Professional Aptitude Certificate and Driver Qualification Card

Professional aptitude certificate and driver qualification card

These documents are necessary, with some exceptions, for driving vehicles on public roads for which it is mandatory to be in possession of driving licenses of categories C1, C1+E, C, C+E, D1, D1+E, D or D+E.

The certificate of professional aptitude certifies that you have passed the courses and exams required to obtain the initial qualification of the drivers. It does not have a predetermined validity period, although its validity is subordinated to the completion of a continuous training course every five years.

Each student who has passed the initial qualification exam is issued the corresponding qualification card. It is valid for five years and to renew it, it is necessary to complete a complete course of continuous training.

CAP certificate

As of April 20, 2021, the issuance of CAP Certificates has not proceeded, since it has been replaced by an annotation in the Registry of Transport Companies and Activities - REAT, according to Royal Decree 284/2021, of April 20, which regulates the initial qualification and continuous training of drivers of certain vehicles intended for road transport.

Requirements for obtaining the certificate and CAP card

What do I have to do to obtain the certificate?

What documentation do I get?

Do I have to renew the card?

What happens if I don't renew the card on time?

If you do not have a valid card, you will not be able to work as a professional driver. You will have to follow a continuous training course, but it will not be necessary to repeat the initial training (this is not lost). Similarly, you will not lose the exemption if you have a driving license D prior to September 11, 2008 or C prior to September 11, 2009 and you have not completed the first continuous training course within the term.

What are the requirements to take a continuing education course?

Is initial training necessary for all drivers?

It is not necessary (although it is necessary to obtain the CAP card) for those drivers who have driving licenses prior to:

September 11, 2008 permits D1, D1+E, D, D+E.
September 11, 2009 C1, C1+E, C, C+E permits.

The CAP is not necessary in some cases such as driving vehicles with a maximum speed restricted to 45 km/h, at points of sale and others provided for in the regulations.

CAP Card Application

Access here to submit online applications for the issuance of the CAP card.

Online application

Driving in the European Union

The CAP card will allow you to drive on the road as a freight and passenger transport professional in all the countries of the European Union, Switzerland and Norway. Likewise, CAP cards issued in those countries will be valid in Spain.

In some countries, such as Spain, the CAP is accredited by means of its own card; in others it is recorded as an entry 95 on the driver's license. If you have residence in the Community of Madrid and want to exchange a permit from an EU country with code 95, you must request a change of CAP card at the General Directorate of Transport.

If you are going to renew a CAP card from another country of the EU or you want the seniority of the driving license of one of these countries to be recognized and you reside in the Community of Madrid, you will have to provide the respective original documents to the General Directorate of Transport.