Taxi Licence in Lithuania

AT A GLANCE

A taxi licence is required for any company or individual providing paid passenger transport services by car — including traditional taxis, executive car hire, and ride-hailing operated through mobile applications such as Bolt or Uber.
Taxi licences in Lithuania are issued by the city municipality — not by a national authority. A Vilnius taxi licence authorises operations in Vilnius; a separate licence is required in Kaunas, Klaipėda, or any other city.
Two separate approvals are required: an operator licence for the company and individual driver approval for every driver who provides rides under the company’s licence.
Vehicles must meet the municipality’s age and technical requirements; drivers must hold a Category B licence with at least 3 years of experience and pass a municipal knowledge test.
We manage the complete licensing process for taxi operators across all Lithuanian municipalities — operator licence, driver approvals, vehicle compliance, and ongoing renewal.

Short answer

A taxi licence in Lithuania authorises a company or individual to carry passengers for hire or reward by car. The licence is issued by the relevant city municipality — Vilnius, Kaunas, Klaipėda, or the municipality where the service is based. There are two components: an operator licence for the company and individual driver approval for each driver who provides rides. For ride-hailing operators, the platform company must hold the operator licence in each municipality where it facilitates rides, and each driver must be individually approved. We prepare operator licence applications and driver approval packages for all Lithuanian municipalities, and advise ride-hailing platforms on compliance across multiple cities simultaneously.

What Is a Taxi Licence and Who Needs One

In Lithuania, the legal framework for taxi and passenger-for-hire operations is established by the Law on Road Transport (Kelių transporto kodeksas) and the Passenger Transport by Light Vehicles Regulations. These set the national framework within which each city municipality establishes its own specific requirements for local licensing.

The trigger — paid passenger transport

The taxi licence requirement is triggered when a company or individual takes payment from a passenger for transporting them from one location to another by car. The method of booking is irrelevant — the obligation applies equally to street-hailed taxis, telephone-booked private hire, and app-based ride-hailing. The payment model is also irrelevant — whether the fare is metered, per-minute, per-kilometre, or a fixed price agreed in advance, the activity requires a licence if a payment is made for the transport service. The only common exemption is genuine non-commercial ridesharing — where a driver shares the actual costs of a journey (fuel, tolls) with passengers, with no profit element, as is common in carpooling platforms.

Municipal licensing — why the city matters

Unlike road haulage licences, which are issued nationally by the Lithuanian Road Administration, taxi licences are issued by city municipalities. This decentralised structure means that the specific requirements — vehicle age limits, driver knowledge test content, taxi signage specifications, taximeter requirements, and fee amounts — vary between Vilnius, Kaunas, Klaipėda, Šiauliai, and Panevėžys. A licence issued by Vilnius City Municipality does not authorise the systematic provision of taxi services in Kaunas. A ride-hailing operator that facilitates rides in three cities needs a licence from each of the three relevant municipalities. We advise on the specific requirements of each municipality and manage simultaneous applications across cities for operators serving multiple markets.

Operator licence and driver approval — two separate requirements

Every taxi operation in Lithuania requires two distinct authorisations. The operator licence is issued to the company (or sole trader) that runs the taxi service — it authorises the company to offer paid passenger transport services. The driver approval is issued individually to each driver who provides rides under the company’s licence — it confirms that each individual driver meets the personal requirements (driving experience, knowledge test, medical fitness) to transport members of the public for payment. Having an operator licence without approved drivers is not sufficient to operate. Having drivers without an operator licence is not sufficient either. Both must be in place before the first paid trip.

Operator Licence Requirements

The operator licence is the company-level authorisation. While the exact requirements vary by municipality, the following conditions are standard across all major Lithuanian cities and reflect the national framework established by the Law on Road Transport.

Company Registration and Activity Code

The applicant must be a registered Lithuanian company or sole trader. The company's registered activities must include passenger transport — the relevant NACE code is 49.32 (Taxi operation). Companies registered for other activities but providing paid passenger transport without the correct activity code are operating outside their registered scope, which creates both licensing and tax compliance issues.

Lithuanian UAB, MB, or sole trader registration — foreign companies cannot directly hold a Lithuanian taxi licence
Activity code 49.32 (Taxi operation) must be registered with the Centre of Registers (JAR) before the licence application
SoDra employer registration — required before employment contracts for drivers can be concluded; must be in place before the licence application
No outstanding tax debts — the company must have a clean tax compliance status with VMI at the time of application
Company must be active — dormant or non-trading companies are not eligible

Vehicle Requirements

Each vehicle operated under the taxi licence must meet the municipality's technical and presentation standards. Requirements vary slightly between cities but share a common baseline established by the national regulations. Vehicles must be presented for inspection before being added to the licence.

