Fewer formal requirements than is commonly believed, and more practical demands than it seems:
- A valid Category B driving licence. The former BTP licence was abolished in 2016; no special national licence is required for ride-hailing services, although it is advisable to check regional requirements or those of the platform itself (minimum length of time the licence has been held, for example).
- A valid employment contract. A driver who is not the licence holder must be employed and registered with Social Security in accordance with the applicable collective agreement. Inspections do take place in the sector, and penalties for bogus self-employment or irregular registrations ultimately affect the licence as well.
- Registration with the platform (Uber, Cabify, Bolt): background checks, vehicle documentation and the service standards of each app.
For the business owner, staff costs are the biggest expense in the operation — wages, National Insurance, bonuses and staff turnover — and the factor that most distinguishes a profitable business from a loss-making one. If you don’t want to manage drivers,(/invertir)’s [outsourced management or leasing] models exist precisely for that purpose.
LAST REVIEWED · Jul 19, 2026 — VTC360 guide: general criteria, not advice for your specific case.