declared required additional procedures. With direct access to the municipal registry, inspectors can verify that information in real time during any operation.

What does this regulation establish?

The agreement between the State Labor Inspection and Social Security Organization and the National Institute of Statistics (INE) regulates inspector access to the municipal registry database through SECOPA web services.

The key elements of the agreement are:

• Access to residence and registry data of workers and companies during inspection operations.
• Limited purpose: access is restricted exclusively to the purposes of Labor Inspection and Social Security.
• Data protection guarantees: the agreement incorporates the regulatory compliance measures in data protection matters.
• Technical channel: access is provided through INE SECOPA web services, which implies automated and traceable integration.

The stated objective is to improve effectiveness in detecting labor fraud, undeclared work and irregularities in Social Security matters.

Economic and operational impact

This agreement does not generate direct costs for companies, but it does increase the risk of detection in irregular situations. The real impact is operational and indirect:

• Greater data cross-referencing capacity: inspectors can immediately verify whether a worker's declared residence matches their actual registry, or whether a company's address corresponds to its actual activity.
• Reduced margin for undeclared work: situations where workers are registered in one municipality but work in another, or where fictitious addresses are declared, will be more easily detectable.
• Streamlining of investigation and sanction procedures: by having registry data in real time, inspection operations can advance faster and with greater documentary support.
• High risk for sectors with high mobility or irregular work: construction, hospitality, agriculture and domestic services are sectors where cross-referencing registry data can have greater impact.

Who does it affect?

• Companies with displaced workers whose actual residence does not match the address declared in contracts or Social Security.
• Companies with registered or tax addresses that do not correspond to the actual place of activity.
• Employers in sectors with high turnover or informal work: construction, hospitality, agriculture, cleaning and domestic services.
• Workers in irregular situations or with registry data inconsistent with their declared employment situation.
• Labor inspectors, who have an additional tool for their investigations.
• Labor advisors and management firms that manage registrations, deregistrations and contracts: they must ensure that the data they process is consistent with the actual residence of workers.

Practical example

A construction company has several workers registered with Social Security at an address in a municipality in Toledo province, but the work site where they work is in Madrid and the workers themselves have been residing there for months.

Before this agreement, verifying that inconsistency required additional procedures by the inspector. Now, through SECOPA web services, the inspector can directly consult the municipal registry and check in which municipality those workers are actually registered during the inspection operation itself.

If the registry does not match the data declared to Social Security, that inconsistency can become an indication of irregularity that supports a deeper investigation into labor fraud or incorrect contributions.

What should companies do now?

1. Review the consistency of worker data: verify that the addresses declared in contracts and Social Security correspond to the actual residence and registry of each employee.
2. Verify the company's registered and tax address: ensure that the declared address corresponds to the actual place of activity, especially if there are branches or work centers in different municipalities.
3. Coordinate with your labor advisory firm: inform your manager or labor advisor of this new mechanism so they can review the files of workers with greater mobility or complex administrative situations.
4. Pay special attention to displaced workers: if you have employees who regularly work in a municipality different from their declared address, properly document that situation and verify its compliance with regulations.
5. Do not wait for an inspection to regularize: if you detect inconsistencies, it is preferable to correct them proactively before they become subject to an inspection operation.

Official source

Notice: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For specific decisions, consult a qualified professional. Source: https://www.boe.es/diario_boe/txt.php?id=BOE-A-2026-8680