How long does it take to become a taxi driver in Ireland?

Realistically two to four months. The test can usually be booked within a few weeks. After you pass, the Garda licence application takes up to 12 weeks because it includes vetting. Add time to organise tax clearance and, if you buy a car, the vehicle licence and inspection.

Do I need my own car to get an SPSV driver licence?

No. The driver licence and the vehicle licence are separate. Many new drivers rent a licensed taxi or drive for an existing vehicle licence holder. You only need a vehicle licence if you want to own the taxi.

Can I get a taxi licence with a foreign driving licence?

Yes if it is a full licence from an EU or EEA country or another recognised country, and it is current. You must have held a full licence continuously and without endorsements in the period before applying.

Do I need to pass the test to drive a local area hackney?

No. Local area hackney driver licence applicants are exempt from the SPSV Driver Entry Test, but they can only drive local area hackneys within a 5 to 7 km radius of the approved area.

How to Become a Taxi Driver in Ireland (2026): Every Step

Updated 6 September 2026 · 7 min read · Sources: NTA Official Manual 8.0, nationaltransport.ie

Two organisations are involved. An Garda Síochána is the licensing authority: it vets you and grants the SPSV driver licence. The National Transport Authority (NTA) runs the entry test, collects the fee and issues your driver ID cards. You deal with both, in this order.

1. Check you qualify

Before spending anything, make sure you meet the conditions in section 2.2 of the Manual:

A full, current driving licence for category B or higher, from Ireland, the EU/EEA or a recognised country, held continuously without endorsements in the period before you apply.
Tax clearance with Revenue, in the same name as on your driving licence. The NTA checks this online and you also hand proof to the Garda.
No conviction for the offences listed in the Taxi Regulation Acts 2013 and 2016. Some carry a lifetime ban; others a fixed period (for example five years after release from prison, or your driving disqualification plus three to five years for drink or drug driving).
Garda vetting confirms you are a suitable person.

2. Study the Official Manual

The test is written from the Official Manual for Operating in the SPSV Industry, Edition 8.0 (2025). It is free on nationaltransport.ie and about 220 pages. Everything in the Industry Knowledge module comes from it: licensing, fares, the regulations, wheelchair accessible vehicles, customer service, driving safely. Read it once, then drill questions. Our Industry Knowledge practice follows the chapters and cites the page for every answer.

3. Sit the SPSV Driver Entry Test

Book by phone on 0818 064 000 with your PPS number, driving licence details and the 90 euro fee. The test runs at five centres nationally on a computer: 54 Industry Knowledge questions in 54 minutes, then 36 Area Knowledge questions in 36 minutes for the county you want to work in. You need 75% in each module. Fail one and you can resit only that one, at the same fee, but both must be passed within a year of your first sitting. Full details in our test guide.

When you pass you receive the SPSV Skills Development Certificate. Keep it safe; the Garda need the original.

4. Complete the Safeguarding and Disability Awareness course

A free online professional development course run by the NTA. It is mandatory for new applicants and takes a few hours. Do it straight after the test while you wait for other paperwork.

5. Pay the 250 euro licence fee

Call 0818 064 000 and pay by card. The NTA posts a paper receipt, which goes into your Garda application. The fee is non-refundable and valid for one application only, so the Manual advises paying it only after you have passed the test and are sure you meet every other condition.

6. Apply to the Garda with form PSV 15

Bring the checklist from Manual section 2.3 to your local Garda station, or the Carriage Office if you live in Dublin:

SPSV Skills Development Certificate and the licence fee receipt.
Proof of tax clearance.
Your driving licence and your driver licence history from the NDLS.
Three passport-standard photographs, roughly 10 cm by 7 cm.
A signed statement that you will not drive an SPSV for more than 11 hours on any three consecutive days.
Details of any other employment. If that job involves driving, proof you have told the employer about your application.
Statements about your health, medication and that you have not been convicted of the listed offences.

The Garda review, including the background check, can take up to 12 weeks.

7. Collect your licence and ID cards

The Garda grant the licence (paper form PSV 17) and tell the NTA. The NTA then posts two cards: a large driver display card for the dashboard, showing the area you may stand or ply for hire in, and a small smart card you must carry whenever you drive an SPSV. Lose either and you report it to the Garda PSV Office immediately.

8. Decide how you will drive

You now hold a driver licence, not a vehicle licence. Options: rent a licensed taxi, drive for someone who holds a vehicle licence, or buy a car and apply for your own vehicle licence. That is a separate process with its own fees and inspections; see the cost breakdown.

Renewals

A regular SPSV driver licence is valid for up to five years. You can renew from three months before expiry, and the NTA sends reminders. Renew on time and the fee is 250 euro; up to 30 days late it is 300 euro; from 30 days to 12 months late, 400 euro. After 12 months the licence cannot be renewed and you start from scratch, test included. No test or safeguarding course is needed for a normal renewal, but tax clearance, the NDLS history, photographs and Garda vetting are.

How to become a taxi driver in Ireland