28.2.2026
Everything you need to know about the Finnish taxi driving licence in 2026
A Finnish taxi driving licence is a professional requirement for anyone driving a taxi for work. In 2026, getting the licence is still relatively straightforward, but the taxi law reform is progressing and is expected to introduce additional requirements, especially for new drivers.
Below is a clear, up-to-date overview of the requirements, the application process, processing times, and how the licence is issued, valid and renewed, based on Traficom’s guidance.
What does a Finnish taxi driving licence mean in practice?
A Finnish taxi driving licence is issued by Traficom and confirms that you meet the requirements to work as a taxi driver. In practice, the licence is about safety and reliability: the authority checks that the driver is medically fit, meets the basic conditions, and has demonstrated the required competence in the taxi driver examination.
The licence is personal. It does not depend on whether you own a vehicle or operate as an entrepreneur. It depends only on whether you drive a taxi professionally.
Finnish taxi driving licence requirements in 2026
According to Traficom, a Finnish taxi driving licence can be granted when the following conditions are met:
Driving entitlement: Your category B driving licence was issued at least one year ago in Finland or another EU/EEA country, and you must not be subject to a driving ban.
Health: You must meet the Group 2 medical requirements. In practice, this is shown with a medical certificate that is no more than 6 months old at the application stage (and for applicants aged 68+, an extended medical certificate is required). Group 2 requirements are stricter than standard private car driving because this is professional passenger transport.
Criminal record and other reliability requirements: You must not have offences or penalties that prevent the licence from being granted (e.g. certain traffic offences within 5 years, and certain offences recorded in the criminal records register within 5 years or the fine register within 3 years, as specified in Traficom’s criteria).
Competence: Competence is demonstrated by passing the taxi driver examination. For many applicants this is the key step, because the exam must be passed before the licence can be granted.
How to apply for a Finnish taxi driving licence
The process is fairly clear:
1. Make sure you meet the basic requirements
2. Pass the taxi driver examination
3. Apply for the licence and attach the required documents (for example, the medical certificate)
Traficom also notes that the medical certificate is not always required if you have submitted a corresponding Group 2 medical certificate in certain other contexts within the last five years (for example, when renewing or upgrading a Group 2 driving entitlement).
Traficom gives two practical processing time figures that are useful to know:
• The average processing time is about 2 weeks for applications that do not require additional information.
• If the licence is granted, it is delivered by post to your home address in about 3 weeks.
The taxi driver examination as part of the licence process
In practice, the examination is the step that most often determines the timeline. If your goal is to get the licence as smoothly as possible, the key difference is often whether you pass the exam on the first attempt or whether the process is delayed due to retakes. This is why exam preparation is one of the most important parts of the overall licence process.
If you want to learn more about the exam, read this next:
How long is the licence valid and how is it renewed?
According to Traficom, the Finnish taxi driving licence is valid for 5 years at a time. If you have already turned 68, the licence is granted for 2 years at a time.
The licence is renewed at an Ajovarma service point. Renewal includes a health assessment: according to Traficom, you need a medical certificate if you have turned 45 (or will turn 45 during the licence validity period). If you have turned 68 (or will turn 68 during the licence validity period), an extended medical certificate is required.
What changes in 2026–2027 due to the taxi law reform?
Under the taxi law reform currently being considered in Parliament, the requirements for obtaining a Finnish taxi driving licence are proposed to become stricter, especially for new drivers. The key change would be the return of mandatory training: obtaining the licence would require at least 21 hours of training, and the conditions around the exam would also be tightened. The proposal includes staged entry-into-force dates, with some changes planned for 2026–2027.
Read more about the reform here:
The most common mistakes when applying for the licence
Most delays come from the same practical issues:
• Medical certificates are left to the last minute
• The exam is underestimated and has to be retaken
• The application is submitted with missing or incorrect attachments
• Timelines are not planned (exam appointment availability and processing times)
According to Traficom, processing time typically increases when the authority needs to request additional information or attachments. This is easy to avoid by checking Traficom’s requirements carefully before submitting the application.
Make exam preparation easier
If you want to make preparation for the exam as straightforward as possible, ready-made text lessons, practice tasks and practice exams can make a real difference.
With Taksikoe.fi materials, you can practise systematically and test your level in exam-style format, so you quickly see what is already strong and where you should spend your time. When practice matches the structure of the real taxi driver exam, performance on the exam day is typically more consistent.
Check how ready you are with our free taxi driver mini exam: