What Spain's transport control document is and what changes in 2026.
Spain's control document has been mandatory since 2013 and you already carried it on every journey, usually as a delivery note. What's new is the format: since 5 October 2026 it must be electronic.
What changes is the format
The electronic administrative control document must be a digitally generated PDF, with its own web address and a QR code containing it. No scans or photos of the delivery note.
At a check the QR code is scanned and the PDF downloads instantly, with no sign-up, no passwords and no buttons. The contracting shipper and the actual carrier are each liable for their own data.
The rules: Orden FOM/2861/2012, Ley 9/2025 (disposición transitoria octava, its eighth transitional provision), the Resolución of the Dirección General de Transporte por Carretera y Ferrocarril of 5 June 2026 and articles 141.17 and 143 of the LOTT (Spain's Land Transport Act).
To see what it looks like, open the DeCA example in PDF, explained field by field.
What the Resolution of 5 June 2026 requires
And how DeCA meets it:
| Requirement | How we comply |
|---|---|
| Data from article 6 of Orden FOM/2861/2012: contracting shipper, actual carrier, origin and destination, goods and weight, date, number plates | Every field is validated before generating. Shipper and carrier are labelled and kept separate in the PDF. |
| Natively digital PDF, not scanned, under 5 MB, with creation date and time in the metadata | Digitally generated. It weighs about 12 KB. It includes creation and modification date and time. |
| Unique web address per document, HTTPS, with direct download and no credentials | Each PDF has its own URL with 32 random characters. It opens and downloads without any intermediate step. |
| QR code inside the PDF with that address | Printed on the document itself and also available as an image to send separately. |
| Created before the service starts and given to the driver, on a phone or on paper | WhatsApp button with the number and link ready. Direct printing of the ticket with the QR code. |
| Changes en route, keeping the original | A new version is generated with the reason for the change. The previous one can still be downloaded and is marked as superseded. |
| Retention for at least one year | Nothing is deleted. Documents stay in the repository and can be viewed and downloaded. |
| No registration or notification to the Ministry, no mandatory signature | Nothing needs to be registered on any official platform. A signature is not required for administrative validity. |
FAQ
Is it a new document?
No. It's the administrative control document of Orden FOM/2861/2012, the same one that has been mandatory on paper since 2013. What changes is that from 5 October 2026 it must be electronic.
Does it have to be uploaded to a Ministry platform?
No. There is no official app and nothing has to be registered. Each company keeps its documents in its own repository, and at checks they are downloaded from the URL in the QR code.
Is an e-signature or digital certificate required?
No. Neither the Order nor the Resolution requires a signature for the document to be valid. Only if you also use it as a contract, for example as a signed consignment note, would it need an advanced electronic signature.
Is my PDF delivery note sent by WhatsApp already valid?
Only if it's a digitally generated PDF with the QR code printed on it, and that QR code leads to an address where the PDF downloads directly. A photo or scan of the delivery note is not valid.
How long must it be kept?
At least one year. Nothing is deleted in DeCA: documents stay in the repository and can be viewed and downloaded.
More about the DeCA
- Control document for vansWhen vehicles of up to 3.5 tonnes need it
- Control document or CMRWhich one for domestic transport and which for international
- No signal at a roadside checkWhat happens if there's no connection when you're stopped
- Own-account transportWhen your own fleet doesn't need a DeCA
- DeCA example in PDFA sample control document, field by field
- Cabotage in SpainThe control document on cabotage operations
- ShippersWhoever hires the transport and is liable for the DeCA
- Integration with your softwareArigest, Agrocom, GAP, Gesthorm and API
- PricePay per document or flat rate
It's already mandatory. Try DeCA free for a month.
A month with everything included, no card needed: sign up in a minute and create your first DeCA with your own delivery notes. If you'd rather we set it up for you, give us a call.