Individual Driver Approval Requirements
Every driver who provides paid passenger transport under the company’s taxi licence must be individually approved by the licensing municipality. Driver approval is not transferable between operators — an approved driver from one company cannot automatically drive for another company’s licence without a separate approval for the new operator.
Driving licence and experience
Drivers must hold a valid Category B driving licence (for passenger cars up to 8 seats) issued by Lithuania or recognised in Lithuania. The minimum driving experience requirement is 3 years from the date of first licence issue — drivers with less than 3 years of experience at the time of application are not eligible for taxi driver approval, regardless of their driving record. For drivers whose licence was issued outside Lithuania, an International Driving Permit or a Lithuanian licence exchange may be required depending on the issuing country.
Municipal knowledge test
Lithuanian taxi and ride-hailing permit applicants must meet the statutory eligibility requirements, including the relevant driving licence, driving experience, good repute, vehicle and insurance conditions. LTSA administers the permit application procedure. A municipal knowledge examination covering local streets, landmarks and fare calculation is not a universal statutory requirement for obtaining a taxi or ride-hailing permit. The test is conducted in Lithuanian — non-Lithuanian-speaking drivers must be able to communicate effectively with Lithuanian passengers and pass the test in Lithuanian. In Vilnius, the test can be taken in Russian in some circumstances; we advise on current language options at the time of each application.
Medical fitness certificate
Drivers must hold a valid professional driver medical certificate confirming fitness to drive professionally. The certificate is issued by an authorised medical institution following a medical examination that includes vision, hearing, cardiovascular, and neurological assessments. The professional driver medical certificate must be renewed periodically — more frequently than the standard health check for private drivers. We advise on the applicable renewal interval for each driver’s age group and arrange introduction to authorised medical institutions.
Criminal record and background check
Drivers must have no criminal convictions for offences that would make them unsuitable for transporting members of the public. Relevant convictions include: violent offences, sexual offences, offences against children, driving under the influence, and serious traffic violations. The municipality assesses the criminal record as part of the approval process. Applicants with relevant convictions will typically be refused driver approval. We advise on the specific offences that affect eligibility before applications are submitted.
Driver approval for non-Lithuanian nationals
Third-country nationals intending to work as taxi drivers in Lithuania must have immigration status that legally authorises the proposed work or self-employment. Since 1 July 2024, a separate work permit has not been the standard immigration route for ordinary employment in Lithuania. The applicable requirements depend on the individual’s residence status and intended activities. Taxi and ride-hailing authorisations are issued by LTSA, not municipal authorities. EU citizens may generally work in Lithuania under EU free movement rules, subject to applicable residence and transport permit requirements. For non-EU nationals employed as drivers by a Lithuanian taxi operator, the work permit application should be initiated in parallel with the driver approval process to avoid delays between approval and the driver’s first shift. We manage the work permit application alongside driver approval for non-EU driver applicants.
Ride-Hailing and App-Based Operators: Specific Considerations
Lithuanian law distinguishes passenger transport booking platforms from the carriers providing paid passenger transport. Ride-hailing services are generally performed by eligible natural persons who register individual activities and obtain the appropriate LTSA ride-hailing permits. A platform connecting passengers with independently authorised drivers does not automatically become the licensed taxi carrier merely because it operates the booking application. The platform must comply with the statutory requirements applicable to passenger transport organisers, while individual carriers remain responsible for their permits and relevant operating obligations. The technology-mediated nature of the booking does not exempt ride-hailing from the taxi licensing framework.
Platform as licence holder
In Lithuania, ride-hailing platforms and individual carriers perform distinct regulatory functions. A natural person providing app-based passenger transport must generally hold an LTSA permit for paid passenger transport by passenger car under a booking arrangement. The booking platform is subject to the legal obligations applicable to passenger transport organisers but does not automatically hold a taxi operator licence on behalf of every independent driver. The respective responsibilities of the platform and carrier must be determined under the Lithuanian Road Transport Code and applicable consumer protection legislation. Drivers who are self-employed contractors (rather than employees) can still operate under the platform’s licence — the contractual relationship between platform and driver does not affect the regulatory structure.
Digital pricing mechanisms
App-based ride-hailing operators typically use dynamic pricing algorithms rather than physical taximeters. Lithuanian regulations permit the use of approved digital pricing mechanisms in lieu of a physical taximeter, subject to the mechanism being certified as meeting accuracy and transparency requirements. The digital pricing system must display the fare clearly to the passenger before the trip, during the trip, and on completion. We advise on the certification process for digital pricing systems as part of the operator licence application for app-based operators.
Operating in multiple cities
A ride-hailing platform that facilitates rides in Vilnius and Kaunas must hold an operator licence from both Vilnius City Municipality and Kaunas City Municipality. Drivers in Vilnius are approved by Vilnius; drivers in Kaunas are approved by Kaunas. The platform must maintain separate driver lists for each municipality and ensure that Vilnius-approved drivers are not systematically collecting passengers in Kaunas without Kaunas approval. We manage simultaneous licence applications across all Lithuanian municipalities for platforms launching in multiple cities.
Bolt and Uber in Lithuania — the regulatory position
Ride-hailing platforms operating in Lithuania facilitate passenger transport services provided by carriers holding the appropriate national authorisations. Under the Lithuanian regulatory framework, eligible individual ride-hailing drivers obtain permits from LTSA. These permits are not issued by individual city municipalities. The regulatory status and obligations of each platform must be assessed according to its actual business model and applicable passenger transport legislation rather than assuming that the platform holds municipal taxi licences on behalf of all drivers. Drivers who provide rides through these platforms without individual driver approval are operating illegally, regardless of whether the platform has an operator licence. Platforms are required to verify driver approval status before allowing drivers to accept trips, and must remove unapproved drivers from their active driver pool immediately. The municipality conducts periodic spot checks on platform drivers specifically to identify unapproved operators.
