What CAE means in Spain
CAE stands for Coordinación de Actividades Empresariales. It is the Spanish system used to coordinate documentation and preventive requirements when companies or self-employed professionals work at the same worksite, facility or client location. It is common in construction, industrial maintenance, installations, logistics sites and other places where different businesses work together.
CAE is not one document. It is a process. The client may request information about the contractor or self-employed professional, the people entering the site, their training and medical fitness where applicable, insurance, and the vehicles or equipment used for the work. Requirements vary by client, site, activity and platform, so a list from another job is not a guarantee that it will be accepted.
Start with the requirements your client has actually sent
The most useful starting point is the client email, platform invitation or requirements list. It shows which business entity is expected to upload documents, which people will access the site and whether there are separate requirements for vehicles, machinery or subcontractors. It can also identify the platform: Nalanda, Dokify, CTAIMA, e-coordina, Metacontratas, Obralia or another CAE system.
Do not upload files simply because they were accepted at a previous job. A valid document can still be rejected if it belongs to the wrong entity, has expired, does not match the requested format or does not meet a specific requirement for that worksite. Reviewing the actual request first saves time and makes the process easier to follow.
Documents for your business and the people entering the site
Depending on the case, the client may ask for identification and activity documents, insurance, certificates, declarations or other documents connected to the contractual and preventive relationship. These need to be current and issued for the business or self-employed person who will actually carry out the work.
For workers, Spanish CAE platforms can ask for documents connected with training, medical fitness, preventive information, employment status or other PRL requirements. PRL is the usual Spanish abbreviation for prevención de riesgos laborales. Keeping this Spanish term alongside its English explanation is useful when you are dealing with a Spanish client or platform.
PRL, vehicles, machinery and expiry dates
The evidence required for a worker depends on the task and the risks at the site. A construction site, warehouse and industrial plant may all ask for different information. If a van, truck, lift, machine or other equipment needs access, the client may request separate documentation for it. Insurance certificates and other documents can have their own validity dates.
CAE is normally ongoing, rather than a one-off task. A document accepted when a project begins can later expire, trigger an alert or need replacement. Monitoring dates and platform status helps prevent a prepared file from becoming an access problem just before work is due to start.
What to do when a document is pending or rejected
A pending document is not always rejected. It may be waiting for review, linked to an incomplete requirement or missing a related document. When a file is rejected, the safest approach is to read the reason, check the requirement and verify the version that was uploaded before submitting another file.
Common causes include expired dates, mismatched company or worker details, incomplete files and documents uploaded to the wrong requirement. Re-submitting without correcting the underlying issue can create further delay. We help review the status, identify the next step and prepare a new presentation when appropriate.
How EntraObra can help
You do not need a perfect file before asking for help. Send the client email, platform invitation or requirements list together with the documentation you already have. If there is a specific problem, a screenshot of the platform status or rejection note is also useful. From there, we separate what is available, what is missing and what needs updating or requesting from another provider.
Our role is CAE document management, administrative support and follow-up. We can organise documents, prepare uploads where access is available, track expiry dates and help address rejected files. Final document validation and worksite authorisation always depend on the client, site owner or platform and on meeting all applicable requirements. We do not promise access; we help prepare the documentation for that process.