DeCA in Spain: Everything You Need to Know About the Electronic Administrative Control Document

The Electronic Administrative Control Document (DeCA) will become mandatory in Spain from 5 October 2026 for public road freight transport operations falling within its scope of application. If you manage logistics operations, it is essential to understand what the DeCA is, when it becomes mandatory, and why it should not be confused with the eCMR.

What is the Electronic Administrative Control Document (DeCA)?

The Electronic Administrative Control Document, known as the DeCA, is the digital version of the administrative control document required for certain public road freight transport operations in Spain.

It is an administrative document that records the key details of a transport operation and makes them available to transport inspectors and enforcement authorities.

The DeCA must be generated through a software application before the transport operation begins and must remain accessible throughout the journey.

Its implementation provides several advantages:

Reduces the use of paper documentation
Simplifies roadside inspections through the use of a QR code
Improves document traceability across transport operations
Records document creation and amendments throughout its lifecycle
Provides easy access for both drivers and enforcement authorities

Differences between the paper-based control document and the DeCA

Feature	Paper Control Document	DeCA
Format	Physical document	Electronic PDF document
Creation	Completed manually or printed	Generated through a software application
Access	Via the physical copy	Via PDF, unique URL and QR code
Amendments	More difficult to record and review	Must be fully identifiable and traceable
Roadside inspections	Presentation of the paper document	Electronic access through a QR code
Storage	Physical archiving	Electronic storage

DeCA, eCMR and eFTI: They Are Not the Same

The DeCA is not the eCMR. Although both are linked to the digitalisation of freight transport, they differ significantly in their legal nature, purpose and scope.

The DeCA is the electronic administrative control document established under Spanish legislation for specific public road freight transport operations.

The eCMR is the electronic version of the consignment note governed by the CMR Convention and its Additional Protocol. Its purpose is to document the contract for the international carriage of goods by road.

The eFTI Regulation establishes a European framework enabling businesses to submit regulatory freight transport information electronically to competent authorities.

Key Differences Between DeCA, eCMR and eFTI

Feature	DeCA	eCMR	eFTI
What it is	Administrative control document	Electronic consignment note	European framework for exchanging regulatory transport information
Purpose	Administrative control and inspection	Documents the transport contract	Facilitates the electronic submission of information to authorities
Main scope	Domestic transport and cabotage operations within Spain	International transport governed by the CMR Convention	Freight transport across the European Union
Legal framework	Spanish road transport legislation	CMR Convention and the eCMR Protocol	Regulation (EU) 2020/1056
Mandatory in Spain	Mandatory from 5 October 2026 within its scope of application	Not a consequence of Spain’s DeCA requirement	Regulates the acceptance of electronic transport information by public authorities

Important: A consignment note, ADR document, waste identification document, animal by-products (ABP) transport document, or any other transport document may serve as a DeCA provided that it contains all mandatory information and complies with the technical requirements established for the electronic administrative control document.

Legal Framework and Entry into Force

When Will the DeCA Become Mandatory?

The Spanish Sustainable Mobility Act (Law 9/2025 of 3 December) establishes that the administrative control document regulated under Order FOM/2861/2012 must be issued exclusively in digital format within ten months of the law entering into force.

As a result, the DeCA will become mandatory from 5 October 2026 for all transport operations falling within its scope of application.

Legislation Governing the DeCA

Law 9/2025 on Sustainable Mobility: introduces the mandatory digitalisation of the administrative control document.
Order FOM/2861/2012: regulates the administrative control document required for public road freight transport operations in Spain.
Article 222 of the Regulation implementing the Spanish Land Transport Act (ROTT): governs the use of electronic transport control documentation.
Resolution of 5 June 2026: establishes the technical requirements that software applications and electronic administrative control documents must meet.
Regulation (EU) 2020/1056 (eFTI): provides the European legal framework for the electronic exchange of regulatory freight transport information.

Which Transport Operations Are Subject to the DeCA?

The DeCA applies to public road freight transport operations falling within the scope of Order FOM/2861/2012.

In general, it applies to:

Domestic transport operations where both the origin and destination are located in Spain.
Cabotage operations carried out within Spanish territory.
Self-employed carriers and transport companies performing operations subject to the administrative control document.
Shippers contracting transport services covered by this legal requirement.
Logistics operators acting as contractual shippers or performing carriers.

International transport operations that only partially pass through Spain are generally outside the scope of the Spanish administrative control document and continue to be governed by the relevant international conventions.

There is no general €150 threshold determining whether a DeCA must be generated. The obligation depends on the nature and scope of the transport operation, not on the value of the transport service.

Who Is Responsible for Completing the DeCA?

Responsibility for completing the document is shared between:

Contractual Shipper: the individual or legal entity that directly contracts the transport service with the performing carrier.
Performing Carrier: the individual or legal entity holding the transport authorisation under which the transport operation is actually carried out.

