Taxi and School Transport Driver Permits in Austria in 2026

In Austria, a driving licence alone is not enough to drive a taxi or transport schoolchildren. Each activity requires an additional permit issued after the relevant conditions have been met.

Taxi driver permit

Only a person holding a taxi driver permit (Ausweis für das Personenbeförderungsgewerbe mit Pkw) may work as a taxi driver (Taxilenker) in taxi passenger transport services. The permit is valid only together with your driving licence, so you must carry both documents while driving.

Requirements for the taxi permit

• You must be at least 20 years old.
• You must hold a category B driving licence.
• You must no longer be in the probationary period (Probezeit).
• For a first issue, you must prove that you regularly drove a car for at least one year before applying. Towing vehicles do not count.
• You must have suitable physical capacity, particularly for loading luggage and assisting passengers with reduced mobility.
• You must be considered reliable (Vertrauenswürdigkeit), supported by documentation covering the previous five years.
• You must have passed the taxi examination (Taxiprüfung).
• You must provide proof of at least six hours of first-aid training (lebensrettende Sofortmaßnahmen).

Documents for a taxi permit

There is no mandatory application form. A free-form application (formloser Antrag) must include:

1. A free-form application for issuing the taxi permit.
2. A copy of your driving licence.
3. Your taxi examination certificate.

If all requirements are satisfied and the documents are complete, the permit will be issued.

School transport: which licence and permit are required?

Under the Austrian Motor Vehicles Act (Kraftfahrgesetz, KFG), school transport may be carried out by car or bus. You must hold a driving licence (Lenkberechtigung) for the relevant vehicle category and meet the reliability requirement: during the previous five years, you must not have been punished for a serious traffic offence or serious breach of traffic regulations.

Category B

With a category B driving licence, you need a school transport permit (Schülertransportausweis). The requirements are:

• You have held category B for at least 3 years.
• You are no longer in the probationary period.
• You can prove 3 years of actual driving in a category B or C vehicle.
• You have a medical assessment (ärztliches Gutachten).

Category D

With a category D driving licence, you need either:

• a school transport permit (Schülertransportausweis), or
• the EU code “95” entered on your driving licence.

If you apply for the school transport permit with category D, a medical assessment is required. The school transport permit, like the taxi permit, is valid only together with the driving licence.

Documents for a school transport permit

• A free-form application.
• A medical assessment confirming your fitness to carry out the work.
• A copy of your driving licence.
• For category B, proof that you actually drove a category B or C vehicle for at least three years before applying.

Fees in 2026

The fees differ between the two permits.

• Taxi permit: 59 euros application fee (Antragsgebühr) and 44 euros processing fee (Erledigungsgebühr).
• School transport permit: 21 euros application fee (Antragsgebühr), 21 euros certificate fee (Zeugnisgebühr), 6 euros per attachment, and 21,80 euros administrative fee (Verwaltungsabgabe). No processing fee is listed.

No amount is listed for the taxi permit’s certificate fee, attachment fee or administrative fee. No amount is listed for the school transport permit’s processing fee.

If a taxi permit is not issued because the application was rejected or refused, and you paid the processing fee in advance, you can request its refund from the Federal Tax Office (Finanzamt Österreich, Dienststelle Sonderzuständigkeiten).

Where to apply

Both permits are issued by the district administrative authority (Bezirksverwaltungsbehörde) responsible for your place of residence:

• Usually, this is the district authority (Bezirkshauptmannschaft).
• In statutory cities (Statutarstadt), it is the municipal authority (Magistrat).
• Where the provincial police directorate (Landespolizeidirektion) is also the first-instance security authority, that office is responsible.

It is advisable to book an appointment online at provincial police directorates.

Why your driving record matters

For both permits, reliability is assessed retrospectively over the previous five years. For school transport, this specifically means that you must not have received a penalty for a serious traffic offence during this period.

Frequently asked questions

Can I drive a taxi with only a driving licence?

No. A taxi driver permit is required, and it is valid together with your driving licence.

At what age can I apply for a taxi permit?

The minimum age is 20.

Do I need a school transport permit if I hold a category D licence?

Not necessarily. With category D, the EU code “95” on your driving licence is sufficient. If the code is not present, you need a school transport permit.

Can I apply for a taxi permit during the probationary period?

No. You must no longer be in the probationary period.

Practical steps

1. Check whether you meet the age, licence, driving experience, reliability and medical requirements for the activity you want to carry out.
2. For taxi work, complete the Taxiprüfung and obtain proof of at least six hours of first-aid training.
3. For school transport, obtain the required ärztliches Gutachten and, with category B, proof of three years of actual driving.
4. Prepare a free-form application, a copy of your driving licence and the other required certificates.
5. Submit the application to the responsible Bezirksverwaltungsbehörde: usually the Bezirkshauptmannschaft, or the Magistrat in a statutory city.
6. Pay the applicable fees and carry the permit together with your driving licence whenever you are driving for the relevant activity.

This information is based on sources available online and does not constitute legal, medical or professional advice.

Source: oesterreich.gv.at