Taxi Licensing Requirements by Municipality
The specific requirements for taxi licensing vary between Lithuanian cities. The table below summarises the key conditions for the four main cities where taxi licensing is most commonly sought. Requirements are subject to change — we confirm current requirements directly with each municipality at the time of each application.
The Taxi Licence Application Process
We manage the complete taxi licensing process — from company readiness assessment through operator licence issuance and individual driver approvals. For operators launching in multiple cities, we coordinate parallel applications simultaneously.
1
Readiness assessment and route planning
We confirm the company’s current registration status, check that the correct activity code (49.32) is registered, verify SoDra employer registration, and assess the intended fleet’s vehicle eligibility. For ride-hailing operators, we map the cities of intended operation and confirm the licence requirements for each municipality. Any gaps in company registration or vehicle eligibility are identified and resolved before applications are submitted.
2
Operator licence document preparation
We prepare the complete operator licence application document set: company registration extract from JAR, articles of association, SoDra employer registration confirmation, vehicle registration documents for each vehicle, technical inspection certificates, vehicle insurance certificates, taximeter calibration certificates (or digital pricing system certification documentation), photographs of vehicle exterior showing taxi markings, and the signed application form.
3
Operator licence submission to municipality
The operator licence application is submitted to the relevant municipal department — in Vilnius, the Department of Municipal Administration; in other cities, the transport or licensing department of the city municipality. We submit the application, pay the applicable state fee, and manage all municipality correspondence during the review period.
4
Municipal vehicle inspection (where required)
Some municipalities conduct a physical inspection of the vehicles before issuing the operator licence — confirming that the taximeter is correctly installed and sealed, that the taxi signage meets the municipality’s specifications, and that the vehicle is in roadworthy condition. We advise on what inspectors check and accompany the inspection where helpful.
5
Driver approval application — per driver
For each driver to be approved under the operator licence, we prepare a separate driver approval application: copy of driving licence, proof of 3 years’ driving experience, professional driver medical certificate, criminal record certificate, and the signed municipal driver approval application form. We submit each driver’s application to the municipality and track approval status.
6
Knowledge test arrangement
Drivers who have not yet passed the municipal knowledge test are scheduled for the test through the relevant municipal authority. We provide guidance on the test content and, for Vilnius applicants, advise on available preparatory materials. Tests are typically scheduled within 2–3 weeks of application; the results are issued within a few days of the test.
7
Licence and driver approval certificates issued
On approval of the operator licence and individual driver approvals, the municipality issues the operator licence certificate and individual driver approval cards. Each driver must carry their approval card during every paid trip. We collect all documents and confirm that all details are correct before the operator begins commercial operations.
8
Annual renewal management
Taxi and ride-hailing permits issued by LTSA are valid for an indefinite period and do not require annual renewal. A permit must be replaced or updated when the registered vehicle is changed, additional vehicles are added or other relevant permit information changes. We assist with maintaining compliance, monitoring vehicle inspection and insurance validity, and submitting permit amendment or replacement applications where necessary. Vehicle and driver changes during the year are notified to the municipality as required. Driver approvals that are due for renewal are managed alongside operator licence renewals.
Ongoing Compliance for Taxi Operators
Displaying required information
Every taxi vehicle must display specific information visibly during commercial operations: the operator licence number; the driver’s approval card or a photograph visible to passengers; the fare schedule (starting charge, per-kilometre rate, waiting time rate); and the passenger complaint procedure. Municipal transport inspectors conduct spot checks and issue fines for missing or incorrect displays. App-based operators must display equivalent information digitally within the application interface.
Vehicle maintenance and annual inspection
Taxi vehicles are subject to more frequent mandatory technical inspections than private vehicles. The commercial vehicle technical inspection (Techninė apžiūra) must be renewed according to the schedule applicable to commercial passenger transport vehicles. A vehicle whose technical inspection certificate has expired cannot legally operate as a taxi, regardless of its actual condition. The taximeter must be recalibrated and resealed annually by an authorised calibration institution. We track inspection and calibration deadlines for clients on our ongoing compliance advisory service.
Driver updates and notifications
Any change in the driver list — adding a new driver or removing a departing driver — must be notified to the municipality. Departing drivers’ approval cards must be returned. New drivers must be individually approved before their first paid trip — they cannot drive under an existing approval issued for a different operator. For platforms managing large driver pools, maintaining accurate and current driver lists with the municipality is a continuous administrative obligation.
Insurance renewals
Both the compulsory third-party liability insurance and the passenger liability insurance must be renewed annually. A vehicle operating without valid insurance faces immediate withdrawal from service and significant fines. For operators with multiple vehicles, staggered insurance expiry dates create a continuous renewal cycle that must be actively managed. We advise on annual insurance renewal timelines and can introduce specialist commercial vehicle insurance brokers.
Taxi Licence Service Pricing
Our services are priced at fixed fees per engagement. Municipal government fees are payable separately to the relevant municipality — we include the current fee schedule in the total cost estimate provided at the start of each engagement.
Government fees
Taxi and ride-hailing permits are issued by LTSA under a national procedure. The state fee for issuing or replacing a permit is EUR 8. The fee is payable to the State Tax Inspectorate (VMI) using payment code 5746. The amount does not vary between Vilnius, Kaunas, Klaipėda and other Lithuanian municipalities. We provide the current fee schedule for each municipality in the engagement proposal.
Frequently Asked Questions
