Step-by-step plan for starting a taxi company

Entrepreneurs who intend to stay in the Netherlands must fulfil a number of conditions. You will sometimes also require a residence permit. Our interactive tool Coming to the Netherlands as an entrepreneur can help you find out quickly if this is true for you, and tell you what other obligations you have to fulfil.

If you plan to start doing business in the Netherlands, you will also need to have or apply for a business bank account (IBAN). The Dutch Banking Association has created a Quick Scan to help you find out if you are eligible. Read how it works.

New businesses must register with the Business Register at the Netherlands Chamber of Commerce (KVK). KVK will pass on your details to the Netherlands Tax Administration (Belastingdienst), who will issue you with a VAT identification number, to use for correspondence and invoices to your customers, and a VAT number, to use for your dealings with the Tax Administration. You will receive these numbers from the Tax Administration by post. Private limited companies (BVs) and public limited companies (NVs) have to register via a civil-law notary, who will take care of the registration at the Tax Administration on your behalf.

You must apply for a certificate of good conduct (Verklaring omtrent gedrag,VOG) from the Ministry of Justice and Security (Justis). The VOG is required for instance when applying for your business permit to operate a taxi service. Your drivers will also need a VOG.

You apply to Kiwa Register for a taxi operator licence.

If your business is a general partnership (VOF), you must complete a collective transport declaration stating that the partners operate the taxi company at their joint risk and expense.

You can apply to Kiwa Register for a licensing certificate for each taxi. However, this is no longer mandatory.

You nees a taxi entrepreneur card to obtain access to the data in your taxi's on-board computer. You can view the journey administration and the working and resting times and link this data to your business by using this card.

You need a taxi test certificate for your vehicle. In addition, your taxi must have been provided with a blue number plate, a taxi on-board computer and a taximeter, which must be inspected annually by the Netherlands Metrology Institute.

Every taxi driver needs to obtain a taxi driver’s diploma from the Central Office for Motor Vehicle Driver Testing (Centraal Bureau Rijvaardigheidsbewijzen, CBR). There are different types of examinations, depending on the specific taxi driver's card.

All taxi drivers must have a driver’s card, which can be obtained from Kiwa Register. The driver’s card must be kept in a place in the taxi that is visible for the passenger(s). The taxi driver's card is also used to gain access to the taxi on-board computer.

You must register all taxi transport with the Board Computer Taxi (BCT). BCT registers the trips, working times and driving and rest hours of your drivers.

A risk assessment and evaluation (RI&E) is mandatory for every business owner who employs staff. You must have conducted a RI&E before your company opens for business.

You must inform passengers of the fares you charge for journeys in your taxi, for example, by means of a taxi information card. You must also draw up a complaints procedure and bring this to the attention of your customers.