Taxi license in Finland: the taxi driving licence and the taxi transport licence
Updated
Many people search for a “taxi license”. In Finland, taxi work needs two different licences:
- The taxi driving licence (taksinkuljettajan ajolupa) is a licence for a person. It allows you to drive a taxi.
- The taxi transport licence (taksiliikennelupa) is a licence for a business. It allows the business to provide taxi transport, which means carrying passengers professionally. You need a taxi transport licence when the vehicle has no more than 1+8 seats.
According to Traficom, taxi transport needs three things: the business has a taxi transport licence, the driver has a taxi driving licence, and the vehicle is registered for use subject to a licence (luvanvarainen käyttö). A taxi driving licence alone does not allow you to work as a taxi entrepreneur. Traficom grants both licences.
Which licence you need
| Your situation | Taxi driving licence | Taxi transport licence |
|---|---|---|
| You drive a taxi for someone else who holds the taxi transport licence, for example your employer | Yes | No. The licence holder must make sure that you have a valid taxi driving licence |
| You have your own taxi business, and you drive yourself | Yes | Yes |
| You have a taxi business, but you do not drive yourself | No | Yes. Every driver who drives for you must have a valid taxi driving licence |
The two licences side by side
| Taxi driving licence | Taxi transport licence | |
|---|---|---|
| Who gets it | A person who drives a taxi | A sole trader (toiminimi) or a company, for example a limited company (osakeyhtiö) or a limited partnership (kommandiittiyhtiö) |
| Who completes the training and the examination | You | You, or the transport manager of your company (liikenteestä vastaava henkilö) |
| Required training | From 1 November 2026, 21 hours of taxi driver training before the examination | 21 hours of training for taxi transport entrepreneurs, completed after 1 September 2026. You do not need the training and the examination if you held a valid taxi licence, or were the transport manager under one, when the Taxi Transport Act entered into force on 1 August 2007 |
| Examination | The taxi driver examination, at a service point of Traficom’s service provider | The entrepreneur examination, at a service point of Traficom’s service provider |
| Other main conditions | A category B driving licence that you got at least one year ago, the Group 2 fitness to drive requirements and a medical report, no driving ban, and no entries in the criminal record or the register of fines that prevent the licence | Being of age, good repute, the ability to meet financial obligations, establishment in Finland and a Business ID (Y-tunnus) |
| Granted by | Traficom | Traficom |
| Where you apply | At a service point of Traficom’s service provider. Book a time in the Ajovarma booking service | In Traficom’s My e-Services (Oma asiointi) |
| When you get it | The licence card comes by post in about two weeks | The licence decision comes by post in about three weeks |
| Valid for | 5 years. 2 years if you are 68 or older | 10 years, in all of mainland Finland |
| Renewal | When you renew between 1 November 2026 and 31 August 2034, you first need 7 hours of further training. You do not need it if you completed the 21-hour training after 1 September 2026 | A renewed licence is also granted for 10 years |
Taxi School Finland does not provide the further training.
Taxi transport with a goods or passenger transport licence
If your business already has a valid goods or passenger transport licence (tavaraliikennelupa or henkilöliikennelupa), it also allows taxi transport. You do not need a separate taxi transport licence. But you must submit a taxi transport operator’s notification to Traficom (ilmoitus taksiliikenteen harjoittamisesta).
- The notification is for the business, not for each vehicle.
- You can start taxi transport when Traficom has sent you a decision that the notification is entered in the Transport Register. You must keep this statement in the vehicle.
- All the requirements for taxi transport also apply to you, for example the requirements for drivers’ qualifications.
- If your transport licence expires or is revoked, your right to taxi transport ends. To continue, you need a taxi transport licence.
Next steps
- You want to drive a taxi: Become a taxi driver explains step by step how to get the taxi driving licence. The examination has its own page: Taxi driver exam in Finland.
- You want your own taxi business: Become a taxi entrepreneur explains step by step how to get the taxi transport licence.
- You want to know what changed in autumn 2026: Taxi law 2026.
The courses
Taxi School Finland provides the 21-hour taxi driver training, which you need before the taxi driver examination, and the 21-hour training for taxi transport entrepreneurs, which you need before the entrepreneur examination. Prices, duration and the next dates are on the course pages.
