October 29, 2025
New digital time tracking 2025
Everything you need to know about digital time tracking in 2025: legal obligations, best software, and practical implementation guide.
After the approval of Royal Decree-Law 8/2019 in May 2019, Spanish companies were already required to record working hours. However, the new regulation planned for 2025 represents a qualitative leap toward mandatory digital time-tracking, introducing new requirements for traceability, accessibility and control.
This new digital working-time system aims to ensure that all hours worked (clock-ins, clock-outs, breaks and overtime) are recorded, tamper-proof, and accessible both to employees and to the Labour and Social Security Inspectorate.
Key point
The company must have a digital system that automatically records the start and end of the workday, as well as interruptions, and that provides remote access to the data for workers and the Labour Inspectorate.
Why is this new digital system being introduced?
The Government has stated that although the obligation to record working hours existed since 2019, many systems in use (paper, Excel, manually editable files) did not provide sufficient guarantees of reliability and transparency. With this new framework, the goal is to strengthen worker protection against undeclared hours and to give companies more robust compliance mechanisms.
“Digital time-tracking is a guarantee for effective, accessible and reliable control, protecting the worker and supporting the company.”
Objectives of the new system
This reform pursues several key goals:
- All time-tracking must be digital, with guaranteed traceability and without relying on paper or easily manipulated Excel files.
- Workers who telework or provide external services must be fully integrated into the system.
- The Labour Inspectorate must have remote access to the records in real time or near real time to verify compliance.
- Records must be stored for at least four years and be accessible for workers and their representatives.
What changes does it introduce compared to the current system?
These are some of the most relevant changes introduced in the new model:
Key changes
Comparative summary between the current system (RDL 8/2019) and the new 2025 framework.
- Mandatory digital time-tracking instead of manual systems.
- Obligation for all companies of any size and all workers, including remote workers.
- Stricter technical requirements: worker authentication, immutable data, traceability and geolocation in time-tracking.
- Remote access to records for the Labour Inspectorate.
- Progressive elimination of systems such as paper or Excel as the main method of registration.
When does it take effect and how long is the adaptation period?
Although the new framework was approved by the Council of Ministers on 30 September 2025, it is expected to enter into force in early 2026, once the mandatory reports are issued and the text is published in the Official State Gazette (BOE).
Adaptation period
Companies will have up to 6 months after publication in the BOE to adapt their systems to the new digital requirements.
Which registration methods will be considered valid?
The new framework requires robust digital systems. Among the most recommended options are mobile applications or time-tracking software with individual authentication and automatic records.
Technical note
Using Excel sheets or paper as the main system is discouraged, as these methods may not meet the traceability and immutability requirements of the new regulation.
Consequences of not adapting to digital time-tracking
Failure to comply with the new digital model may result in significant penalties, as well as reputational or operational risks for the company.
Risks for the company
Among the sanctions and negative consequences are:
- Fines applied per affected worker, significantly increasing potential costs.
- Presumption of full-time work for part-time contracts if no reliable record exists.
- Increased risk during inspections and loss of employee trust.
Conclusion
The new digital time-tracking system represents a legal obligation for companies (and a rights guarantee for workers). Adopting a proper system in time not only prevents penalties but also improves HR management and strengthens internal compliance processes.
