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Transport and Communications Agency

Apply for a taxi driving licence

You need a taxi driving licence if you want to work as a taxi driver. On this page, you will find instructions on how to apply for and renew a licence, as well as information about when you may be eligible for a licence and how long it remains valid.

On this page

Legislation on taxi transport will change from 1 September 2026.

Read about the changes

Conditions for issuing a taxi driving licence

To obtain a taxi driving licence, you must meet the following requirements: 

  • You have been issued with a category B driving licence in Finland or in another EU/EEA country at least one year before. 
  • You are not banned from driving. 
  • You meet all Group 2 fitness to drive requirements and provide a medical report to demonstrate this.
  • You have passed the taxi driver examination required under the legislation in force. From 1 November 2026, you must complete 21 hours of taxi driver training before you can take the taxi driver examination.
  • You have no entries in the criminal records or the register of fines that prevent the issuing of the licence.

Conditions preventing the issuing of a taxi driving licence

You cannot be issued with a taxi driving licence if, during the past five years, you have committed certain offences and received a conditional or unconditional sentence of imprisonment. These include, for example:  

  • driving while intoxicated or seriously intoxicated 
  • causing a serious traffic hazard 
  • driving without a right to drive 
  • sexual offences 
  • violent offences (homicide and bodily injury) 
  • offence against personal liberty 
  • property offences, such as theft or robbery 
  • money laundering or narcotics offences 
  • offences against public finances 
  • fraud offences 
  • means of payment offences 
  • weapons offences 

You also cannot obtain a taxi driving licence if, during the past three years, you have been fined for an offence such as driving while intoxicated or causing a serious traffic hazard. 

In addition, a licence will not be issued if you have been fined for any of the offences listed above or if you have driven without a right to drive and the act shows that you are clearly unsuitable to work as a taxi driver.

Fitness to drive requirements  

For a taxi driving licence, you must provide a Group 2 medical report. The report may be no more than six months old when you submit your application.  

If you are aged 68 or over, you must provide a medical report that takes into account the effects of ageing.   

However, you do not need to provide a medical report if you have already submitted one in connection with another matter during the 6 months before your application.  

Attach the medical report to your application.

How to apply for a taxi driving licence for the first time

  1. Step 1

    Make sure that you meet the conditions for issuing a taxi driving licence

  2. Step 2

    Pass the taxi driver examination

    Take the taxi driver examination at a service point of Traficom’s service provider. Book an appointment for the examination in advance.

    The examination is based on the Act on Transport Services and the regulation issued by the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency Traficom on taxi transport examinations.

    A passed examination is valid for one year.

    Please note that an examination taken between 1 September and 31 October 2026 without completing the training is only valid until 31 October 2026.

  3. Step 3

    Obtain the required medical report and submit it with your application

  4. Step 4

    Submit your application at a service point of Traficom’s service provider

    Complete and pay for your application at a service point of Traficom’s service provider. 

    Bring with you: 

    • your passport or identity card  
    • a medical report, if required  
    • a photograph if you do not have a valid passport, identity card or a previously submitted photograph approved by Traficom  
    • a driving licence issued by an EU or EEA country, if you do not have a Finnish right to drive
  5. Step 5

    Traficom processes your application

    We will contact you if we need additional information or if the licence cannot be issued. 

  6. Step 6

    Your taxi driving licence will be sent to you by post

    You will receive your taxi driving licence card at your home address by post in approximately two weeks.

Validity of a taxi driving licence

A taxi driving licence is valid for five years from the date it is issued. If you are aged 68 or over, the licence is valid for two years from the date it is issued. 

If you no longer meet the fitness to drive requirements or you commit an offence that prevents the issuing of a taxi driving licence while your licence is valid, the police may revoke your taxi driving licence for a fixed period, temporarily or until further notice. 

When your taxi driving licence expires, you must apply to renew it.

Renewing a taxi driving licence 

Conditions for renewing a taxi driving licence

To renew your taxi driving licence, you must meet the following requirements: 

  • You are not banned from driving. 
  • You meet all Group 2 fitness to drive requirements. 
  • You have successfully completed the seven hours of further training for taxi drivers required under the legislation in force if you renew your licence between 1 November 2026 and 31 August 2034.
  • You have no entries in the criminal records or the register of fines that prevent the issuing of the licence. 

How to renew a taxi driving licence

  1. Step 1

    Make sure that you meet the conditions for renewing a taxi driving licence

  2. Step 2

    Complete the further training for taxi drivers

    Please note that you must have completed the further training by the time you renew your taxi driving licence if you plan to renew it between 1 November 2026 and 31 August 2034.

    If you have completed the mandatory 21-hour taxi driver training after 1 September 2026, you are not required to complete further training when renewing your taxi driving licence.

  3. Step 3

    Obtain the required medical report and submit it with your application

  4. Step 4

    Submit your application at a service point of Traficom’s service provider

    Complete and pay for your application at a service point of Traficom’s service provider. 

    Bring with you 

    • your passport or identity card  
    • a medical report, if required  
    • a photograph if you do not have a valid passport, identity card or a previously submitted photograph approved by Traficom  
    • a driving licence issued by an EU or EEA country, if you do not have a Finnish right to drive 
  5. Step 5

    Traficom processes your application

    We will contact you if we need additional information or if the licence cannot be issued.

  6. Step 6

    Your taxi driving licence will be sent to you by post

    You will receive your taxi driving licence card at your home address by post in approximately two weeks.

Validity of a renewed taxi driving licence

If you apply to renew your licence no earlier than six months before your previous licence expires, the new licence will expire five years after the expiry date of the previous licence. 

If you are aged 68 or will turn 68 while your current licence is valid, the new licence will expire two years after the expiry date of the previous licence. 

If your taxi driving licence has already expired, the new licence will expire five years or two years after the date on which it is issued.

Duplicate taxi driving licence

You can order a new taxi driving licence to replace a licence that has been lost, destroyed, damaged or stolen. The replacement licence will be valid for the remaining validity period of the original licence. 

Complete the application and pay for the licence at a service point.

Information on the taxi driver examination

The taxi driver examination consists of 60 multiple-choice questions and lasts no more than 45 minutes. There is only one completely correct answer to each question. A passed taxi driver examination is valid until further notice.

Under section 246a of the Act on Transport Services, anyone who cheats in the taxi driver examination will be banned from taking the examination for a fixed period of six months. 

You may not use mobile phones, headphones or other communication or recording devices in the taxi driver examination. You may also not use any materials or equipment that could be used to complete all or part of the examination by cheating, copy examination questions or otherwise pass them on to others. You may not bring any of these devices, materials or equipment into the examination room either. Talking during the examination to anyone other than a member of the service provider’s staff is considered cheating.

Using or attempting to use any of the prohibited devices or methods listed above in the examination room is considered cheating in the taxi driver examination. Copying or recording the examination or any part of it in any way is also considered cheating. Bribing or attempting to bribe a member of the service provider’s staff is also considered cheating.

Processing time for applications

The average processing time for applications is two weeks.

The two-week processing time applies to applications that do not need to be supplemented with additional information.

Processing times may exceed the average – usually because additional information or supporting documents need to be requested from the applicant.

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