Comparison
Free DeCA: the Government's platform and when you need something more
Updated on October 6, 2026 · 5 min read
Short answer
- The Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility has its own free platform for generating the DeCA, at apps.fomento.gob.es/deca.
- It's a separate registration from the ministry's other procedures: it doesn't use the Plataforma Simple credentials.
- It generates the document without an electronic signature and sends it by email, one at a time.
- We haven't seen it offer route templates, driver management or several saved vehicles: for an occasional one-off shipment, it's enough.
- A DeCA made on either one is equally valid before the Inspectorate: neither is "more official" than the other; what changes is the work you save.
If you've seen a link to apps.fomento.gob.es/deca going around, it's real: the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility launched its own free platform for generating the document just in time for 5 October 2026. It's no strange surprise — the control document is free-form, so nothing stops the Ministry itself from offering a way to make it — but it's worth knowing exactly what it is before deciding which one to stick with.
What the Ministry's platform is
It's at apps.fomento.gob.es/deca/login, the same domain the Ministry uses for other applications for carriers, such as looking up the Register of Transport Companies and Activities. Access is through its own registration — separate from the Plataforma Simple, the Ministry's general portal — and it doesn't ask for an electronic signature: you fill in the shipment details and receive the PDF by email.
Government platform vs El DeCA
| Government platform | El DeCA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | From €0 (15 documents/month) |
| Legal validity | The same | The same |
| Electronic signature | Not required | Not required |
| Templates for regular routes | We haven't seen it | Yes, from the Autónomo plan |
| Saved clients and vehicles | We haven't seen it | Yes, from the Autónomo plan |
| Instant delivery to the driver and third parties | By email, manually | Automatic, from the Autónomo plan |
| Notification and creation via Telegram | No | Yes, from the Autónomo plan |
| Driver access by PIN, no account needed | We haven't seen it | Yes, from the Autónomo plan |
| Several companies or tax IDs | We haven't seen it | Yes, from the Profesional plan |
What we haven't seen, we say that way, and not as "it doesn't have it": it's what doesn't appear in the Ministry's public documentation or in the sector's coverage of the platform. If any of this changes, we'll update it here.
When the free platform is enough
If you do an occasional one-off domestic transport — one shipment a month, two at most — the Ministry's platform handles the procedure at no cost and with nothing extra to learn. You fill in the eight data items of article 6 once, generate the PDF, send it to the driver yourself and that's it.
When you need something more
The problem isn't the Government's platform; it's repeating that process every day. If you issue DeCAs daily, with the same routes and the same vehicles over and over, what costs you isn't generating the document but typing the same thing in again every time — and that's where templates, saved data and automatic delivery to the driver come in.
- You do the same route often and don't want to type origin, destination and registration again every time.
- You have drivers who need the document on their phone without you forwarding it to them by hand.
- You manage more than one vehicle or more than one company and want it all in one place.
- You want to be able to send notice and generate the DeCA from Telegram, without opening the computer.
Can I use both?
Yes, there's no legal problem with it: each DeCA is an independent document and nothing stops you generating some with one tool and others with another. The only thing to look after is retention: article 9 requires keeping each document for at least one year, so if you split between two platforms, make sure both let you access your history when the Inspectorate asks for it.
Frequently asked questions
Is it true that the Government's DeCA is free?
Yes. The Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility offers a free platform at apps.fomento.gob.es/deca, with its own registration and no electronic signature.
Is a DeCA made on the Government's platform more valid?
No. Article 5 of Orden FOM/2861/2012 declares the document free-form: any application that complies with the Resolución de 5 de junio de 2026 generates an equally valid document, whether it's the Ministry's or a third party's.
Why pay for the DeCA if there's a free option from the Government?
For what it saves you, not for what the regulation requires. The Ministry's platform handles a one-off shipment; if you issue daily, templates, saved data and automatic delivery to the driver save you repeating the same work every time.
Can I use the Government's platform and El DeCA at the same time?
Yes, there's no legal restriction on combining them. What you need to look after is retention: article 9 requires keeping each document for at least one year, so you must be able to access the history of both if the Inspectorate asks for it.