Both parties must ensure that the document is completed before the transport operation begins and remains available throughout the journey.

The contractual shipper is primarily responsible for the information relating to the contracting parties, the place of origin and destination, the nature of the goods and their weight.

The performing carrier is primarily responsible for information relating to special transport authorisations, the transport date and the registration numbers of the vehicles involved.

Exemptions: Which Transport Operations Are Not Subject to the DeCA?

Among the exemptions provided by the legislation are:

Transport operations that do not require an administrative transport authorisation.
Household removals.
The transport of damaged or broken-down vehicles carried out using specialised recovery vehicles.
Certain parcel delivery and small-package distribution services involving items that can be easily handled by a single person.

Whether an exemption applies must always be assessed according to the specific characteristics of each individual transport operation.

What Information Must the DeCA Include?

The Electronic Administrative Control Document must include, at a minimum:

Name or company name, Tax Identification Number (NIF) and registered address of the contractual shipper.
Name or company name and Tax Identification Number (NIF) of the performing carrier.
Place of origin of the shipment.
Place of destination of the shipment.
Description of the goods being transported.
Weight of the goods.
Date of the transport operation.
Registration number of the tractor unit.
Registration number of the semi-trailer or trailer, where applicable.
Reference to any special transport authorisation, where required.
Observations, reservations or any additional information agreed between the parties.

Technical Requirements for the DeCA

Generated Through a Software Application

The DeCA must be generated natively from the data stored within a software application.

The following formats are not considered valid:

A scanned paper document.
A photograph of the document.
A PDF created from a scanned image.

Document Format

The electronic document must:

Be generated in PDF format.
Not exceed 5 MB in size.
Include the date and time of creation.
Record the date and time of every modification whenever changes are made.

QR Code and Document Access

The document must include a QR code linking to a unique web address created specifically for that DeCA.

The URL must:

Use HTTPS with TLS 1.2 or a later version.
Allow the PDF to be downloaded directly.
Not require a username, password or any other authentication method for enforcement authorities.
Not redirect users to an intermediate webpage containing additional buttons or steps.
Remain accessible at least until the transport operation has been completed.

Seven calendar days after completion of the transport service, access to the PDF through the QR code URL may be disabled.

Driver Access

Before the transport operation begins, the driver must receive a copy of the DeCA.

The driver may carry either:

An electronic copy stored on a mobile phone, tablet or another electronic device.
A printed paper copy that includes the QR code.

During a roadside inspection, the driver must be able to present either the document itself or the QR code providing access to it.

Document Retention

Both the contractual shipper and the performing carrier must retain the electronic document for at least one year.

Where the document has been generated by one of the parties, it is sufficient for the other party to be able to download and retain it for the legally required retention period.

Electronic Signature

An electronic signature is not generally required for the administrative validity of the DeCA.

Where the document is also intended to formalise a contractual relationship and signatures are required, it must include, as a minimum, an Advanced Electronic Signature compliant with the eIDAS Regulation.

Can a DeCA Be Amended Once the Transport Has Started?

Yes. If any information needs to be updated during the transport operation, there are two possible approaches:

Amend the existing PDF: the new information and the reason for the amendment must be added while keeping the original information visible and clearly indicating that it has been superseded.
Generate a new PDF: the new document must have its own unique URL and QR code, while the original document must also be retained.

In both cases, the updated document must be made available to the driver and the traceability of every amendment must be guaranteed.

What Happens If a DeCA Is Not Available?

Failure to complete the administrative control document, not having it available during transport, or including inaccurate information may constitute an infringement of Spain’s road transport regulations.

Liability may fall on the contractual shipper, the performing carrier, or both parties, depending on the specific obligation that has not been fulfilled and the information affected.

In addition to the financial penalties established under transport legislation, the absence of the required documentation may lead to delays and operational issues during roadside inspections.

Benefits of Implementing the DeCA

Operational Benefits

Reduced reliance on paper documentation.
Faster access to transport documents.
Greater traceability of document amendments.
Simplified document sharing with drivers.
Faster roadside inspections through QR code access.
Seamless integration with logistics management systems.

A Competitive Advantage

Early compliance with the new regulatory framework.
More efficient document management processes.
Reduced administrative errors.
Improved coordination between shippers, carriers and drivers.
Greater visibility and control over transport documentation.

How to Prepare for the DeCA

Identify which transport operations require an administrative control document.
Ensure you have all mandatory transport information available.
Select a technology solution that fully complies with DeCA requirements.
Define who is responsible for creating, updating, sharing and retaining each document.
Train drivers, traffic planners and administrative staff.
Test document generation, PDF downloads and QR code scanning before implementation.
Integrate DeCA generation into your TMS, ERP or logistics platform.

ORUS Logistics: Your Complete DeCA Solution

At ORUS Logistics, we are developing a solution that will allow you to generate, manage, download and share Electronic Administrative Control Documents (DeCA) from a single platform.

With ORUS, you will be able to: