How to Become an Uber Driver in London

This guide explains how to become an Uber driver in London, step by step, as of October 2026. The short version: Uber is the app, but TfL is the licensing authority. Before you can accept a single trip you need a TfL licence for yourself and another for the car. Only then does the operator's own sign-up begin.

UK Driver Licence Prep is an independent study aid. We are not affiliated with Uber, Bolt, any other operator or TfL, and we don't earn anything from any operator. We help drivers prepare for the TfL assessments. Facts here come from TfL's private hire driver licence page and private hire vehicle licence page, checked on 19 October 2026. For an operator's own rules, always check the operator's website.

How Uber works in London: the three licences

Uber, Bolt and similar apps act as private hire operators. In London, a private hire journey is legal only when three licences line up:

Licence	Who holds it	Issued by
Private hire operator licence	The company taking the booking (for example Uber or Bolt)	TfL
Private hire driver licence ("PCO licence")	You	TfL
Private hire vehicle licence	The car's owner (you or a rental company)	TfL

TfL's licence checker lets anyone check whether a driver, vehicle or operator is licensed. TfL's licence page says every licensed private hire driver must work for a licensed operator, and once licensed you can work for any operator licensed in London.

Key fact: There is no such thing as an "Uber licence". The driver licence is the same for every London private hire operator, and it comes from TfL.

Step 1: check you meet the TfL requirements

Before you spend anything, make sure you qualify. TfL requires that you:

• are 21 or over (no upper age limit);
• have held a full DVLA, Northern Ireland or EEA driving licence for at least three years;
• have the right to live and work in the UK;
• can pass an enhanced DBS check and will join the DBS Update Service;
• meet the DVLA Group 2 medical standard;
• complete the HMRC tax step (a tax check code if you held a taxi or PHV licence in the last 12 months).

Each one is explained, with exceptions, on our PCO licence requirements page. Operators may add their own conditions, such as a minimum time with a licence, so check the operator's site too.

Step 2: get your TfL private hire (PCO) driver licence

This is the longest step. In outline:

1. Apply online through TfL's taxi and private hire portal. The £138 application fee is non-refundable.
2. Complete the enhanced DBS check through TfL's provider and register for the DBS Update Service.
3. Get your Group 2 medical from your GP or a doctor with your full records.
4. Complete TfL's free safeguarding awareness course before the SERU.
5. Pass three assessments at TfL's centre in North Greenwich: the SERU, the English speaking and listening test, and the Topographical test.
6. Pay the £205 grant fee and receive your licence and badge.

Our PCO licence guide covers every step in detail.

The three TfL assessments

Assessment	What it tests	Our guide
SERU	Safety, equality and regulatory rules from TfL's PHV Driver's Handbook; also your reading and writing	SERU mock test
Speaking and listening	A 15 to 20 minute conversation in English at B1 level	TfL English test
Topographical ("Uber topographical test")	Map reading and planning routes in London	Topographical practice

Drivers often call it the "Uber topographical test", but it is TfL's test, the same for every operator. TfL's published pass rates (FOI-0168-2425, to April 2024) were 73% for the SERU, 51% for the Topographical test and 91% for speaking and listening. Each assessment costs £40 the first time and £30 for a re-sit.

Exam tip: The Topographical test catches more people than any other step. Its three route questions carry 66 of the 100 marks, so practise plotting full routes on a London map, not just multiple-choice questions.

Step 3: get a licensed car and the right insurance

You can't use your own private car as it is. The car needs its own TfL private hire vehicle licence.

Vehicle licence requirements

From TfL's vehicle licence page:

• Application fee £84 (non-refundable) and grant fee £56.
• Every PHV licensed for the first time must be zero emission capable and meet the Euro 6 standard (since 1 January 2023). Fully electric and hydrogen fuel cell cars meet this.
• The car must be within TfL's age limits to be licensed.
• It is inspected before licensing; you bring the V5C, hire and reward insurance documents and an MOT certificate issued in the last 14 days.
• It must display TfL's safety and complaints signage, fitted at the annual inspection.
• Window tints are limited, and the front windscreen and front side windows must let through a minimum amount of light.

Insurance

Standard car insurance doesn't cover carrying paying passengers. A licensed private hire vehicle needs hire and reward insurance, and you bring proof of it to the inspection. Prices vary widely by driver, car and postcode, so get several quotes.

Own, finance or rent?

Many new drivers rent a car that is already licensed as a PHV, which avoids the vehicle licensing step. Others buy or finance their own. We don't quote rental or finance prices because they vary too much. Whatever you choose, check the car's licence is valid using TfL's licence checker, and check which of the operator's services the car qualifies for.

