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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.

Learn more about upcoming changes

Conditions for issuing a taxi driving licence

In order to get your 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 have not been banned from driving 
  • you meet all group 2 fitness to drive requirements 
  • you have passed the taxi driver examination and 
  • you do not have any 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 can not be issued with a taxi driving licence if you have committed certain criminal offences within the last five years. 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
  • offence against personal liberty 
  • property offences, such as theft or robbery 
  • money laundering or drug offences 

You cannot be granted a driving licence if, within the last three years, you have received a fine for offences such as drunk-driving or aggravated endangering of traffic safety. 

In addition, a licence will not be granted if you have been fined for any of the offences listed above or for driving without a valid licence, and the offence indicates that you are unsuitable to work as a taxi driver. 

What to do

  1. Step 1

    Make sure that you meet the requirements

    Make sure that you meet the requirements for being granted a taxi driving licence.

  2. Step 2

    Successfully complete the taxi driver examination

    Take the taxi driver examination at an Ajovarma service point. Make an appointment in advance.

    The examination is based on Traficom’s regulation on the requirements for a taxi driving licence. 

    The approved taxi driver examination is valid until further notice.

  3. Step 3

    Obtain the required medical report

    For a taxi driving licence, you must obtain a group 2 medical report. The medical report may be no more than 6 months old at the time of application. Attach the medical report to your application. 

    However, you do not need to submit a medical report if  

    • you have submitted the age-related medical report required for right to drive a group 2 vehicle to the police within the past five years  
    • you have upgraded your driving licence categories to group 2 within the last five years 
    • you have renewed your right to drive a group 2 vehicle within the past five years, or within the past two years if you were aged 68 or over at the time of renewal, and submitted a medical report as part of the application 
    • you have been granted a driving instructor’s licence and submitted a medical report as part of the application 
  4. Step 4

    Submit your application at an Ajovarma service point

    Fill in the application and pay the driving licence at an Ajovarma service point. 

    Bring with you 

    • 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.  The driving licence can be issued using a photograph that is already on file in the police passport photograph register or Traficom’s register. You can also provide a new photograph if you wish.  
    • A driving licence issued by an EU or EEA member state, if you do not have a Finnish right to drive
  5. Step 5

    Your application is processed at Traficom

    The decision on a taxi driving licence is made by Traficom. We will contact you if we need further information or if the licence may not be granted. 

  6. Step 6

    Taxi driving licence will be delivered by post

    Once the application has been processed, the taxi driving licence will be sent to the applicant by post within approximately three weeks.

Validity of the licence

The taxi driving licence is issued by Traficom. If your application is approved, the licence will be sent to you by post within approximately three weeks of the approval.

The taxi driving licence is valid for five years, or (if you are aged 68 or over) for two years. Read more about renewal.

If you no longer meet the taxi driver’s health requirements or you have been found guilty of an offence preventing the issuing of a taxi driving licence during its validity, the police may cancel the licence for a specific period, temporarily or until further notice.

Ajovarma's contact details

Book an appointment to submit your application: Ajovarma customer service Ulkoinen verkkopalvelu.

Renewal of the taxi driving licence

Applications to renew a taxi driving licence must be submitted at an Ajovarma service point. 

Proceed as follows:

Obtain a medical certificate, if applicable 

  • If you are under the age of 45 and are renewing your taxi driving licence, you do not need to provide a new medical certificate. 
  • If you have turned 45, or will turn 45 during the validity period of your current licence, you must also submit a Group 2 medical report. 
  • If you have reached, or will reach, the age of 68 during the validity period of your current licence, you must submit a Group 2 medical certificate that takes into account the effects of ageing. 

However, you do not need to submit a medical report if  

  • you have submitted the age-related medical report required for right to drive a group 2 vehicle to the police within the past five years  
  • you have upgraded your right to drive categories to group 2 within the last five years 
  • you have renewed your right to drive category in group 2 within the last five years (or within the last two years if you are 68 years of age or older) and submitted a medical report with the application 
  • you have been granted a driving instructor licence and submitted a medical report as part of the application 

The driving licence can be issued using a photograph that is already on file in the police passport photograph register or Traficom’s register. You can also provide a new photograph if you wish.  

Be prepared to prove your identity.  

Pay the licence fee when submitting your application. 

When renewing your taxi driving licence, we will verify that you have the required right to drive and check the criminal records register and the register of fines. The driving licence can be renewed provided there are no grounds preventing the renewal.

If you apply for renewal of your driving licence no earlier than six months before your current licence expires, the validity of the new licence will end five years after the expiry date of the current licence. 

If the validity of the driving licence has expired, the new driving licence will be valid for five years from the date on which it is issued.

Taxi driving licence duplicate

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

Order a new driving licence at the service point.

Information on the taxi driver examination

The taxi driver examination has 50 multiple choice questions and it lasts a maximum of 45 minutes.  There is only one completely correct answer to each question. The approved taxi driver examination is valid until further notice.

Under section 246 a of the Act on Transport Services, any candidate guilty of cheating in the taxi driver examination will be banned from taking the taxi driver examination for a period of six months.

Mobile phones, headphones or other communication or recording devices, or materials or equipment that can be used to complete the examination in whole or in part by cheating or to copy the examination questions or otherwise transmit them to other parties, cannot be used in the taxi driver examination. The equipment listed above cannot be taken into the examination area, either. The following is considered cheating: Talking with a person other than a member of the service provider’s personnel during the examination.

Using or attempting to use the means or equipment listed above that are prohibited in the examination area of the taxi driver’s examination is considered cheating. Copying and recording the examination or parts thereof by any means is also considered cheating. In addition, bribing or attempting to bribe a member of the service provider’s personnel is 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.

Regulations

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