Law and permits

Thinking about driving a taxi on the side? A taxi driver licence now requires 21 hours of training, and taximeters become mandatory in February 2027

6 November 2026 · Taksiuutiset editorial team

The changes to the Finnish taxi rules also apply to people who drive a taxi alongside a day job or studies. From 1 November 2026, a first taxi driver licence requires 21 hours of training before the exam. Taximeters become mandatory in all taxis on 1 February 2027, and the driver is responsible for using the meter during the ride.

Note: The training is given in Finnish, and the exam is held only in Finnish or Swedish, with no interpreter or dictionary allowed.

The licence now requires training and an exam

The law makes no distinction between full-time and part-time drivers. Anyone driving in taxi transport must have a taxi driver licence. The transition period that allowed a licence without training ended on 31 October 2026.

For the licence, you need a category B driving licence held for at least one year and a medical certificate on the group 2 health requirements that is no more than six months old. You also complete 21 hours of training and pass the exam. The official fees are 138 euros for the exam and 57 euros for the licence application. A passed exam is valid for one year, and the licence for five years, or two years if you are 68 or older. All costs are listed in How much a taxi driver licence costs in 2026.

New duties for the driver

Since 1 September 2026, the driver must give the price information for the ride if the customer asks for it. When no fixed price has been agreed, the price is set by the taximeter, and the driver is responsible for using it.

When taximeters become mandatory on 1 February 2027, a traffic violation fee of 100 euros can be imposed on both the driver and the licence holder for not using the meter during a ride. If the car has no meter, the fee for the licence holder is 3,000 euros.

As an employee, your own licence is enough

When you drive another company's taxi, the company holds the taxi transport licence and you hold the driver licence. The licence holder is responsible for making sure its driver's licence is valid. Taxi transport licence holders must link their cars to the licence by 1 January 2027.

With a driver licence alone, you cannot drive on your own account. Your own taxi transport licence requires 21 hours of entrepreneur training, the entrepreneur exam and a Finnish business ID. The licence is granted for ten years. Taxi number plates become mandatory for all taxis on 1 July 2027. Read more in Becoming a taxi entrepreneur in 2026.

The same licences apply when you drive through apps. By law, the dispatch service must make sure that the company providing the ride has a licence. Bolt asks drivers for a taxi driver licence, and self-employed drivers also for a taxi transport licence.

Collective agreement wages rose in June

Wages under the taxi collective agreement rose by 2.9 percent from 1 June 2026. The agreement binds the member companies of the Finnish Transport Workers' Union AKT and the employers' association Taksiliikenteen Työnantajat. Under it, a taxi driver's hourly wage is 16.24 to 16.96 euros depending on experience. The figures include the 10 percent increase paid to taxi drivers as compensation for inconvenient working hours.

If you are paid a percentage of your fares, the hourly wage is still guaranteed, and Sunday and overtime pay cannot be included in the percentage pay.

Taxes and working hours

As an employee, you give the same tax card to all your employers, but the income limit is specific to each employer. With your own business, you must register for VAT when your turnover exceeds 20,000 euros a year. The VAT rate for taxi rides is 13.5 percent.

Under the Working Hours Act, a motor vehicle driver's daily working time may be no more than 11 hours, and the driver must get at least 10 hours of uninterrupted rest in every 24-hour period. The EU driving and rest time regulation and the tachograph do not apply to taxis.

Only drivers who have completed the special needs passenger training may drive Kela taxis.

What this means for you

• If you plan to drive a taxi on the side, set aside time for the training and the exam before the licence application.
• The easiest way to start is a job with a company that already has a licence and a car. Then you only need your own driver licence.
• Driving on your own account also requires the entrepreneur training, the entrepreneur exam and a licensed car.