Vehicle age — maximum 5 years old for vehicles added to a new licence in most municipalities (Vilnius); some municipalities allow older vehicles for renewals with additional inspection
Roadworthiness — valid technical inspection certificate (Techninė apžiūra); commercial passenger vehicles are inspected more frequently than private cars
Taximeter — a certified, sealed taximeter must be installed and calibrated unless an approved digital pricing mechanism is used (for app-based operators)
Taxi identification — external taxi sign (lamp or marking), 'TAXI' lettering, and the operator licence number displayed as specified by the municipality
Colour requirements — Vilnius requires a yellow taxi lamp; specific colour requirements vary by municipality
Passenger capacity — standard taxi licence covers vehicles carrying up to 8 passengers (Category B licence); larger vehicles require separate licensing
Vehicle insurance — compulsory third-party liability insurance plus passenger liability insurance (civil liability to passengers) for each vehicle

Operational Documentation

The taxi operator must maintain a set of operational records and have them available for inspection by municipal transport inspectors at any time. Regular spot checks are conducted — particularly in Vilnius and Kaunas — and missing documentation results in fines.

Operator licence certificate — original or certified copy must be available in the company's premises
Vehicle registration documents for each licensed vehicle
Insurance certificates for each vehicle
List of approved drivers — current and up to date; drivers removed from the list must cease operating immediately
Driver shift records — records of which driver operated which vehicle on which date and time
Passenger complaint procedure — documented procedure for handling passenger complaints as required by the Law on Consumer Protection
Pricing schedule — the fare structure (starting charge, per-kilometre rate, waiting time rate) posted visibly in each vehicle

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

Each driver must pass a knowledge test administered by the licensing municipality before driver approval is granted. The test covers: knowledge of the city’s road network and main destinations (hospitals, airports, railway stations, hotels, major landmarks); passenger handling and customer service standards; the legal rights and obligations of taxi drivers; fare calculation; and the municipality’s specific taxi regulations. 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

Non-EU nationals working as taxi drivers must hold a valid Lithuanian work permit in addition to driver approval. EU nationals have freedom of movement and do not need a work permit, but must still obtain individual driver approval from the municipality. 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

Ride-hailing platforms — companies that connect passengers with drivers through mobile applications — are treated as taxi operators under Lithuanian law. The platform company must hold a taxi operator licence in each municipality where it facilitates rides, and each driver providing rides through the platform must individually obtain municipal driver approval. The technology-mediated nature of the booking does not exempt ride-hailing from the taxi licensing framework.

Platform as licence holder

The ride-hailing platform company — not the individual driver — is the taxi operator for regulatory purposes. This means the platform must hold the operator licence, must ensure that all drivers operating under its licence are individually approved, must maintain the required vehicle and operational documentation, and is the entity responsible for compliance with consumer protection and passenger rights obligations. 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

Both Bolt and Uber operate in Lithuania as licensed taxi operators — they hold operator licences from the relevant city municipalities and their drivers hold individual municipal driver approval. 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.

Requirement	Vilnius	Kaunas	Klaipėda	Šiauliai / Panevėžys
Issuing authority	Vilnius City Municipality	Kaunas City Municipality	Klaipėda City Municipality	Respective city municipality
Maximum vehicle age (new licence)	5 years	5 years	5 years	5 years (some flexibility)
Knowledge test language	Lithuanian (Russian in some cases)	Lithuanian	Lithuanian	Lithuanian
Taximeter required	Yes (or certified digital system)	Yes	Yes	Yes
Taxi lamp colour	Yellow	Yellow	Yellow	Yellow
Driver min. experience	3 years	3 years	3 years	3 years
Medical certificate	Professional driver medical	Professional driver medical	Professional driver medical	Professional driver medical
Annual renewal	Yes — annual	Yes — annual	Yes — annual	Yes — annual
Multi-vehicle licence	Yes — one licence covers the fleet	Yes	Yes	Yes

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Annual renewal management
Taxi licences in most Lithuanian cities require annual renewal. We track renewal deadlines and initiate the renewal process 4–6 weeks before expiry — ensuring continuous coverage without gaps. 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.

Service	Price
Taxi licence eligibility assessment — Company readiness check; vehicle eligibility; driver qualification review; document checklist	€200
Operator licence application — single municipality — Complete application preparation, municipal submission, and licence collection; government fees excluded	€800
Operator licence application — two municipalities — Simultaneous applications for two cities; parallel processing	€1,100
Operator licence application — three or more municipalities — Simultaneous applications for three cities; single point of contact across all municipalities	€1,100
Driver approval application — per driver (up to 5 drivers) — Document preparation, municipal submission, and knowledge test scheduling	€450 per driver
Driver approval application — bulk (6+ drivers) — Discounted rate for batches of 6 or more driver approvals submitted simultaneously	€300 per driver
Annual operator licence renewal — per municipality — Renewal application, updated vehicle and driver list, and municipal submission	€600
Driver knowledge test preparation guidance — Test content overview, study materials, and test scheduling assistance	€300 per driver
Adding vehicles to existing operator licence — Municipal notification, vehicle inspection coordination, and updated licence documentation	€350 per vehicle
Ride-hailing platform compliance advisory — Ongoing municipal compliance management for multi-city platform operators; monthly retainer	On request
Ongoing taxi compliance advisory — annual retainer — Renewal management, driver list updates, inspection scheduling, and municipal correspondence	On request

