Renewing the CAP for bus drivers in Spain
To renew the CAP (Spain's Driver CPC, the driver certificate of professional competence), the driver has to pass a 35-hour continuing training course every five years at an authorised CAP company. The driver qualification card is issued for five years and, once that period passes without the course, it is considered expired. If it expires, getting back behind the wheel requires taking the course first.
It is regulated by Royal Decree 284/2021, whose consolidated text was updated in June 2026. Here is what continuing training is, how the course is organised, what happens if the CAP expires, and how to keep track of each driver's date in Bus Center.
What CAP continuing training is
Continuing training is the periodic course that keeps the driver's professional qualification valid. Royal Decree 284/2021 says that continuing training, compulsory for all drivers within the scope of this royal decree, must allow them to update the essential knowledge of their trade.
The text puts the emphasis on road safety, health and safety at work and reducing the environmental impact of driving. And only those who already hold the certificate of professional competence from the initial qualification and have a valid driving licence may take these courses.
What the 35-hour course is like
The course lasts 35 hours and is repeated every five years. According to Royal Decree 284/2021, drivers must pass a course lasting 35 hours every five years, which includes classroom sessions and practical training; the practical part is one hour.
It can be taken in separate periods, as long as they are delivered by the same authorised CAP company, within the same calendar year, and none lasts less than 7 hours, which may be split over two consecutive days. For bus drivers (licences D, D+E, D1 and D1+E), the programme devotes fourteen of those 35 hours to supplementary training modules specific to those licences.
Only companies authorised as training centres, which the rules call CAP companies, may deliver it. And anyone who has completed continuing training for one licence category is exempt from doing it for another: a driver with bus and lorry licences does not have to take two courses.
The qualification card and its validity
The driver qualification card is the document that proves a valid CAP. Royal Decree 284/2021 says it will be issued with a validity of five years, after which it is considered expired, unless the driver takes a continuing training course more than twelve months before the card's expiry date, in which case the five-year validity is counted from the date on which the course was passed.
Put another way: if the course is taken well in advance, the new five years start counting from the course, not from the date the card was due to expire. Before enrolling a driver, confirm with the CAP company what date their new card will have.
The first time, the course is taken before five years have passed since the first certificate of professional competence, and from then on at least every five years. The card carries the European Union harmonised code “95”.
The CAP is tied to the driving licence: each time a qualification card is issued, the competent body will check that its holder has the corresponding driving licence in force. Renewing the licence is explained in how to renew the D licence.
What happens if the CAP expires
If the CAP expires, the driver takes the same continuing training course before driving professionally again. Royal Decree 284/2021 says that drivers who have stopped practising the profession and do not hold a valid driver qualification card must take a continuing training course before resuming it.
For the company, the practical problem is a different one: a driver with an expired CAP is a driver who cannot be scheduled until they take the course, and courses have dates. That is why the warning has to arrive with time to spare, not the day before.
What the driver must carry
The driver carries the qualification card while driving. Royal Decree 284/2021 requires drivers who must hold the certificate of professional competence to carry on board the vehicle, at all times while driving, their professional qualification card or, where applicable, the document proving its validity.
The driving licence and the tachograph driver card each have their own date: for renewing the latter see renewing the tachograph driver card.
The CAP alert in Bus Center
In Bus Center, each driver's record holds their details, their documents and their expiry dates: licence, CAP and tachograph card. The dashboard gathers what expires in 30 days or less, and each alert appears as overdue, urgent (15 days or less) or warning. The alerts are shown on the dashboard.
When the program is being set up, the set-up checklist flags the drivers who have no licence or CAP expiry date entered, so that no date is left blank without anyone noticing.
When the driver renews the CAP, they can send a photo of the new card with its date from their phone portal. That date is a proposal: it does not touch the record until the office approves it. The other expiry dates of a coach company are in fleet expiry date tracking, and the portal is in the drivers section (in Spanish).
Sources consulted
Checked on 11 October 2026. We link to the original source so that you can consult the current text.
Frequently asked questions
How often does the CAP have to be renewed?
Every five years, by passing a 35-hour continuing training course at an authorised CAP company, under Royal Decree 284/2021.
What happens if my CAP has expired?
You have to take a continuing training course before practising again: Royal Decree 284/2021 requires this of drivers who do not hold a valid qualification card.
Can I take the course on separate days?
Yes, in separate periods delivered by the same CAP company, within the same calendar year and with none lasting less than 7 hours.
Does Bus Center warn me that a driver's CAP is expiring?
Yes, on the dashboard: it gathers what expires in 30 days or less, licence, CAP and tachograph card included, and marks each alert as overdue, urgent or warning.