Car rental for taxi services

Rent a car for taxi and courrier work

What exactly is app-based taxi driving?

App-based taxi driving is a flexible and convenient way to earn extra income, offering the possibility to work according to your own schedule. There are several options available, including the use of a personal vehicle. However, driving a taxi with your own car may not always be possible as app-based taxi service providers, such as Bolt and Uber, impose specific requirements on vehicles to ensure passenger safety, service quality, and platform reliability. Additionally, many people do not want to use their personal car for taxi services.

If using a personal vehicle is not an option, but there is still a desire to become an app-based taxi driver, one can consider renting a car for taxi use. Long-term car rental for taxi driving is a good solution for those who want to work flexibly and start working as a taxi driver without a large upfront investment in purchasing a car. Those who want to first test whether the taxi driver profession suits them can conveniently use short-term car rental.

How to earn money as an app-based taxi driver?

Taxi driving requires both the driver and the vehicle used for work to meet certain requirements set by both platforms and regulations. These requirements are established to ensure passenger safety.

Taxi and ride-sharing options - Bolt, Forus and others

In Estonia, the main ride-sharing service providers are Bolt, Uber, and Forus. All platforms offer flexible working hours, allowing taxi drivers to work either full-time or part-time according to their own availability and preferences.

Bolt offers the opportunity to provide taxi services throughout Estonia. To become a Bolt driver, you need a valid driver’s license, a service card, a vehicle card, a suitable car, and at least 2 years of driving experience. Driving a taxi with Bolt is a flexible way to earn extra income.

Forus is a local Estonian company offering taxi services in a slightly different form. Forus taxi drivers can rent a car from the service provider. While using your own car is also possible, it must meet Forus Taxi’s requirements. The requirements for the driver are similar to Bolt's requirements for drivers.

Uber is an international platform, primarily operating in Tallinn and its surrounding areas in Estonia. Uber’s requirements for app-based taxi drivers are similar to Bolt’s requirements.

Requirements for taxi drivers

  • Who is suitable for the app-based taxi driver work?

    App-based taxi driving is suitable both as a full-time job and as an additional income opportunity. It is especially ideal for those who wish to work extra hours, for example, in the evenings and at night, or are looking for "side gigs" in Tallinn and Tartu, where ride-sharing platforms allow you to work at your preferred time and pace. This makes app-based taxi driving an attractive profession, as it allows you to combine multiple income sources or work with a flexible schedule.

  • What are the requirements for taxi drivers in Estonia?

    Becoming a taxi driver today is easier than ten years ago. To become an app-based taxi driver, you do not have to wait for a job offer. Additionally, since 2017, the public transportation law no longer requires taxi drivers to complete official taxi driver training. However, there are still certain requirements that must be met to ensure service quality and passenger safety.



    When becoming an app-based taxi driver, it is necessary to apply for a service provider card (also referred to as a taxi driver card or taxi driver license). A service provider card is required for anyone who wishes to provide taxi services as a driver. The applicant for the service provider card must have a valid category B driving license, a clean criminal record (detailed requirements can be found on eesti.ee), and must be able to speak at least B-1 level Estonian. A state fee must be paid for the review of the service provider card application. If you do not have a service provider card yet, a simple guide is available on how to apply for one.



    Since you need to pay taxes on your earnings, secondly, you need to be an entrepreneur. There are 3 options for this:

    • LHV business account - the simplest solution, where you open a special business account at LHV bank. From this account, you automatically pay 20% tax on your income, which covers income tax and social tax. Suitable for beginners or part-time taxi drivers.

    • Self-employed individual (FIE) - You register yourself officially as an entrepreneur with the tax authority. You need to keep your own accounting and submit regular declarations, but you can deduct operating expenses.

    • Establishing a private limited company (OÜ) - You create your own private limited company and work there as a board member. A more complex option that requires more accounting, but may be more tax-efficient with higher turnover.


  • What are the requirements for vehicles?

    Vehicles have age restrictions (generally between 5 and 15 years) and technical requirements. The car must have passed a technical inspection and meet traffic safety standards. For higher category services (e.g. Bolt Comfort and Premium), additional requirements apply regarding the vehicle's size, equipment, and quality.



    The vehicle must have a vehicle card for providing taxi services. A vehicle card certifies the right to use the vehicle specified in the vehicle card for the provision of taxi service. The document is issued to carriers holding a taxi licence or private persons holding a service provider card.



    The vehicle must have valid traffic insurance. As one option, special app-taxi insurance (also called ride-hailing motor insurance) is also available, which covers risks associated with ride-sharing services. This type of taxi insurance ensures protection for both the driver and passengers in case of unexpected incidents.

Opportunities for taxi drivers with Taxifeer

  • Are Taxifeer rental cars suitable for taxi work?

    Taxifeer rental cars can generally be used for taxi work. We can provide reliable vehicles for ride-sharing services such as Bolt, Uber, or Forus. Our rental cars are very comfortable, and we also have fuel-efficient car models. Additional services include renting a card payment terminal and a tablet, making it even easier and more flexible to offer taxi services. In our rental car selection, there is only one car model that we currently cannot rent for taxi work, and that is the Tesla Model Y.

  • What documents are required to rent a car from Taxifeer?

    To rent a car from Taxifeer, you need to present a valid ID and a valid driver's license. We will also sign a rental agreement on-site, which establishes the car rental terms and mutual obligations.

  • Does Taxifeer offer car rentals in both Tallinn and Tartu?

    Although Taxifeer's office is located in Tallinn at Mustamäe tee 6b, car rental is also possible in other regions. Through us, affordable car rental is available in every region of Estonia, including Tallinn, Tartu, Pärnu, and Viljandi. If you wish to rent a car outside our Tallinn office, you can either pick up the rental car yourself or have it delivered to your desired location in Estonia. For the latter, a service fee applies starting from 25 € depending on the location - for example, delivering a rental car to Tartu incurs an additional fee of 99 €.

  • What rental period to choose?

    The length of the car rental depends on your goals and desired workload. If you want to test whether working as an app-based taxi driver suits you or if you plan to drive only a few days a week alongside other commitments, short-term rental is a flexible and low-risk option. It allows you to try the job without long-term obligations and adjust your driving schedule according to your needs.



    However, if you want to work as a taxi driver more consistently and value additional comfort, long-term car rental is a better solution. It gives you the freedom to drive anytime an opportunity arises and offers the added bonus of a reliable personal vehicle for daily trips. A longer rental period is often financially more advantageous. With long-term rental, there is a fixed monthly payment, and since the rental company is responsible for the maintenance and insurance of the vehicle, it frees you from worrying about unexpected maintenance and additional costs.

Long-term car rental for taxi driving

Do you want to start working as a taxi driver but don’t have a suitable car? Long-term car rental provides you with the security and flexibility needed for taxi driving. Taxifeer’s rental cars meet the requirements of platforms like Bolt and Uber, including traffic insurance and the necessary vehicle permit in the price. A simple monthly payment system helps you manage costs, and if needed or desired, you can switch to a newer model. Long-term car rental allows you to start your taxi driving career immediately, without the need to purchase your own vehicle.