 Government fees

Each municipality charges its own state fee for issuing taxi operator licences and driver approvals. Vilnius City Municipality fees for operator licences and driver approvals are published on the municipal website and are typically in the range of €30–€100 per item. Fees in other cities are similar. We provide the current fee schedule for each municipality in the engagement proposal.

Frequently Asked Questions

A taxi driver approved in Vilnius can complete a trip that started in Vilnius to a Kaunas destination — this is a normal cross-city journey. What is not permitted is systematically picking up passengers in Kaunas and operating as a taxi service there without Kaunas municipal driver approval and without the operator holding a Kaunas licence. The practical test is whether the driver is operating their taxi service from Kaunas — that is, regularly accepting rides that originate in Kaunas. A driver who occasionally delivers a passenger to Kaunas and accepts a return trip there is unlikely to attract enforcement attention. A driver based in Kaunas, accepting Kaunas rides through an app, without Kaunas approval, is operating without a licence.

The Vilnius City Municipality typically processes complete taxi operator licence applications within 15–30 business days. Incomplete applications are returned and must be resubmitted, restarting the processing clock. The total timeline from starting the process — including company registration confirmation, vehicle preparation, and document compilation — is typically 4–8 weeks for a well-prepared operator. For operators already registered and with compliant vehicles ready, the process from application submission to licence issuance is usually 3–4 weeks.

Self-employed drivers who provide rides through a platform as independent contractors do not typically need their own operator licence — the platform holds the operator licence and the driver operates under it. However, the driver must hold individual municipal driver approval, regardless of their employment status. Drivers who want to accept trips from multiple platforms simultaneously, or who want to operate independently (not through a platform), must consider whether they need their own operator licence. A sole trader providing taxi services without affiliation to a licensed platform operator needs both an operator licence and driver approval in their own name.

The professional driver medical certificate confirms that a driver is medically fit to drive commercially — transporting passengers for payment. It is issued by an authorised occupational health physician following a medical examination covering vision, hearing, cardiovascular health, and neurological and psychological fitness. The examination is more extensive than a standard health check. The certificate must be renewed periodically — drivers under 45 must renew every 5 years; drivers between 45 and 60 every 3 years; drivers over 60 annually. The examination can be conducted at any authorised occupational health institution (Darbo medicinos centras). We can recommend institutions in Vilnius and other cities that specialise in commercial driver examinations.

A Lithuanian-registered company can be 100% owned by a foreign national — there are no nationality restrictions on ownership of Lithuanian companies. The taxi operator licence is held by the company, not by the individual owner. Provided the company is correctly registered with the Lithuanian Centre of Registers, has the correct activity codes, and meets all municipal licensing requirements, a foreign-owned company can hold a taxi operator licence on the same basis as a Lithuanian-owned company. Foreign owners who are also working as drivers in Lithuania need appropriate immigration status — an EU citizen can drive freely; a non-EU national needs a work permit.

A taxi vehicle whose technical inspection certificate has expired or that has failed its inspection cannot legally operate as a taxi until the defects are remedied and a new inspection certificate is obtained. The vehicle should be removed from active service immediately. The operator must notify the municipality of any vehicle that is temporarily taken out of service. Operating a taxi vehicle with an expired or failed technical inspection is a serious violation — municipal transport inspectors and traffic police both have authority to stop and fine operators for this violation, and repeated instances can affect the operator’s licence renewal.

The taxi operator licence does not restrict vehicle brand or model — any roadworthy vehicle of the correct category can be used, subject to the municipality’s age limit and technical requirements. Standard taxi licences cover Category B vehicles — passenger cars carrying up to 8 passengers plus the driver. Vehicles above this capacity require a separate licence (for minibus or coach operations). Some municipalities have introduced environmental standards for taxis — for example, Vilnius has progressively tightened emissions requirements for new licence applications. Electric and hybrid vehicles are not required but may receive preferential treatment in some municipal frameworks. We confirm the current vehicle requirements for each city at the time of each application.

Ready to apply for your taxi licence?

Contact us to discuss your intended city of operation, fleet size, and driver requirements. We will assess your company’s readiness, confirm the current municipal requirements, and provide a fixed-fee quote for the complete licensing engagement — operator licence, driver approvals, and knowledge test coordination. We manage taxi licence applications across all Lithuanian municipalities.