What is the DeCA and how does it work?
The DeCA (Documento electrónico de Control Administrativo) is Spain's electronic administrative control document for public road freight transport. It replaces the traditional paper control document and becomes mandatory in digital form for Spanish domestic transport on 5 October 2026.
If your company performs transport operations inside Spain (including foreign carriers working for Spanish shippers), the DeCA will affect your daily operations. This guide explains the essentials in plain terms.
The legal basis
The control document itself has existed since Orden FOM/2861/2012, which defines which transports must carry it and which data it must contain. Spain's Sustainable Mobility Law (Ley 9/2025) then required the document to become digital ten months after the law entered into force, which lands on 5 October 2026. The technical specification (PDF format, QR code, inspection access) was published in a resolution of 5 June 2026 in the Official State Gazette (BOE).
Who is involved
Every DeCA identifies two parties: the contractual shipper (the company that contracts the transport) and the effective carrier (the company that actually performs it). Under the regulation, the shipper answers for the accuracy of the shipment data, while the carrier answers for the vehicle and date data.
What data it contains
- Contractual shipper: name or company name, tax ID (NIF) and address
- Effective carrier: name or company name and tax ID (NIF)
- Origin and destination of the transport
- Nature and weight of the goods
- Special circulation authorisation, when applicable
- Transport date
- Vehicle plate: for articulated vehicles, both tractor and trailer plates
- Optional remarks
How the electronic document works
The DeCA must be generated as a native digital PDF, produced directly from structured data: scanned paper documents are not valid. Each PDF embeds a QR code linking to a unique HTTPS address where inspection officers can download the document directly for the whole duration of the transport service.
The document must be created before the transport effectively starts, and the generating application must record when it was created and when it is modified. Generated documents must be kept for at least one year.
Can the driver still carry paper?
Yes. What must be digital is the generation of the document. During the journey, the driver may carry an electronic copy on a mobile device or a printed copy, as long as it bears the QR code.
Does it need to be signed?
Not as a general rule: the technical resolution states explicitly that a signature is not required for the control document's administrative validity. A signature may be relevant when the document is also used for contractual purposes.
How DeCAya helps
DeCAya generates compliant DeCAs in seconds: a native digital PDF with its QR code and inspection link, reusable clients and vehicles, document history and driver sharing. It is designed around the technical requirements published in the BOE and launches ahead of the 5 October 2026 deadline.
DeCAya is coming soon: your DeCA ready in seconds
Discover DeCAya →