Taxi driver requirements in Madrid: the complete list

To work as a taxi driver in Madrid you need the municipal taxi driver's permit, which the City Council grants to anyone who meets these requirements: being of legal age, holding a category B driving licence for the length of time set by the regulations, being legally allowed to work in Spain, having no criminal record for the offences that bar people from the profession, proving physical and mental fitness with a medical certificate and passing the municipal exam. With that permit you can drive a taxi as an employee; to work for yourself you also need a licence.

The exact list, the documents and the exam dates are published by Madrid City Council and may change. What follows is a general guide so you know what to expect and how to get organised.

A point that causes a lot of confusion: today there is no “taxi driver's licence” issued by the DGT (Spain's traffic authority). For years the BTP permit was required, but it is no longer part of the process. What qualifies you is an ordinary driving licence plus the municipal permit.

The exam is the part that takes the most effort. Its format, the number of questions and the pass mark are set by each round, but the content always centres on what a taxi driver needs to know to work well in the city:

• Knowledge of the city: streets, squares, routes between points and how to get to places of interest such as hospitals, stations, hotels, government buildings, museums or the airport.
• Taxi regulations: the municipal bylaw and the regional rules governing the service, users' rights and the driver's obligations.
• Fares: how the official fares, supplements and fixed fares are applied.
• Customer service: dealing with customers, common situations and how to resolve them.

How to prepare for it, how much time to put in and what comes after you pass are explained step by step in how to become a taxi driver.

With the municipal permit you can already work, but how you do it changes a lot depending on whether or not you have your own licence.

If your goal is to have your own taxi, first read how to get a taxi licence: it explains the two ways in and the steps for getting the vehicle on the road.

Meeting the requirements lets you start; staying in the profession depends on other things that no certificate can prove:

• Stamina for long shifts at the wheel, often at night, at weekends or on bank holidays.
• A sense of direction and calm in traffic, even with a sat nav to help.
• Dealing with very different people: tourists, business travellers, families in a hurry to get to the airport or passengers who need help.
• Languages, even just a basic level of English, which is very useful on journeys to and from Barajas.
• Keeping your accounts in order, if you are self-employed.

We have gathered the habits that set the best professionals apart in how to become a top-notch taxi driver.

Once behind the wheel, a taxi driver must carry the documents required by the bylaw in the vehicle, apply the official fares, give a receipt if asked and respect the passenger's rights, such as choosing the route or travelling with their luggage. We sum up what a driver can and cannot demand in what a taxi driver can and cannot do with passengers.

Airport journeys are an important part of the job in Madrid: early-morning departures, terminal pickups with the flight number and the fixed fare between Barajas and the area inside the M-30, which with our service is €33. The other areas also have a fixed price, which you can check in fares by area.