Until now
The control document is required for certain public road freight transport in Spain. Some cases are exempt.
The DeCA (Documento electrónico de Control Administrativo) is Spain's electronic transport control document for road freight. Cofactu lets you issue manual DeCA documents for free, with no limit, on the Free plan: €0/month, unlimited DeCA, no card and no end date.
It is not a 30-day trial or a monthly quota. Open an account without a card, generate the PDF with its QR code and check it from your phone before paying for any extra feature. Manual issuing stays available on the Free plan when the trial of the paid plans ends.
See an example without signing up →€0 · unlimited DeCA · no card · no end date · free account required
Electronic generation.
Digital or printed copy.
From 5 October 2026
Law 9/2025 requires it to be digital. The Resolution of 5 June 2026 sets the native PDF, the QR code and the direct download.
At a roadside check
The driver can carry the PDF or a printed copy with the QR code. The link opens the document without logging in; handwritten notes do not replace an electronic correction.
A departure with proof
The document travels with the service, not with the paperwork.
A DeCA is not one more PDF to hunt for at the end of the day. It is born with the shipment, stays available on the road and keeps its history when the service ends.
The data the transport requires. Shipper, carrier, origin, destination, goods, weight, date and vehicle are checked together before issuing.
A native PDF with its own URL. Cofactu turns the record into a readable document, adds the QR code and stores the direct download address.
The copy reaches the driver before departure. The driver carries the PDF or its QR code. At a check, the link downloads the document with no screen in between.
The operation stays searchable. The parties keep access to the document's evidence, and corrections are recorded as versions.
Designed for the road
A QR code should not lead to a login screen.
The URL of each document points to the direct download of the PDF. It is the detail that matters when someone has to check it from the hard shoulder, not from an office.
Create a DeCA in Cofactu ↗A short list. A complete journey.
Native PDF, 5 MB or less01
Generated from structured data, with the creation and modification date and time as metadata. A scan or a photo is not valid.
QR code with a unique https URL02
Each document carries its own QR code with an https address (TLS 1.2 or higher) that downloads the PDF directly: no login, no buttons, no intermediate steps.
Copy to the driver before departure03
Digital on the phone or printed on paper, always with the QR code. It is delivered by link before the service actually starts.
Kept for one year, with history04
The contractual shipper and the actual carrier keep the file for at least one year; each correction is a new version and the original does not disappear.
DeCA for the transport that takes place here.
The DeCA answers to the administrative control of road freight transport in Spain. The CMR answers to the international transport contract; an e-CMR requires a specific electronic contractual procedure.
See the DeCA journey ↑
€0 to issue. You pay only for operations.
Issuing the DeCA has no cost and no expiry in Cofactu. The Logistics plans are for when you want to manage the whole service, not to comply with the document.
| Option | Price | Conditions | What it includes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cofactu Free01 | €0/month | Unlimited DeCA, no card and no end date. Requires a free account. | What it includesManual issuing, PDF with QR code, copy to the driver, history. |
| Ministry DeCA module02 | €0 | Public platform (apps.fomento.gob.es/deca). The entity must register. | What it includesIssuing the document. No invoicing or service management. |
| Cofactu Logistics03 | €79/month | Includes SME. 30-day trial, no card. | What it includesServices, planning, deliveries with proof of delivery (POD), incidents, bulk DeCA import and API. |
| Cofactu Logistics Pro04 | €149/month | Includes Logistics. 30-day trial, no card. | What it includesSubcontracting, rate cards and carrier settlements. |
Compared with the Ministry's module, Cofactu adds what happens around the document: the same data flows into the service, the delivery and the VeriFactu invoice, and the versions stay in your account. All plans and limits.
Issue my first DeCA for free ↗DeCA, with no small print.
The practical questions before issuing your first control document.
How to prepare and keep the DeCA →Can I try the DeCA before I buy?
Yes. Cofactu lets you issue manual DeCA documents for free, with no limit on the number of documents, on the Free plan. Create an account (no card), fill in the transport details and check the PDF and its QR code before you pay for any extra feature.
What happens to my DeCA after the 30-day trial?
The 30-day trial applies to the paid plans. If you stay on the Free plan, you can keep issuing manual DeCA documents without limit and without paying. Transport operations management and automation have their own conditions in the Logistics plans.
Can I see an example without signing up?
Yes. The DeCA example page lets you open a PDF with fictitious data, check its QR code and compare a correction without creating an account. It is marked as a test document with no validity for transport. To issue your own documents you do need to register.
Can I carry the DeCA on paper?
Yes. The driver can carry a printed copy with the QR code of the electronically generated document, or show it on a device. The copy must be available before the service starts. Handwritten notes do not replace an electronic correction.
What if the officer cannot read the QR code?
Show the PDF saved on the phone: it opens without coverage and is the same document the QR code downloads. If the officer prefers to open it on their own device, give them the address printed under the QR code, the DeCA number and the tax IDs (NIF) of the shipper and the carrier. Cofactu gives the driver a screen to save the PDF before departure, with these steps, and records when the document was issued and every time it was downloaded.
How does the driver know they carry the current version?
When a DeCA is corrected, Cofactu issues a new version with its own QR code and, if the driver received it by email, sends it again. On the driver's screen, a superseded version warns that it is no longer valid and links to the current one, and a cancelled DeCA shows as cancelled. The previous URL keeps serving its PDF to whoever has already downloaded it.
What does the free DeCA include?
Manual issuing is unlimited on every plan, including the Free plan. It requires an account, no card. Transport operations management and advanced features have conditions per plan; see Pricing.
What is a DeCA and who issues it?
The DeCA (Documento electrónico de Control Administrativo) is Spain's electronic transport control document: it records the data required for certain road freight transport. The shipper issues it, or the carrier on the shipper's behalf. In Cofactu it is issued as a native PDF with a QR code and a direct download URL.
Does the driver need a username or password?
Not to show or download the document during the service. The QR code opens a specific URL that downloads the PDF directly, so that a roadside check does not depend on logging in to an account.
Is it the same as a CMR or an e-CMR?
No. The DeCA is the Spanish administrative document; the CMR covers the international transport contract. A CMR format can also serve as a DeCA if it meets the applicable data and requirements, but a PDF on its own is not presented as an e-CMR.
Can I correct a document after issuing it?
Yes. Cofactu keeps the history and generates a new version with its own evidence, so the original document does not disappear.