Prison Officer Mobility Between State and Catalonia: 30 Minimum Positions and Key Requirements

Key data

Prison officials from the State and the Generalitat of Catalonia have had a formal mechanism since September 7, 2026 to transfer between both administrations. The agreement, published through the Resolution of August 31, 2026 from the General Technical Secretariat, establishes the specific conditions: reserved positions, seniority requirements, compensation scheme, and a coordination body.

This is an inter-administrative mobility agreement between two equivalent corps that previously operated completely separately. The agreement does not modify the general working conditions of either corps, but rather opens a voluntary transfer route that did not previously exist.

What does this regulation establish?

The agreement regulates mobility between two specific corps:

The main conditions of the agreement are as follows:

• Reserved positions: each administration will reserve a minimum of 30 positions in its transfer competitions for officials from the other administration.
• Seniority requirement: officials must have at least two years in active service to participate in these competitions.
• Compensation scheme: the transferred official will receive compensation corresponding to the new destination position, respecting the destination allowance associated with the consolidated grade already recognized.
• Monitoring Commission: a joint commission is created between both administrations, with functions of coordinating calls and resolving conflicts that may arise in the application of the agreement.
• Economic cost: the agreement generates no additional economic cost for either of the two administrations.

Economic and operational impact

From an economic perspective, the agreement is neutral: neither administration assumes additional expense. The transferred official's compensation becomes the responsibility of the receiving administration, which already had it budgeted for the advertised positions.

The only relevant compensation nuance is the protection of the destination allowance of the consolidated grade: if an official has a higher grade recognized than the level of the position to which they are transferred, that allowance is retained. This prevents economic losses from the transfer and facilitates voluntary mobility.

From an operational perspective, the impact is concentrated in the human resources departments of both administrations, which must:

• Reserve a minimum of 30 positions in each transfer call for officials from the other administration.
• Coordinate the call schedules with the other party through the Monitoring Commission.
• Verify compliance with the two-year seniority requirement in active service for each candidate.

Who does it affect?

• Officials of the Prison Institution Assistants Corps (General State Administration) who wish to transfer to prison facilities managed by the Generalitat of Catalonia.
• Officials of the Specialist Technicians Corps, prison services scale (Generalitat of Catalonia) who wish to transfer to facilities dependent on the State.
• Human Resources Departments of the General Secretariat of Prison Institutions (State) and the equivalent body of the Generalitat of Catalonia, responsible for managing competitions and coordinating with the Monitoring Commission.

It does not affect other civil service corps, labor personnel, or officials from other autonomous communities with transferred prison competencies.

Practical example

An official of the Prison Institution Assistants Corps assigned to a State facility has been in active service for three years and wishes to transfer to a Catalan prison facility for personal or family reasons.

With the agreement in force, this official can apply to the Generalitat of Catalonia's transfer competition, which will reserve at least 30 positions for candidates from the State. By meeting the two-year seniority requirement, their application is admissible.

If they obtain a position, their compensation will become that of the destination position in the Catalan administration. If their consolidated grade carries a destination allowance higher than that of the new position, that allowance is respected: they do not lose purchasing power from the transfer.

The same mechanism works in reverse: a Catalan official can compete for the 30 positions that the State reserves in its own transfer competitions.

What should affected officers do now?

1. Verify seniority: check if you have at least two years in active service in the corresponding corps, which is the minimum requirement to participate.
2. Check the calls: stay alert to transfer competitions from the receiving administration, which must publish the 30 reserved positions in each call.
3. Review your consolidated grade: before requesting the transfer, check the destination allowance of your own consolidated grade and compare it with that of the destination position, to understand the real compensation impact.
4. Contact the HR department: both the General Secretariat of Prison Institutions (State) and the equivalent body of the Generalitat of Catalonia are the contact points to resolve questions about the specific procedure for each call.
5. Follow the Monitoring Commission: this joint body will coordinate the calls and resolve conflicts; any incident in the process can be channeled through it.

Official source

Consult complete regulation in 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-2026-18751