Private hire vehicles are also subject to London's Congestion Charge and the ULEZ, which TfL asks applicants to factor into running costs.

Step 4: sign up with the operator

Once you have your TfL driver licence and a licensed car, you sign up with the operator. This is the operator's process, not TfL's, and it changes from time to time. It typically involves:

• creating a driver account in the operator's app or website;
• uploading your TfL driver licence, badge, DVLA licence and photo;
• uploading the vehicle's TfL licence, insurance and other documents;
• the operator's own background or identity checks;
• an introduction to how the app works.

Operators sometimes run free information or help sessions for new drivers, including help with the licence process. Ask the operator directly what is available; we don't describe any specific programme because details change.

Can you drive for Uber and Bolt at the same time?

TfL's licence page says that once licensed you can work for any private hire operator licensed in London. Many drivers use more than one app. Each operator sets its own terms, and every trip must come through a licensed operator. Taking a passenger who stops you in the street is plying for hire, which only black cabs may do. Our guide to private hire vs hackney carriage explains the difference.

Step 5: register as self-employed

Most app-based private hire drivers are self-employed. TfL asks first-time applicants to confirm they know HMRC's guidance, and once you are licensed you must register to pay any tax due on what you earn. GOV.UK's working for yourself guide explains registering for Self Assessment and keeping records.

How much does it cost to become an Uber driver in London?

Cost	Amount (October 2026)
TfL driver licence and DBS fees, passing first time	£541.57 before the medical
DVLA Group 2 medical	Set by your doctor
Each re-sit of an assessment	£30
PHV vehicle licence (if licensing your own car)	£84 + £56
Hire and reward insurance	Varies
Car rental or purchase	Varies

The full breakdown, with the working shown, is on our PCO licence cost page. TfL says it never charges more than its advertised fees and has no fast-track service: anyone selling one is running a scam.

How long does it take to become an Uber driver in London?

The operator sign-up is usually the quick part. The TfL licence is the slow part, and TfL does not publish a standard processing time. Its licence page says new applications are currently taking longer than normal, and its March 2026 notice says applications can only reach final review after every assessment is passed. Our guide to how long a PCO licence takes explains each stage and the common causes of delay.

Key fact: The part of the timeline you control most is passing the three assessments first time. Every re-sit adds another booking, another trip to North Greenwich and another wait.

After you start: rules that protect your licence

Getting licensed is half the job. Keeping the licence matters just as much, and the SERU tests many of these rules because TfL takes them seriously.

Rule	What it means for an app driver
Only pre-booked journeys	Every passenger must be booked through a licensed operator before the trip starts
No taxi ranks	Private hire cars must not wait on, or pick up from, a taxi rank
Wear your badge	TfL requires private hire drivers to wear their badge while working, with limited exceptions
Report to TfL within 48 hours	Drivers licensed on or after 1 July 2024 must report any arrest, charge, caution or conviction, including penalty-point offences
Keep the DBS Update Service	Your subscription must stay active for as long as you are licensed
Complaints signage	Since 1 July 2025 the car you drive must display TfL's complaints signage
Assistance dogs and wheelchairs	You must carry assistance dogs at no extra charge unless TfL has given you a medical exemption

Mistakes that cost new drivers their licence

• Taking an unbooked passenger. A person outside a club, station or airport asks for a ride and offers cash. Accepting is plying for hire. It is an offence, and the insurance won't cover the journey.
• Letting someone else use your account or car. Only you, with your own licence and badge, may carry out the bookings given to you. An unlicensed driver using your account is illegal and dangerous.
• Letting insurance or the vehicle licence lapse. If either expires, you can't legally work in that car. Put renewal dates in your phone.
• Ignoring a TfL letter. Requests for information, renewal packs and reporting duties all have deadlines.

The free SERU mock 1 tests these rules in the same style as the real assessment, which is useful even after you pass.

Bolt and other operators: the same licence

Searches for "Bolt driver London requirements" have the same answer as for Uber. Bolt, Uber, local minicab firms and executive car companies are all TfL-licensed operators, and every one of their London drivers holds the same TfL driver licence. What differs between operators is their own sign-up process, commission, vehicle categories and support. Compare those directly with each operator.

Your study plan

1. Today: check the requirements, then take the free SERU diagnostic and the free Topographical diagnostic.
2. This week: submit your TfL application and book your medical, so the slow steps start early.
3. Next few weeks: prepare with our SERU mock test guide and Topographical practice guide, plus the TfL English test tips if English is not your first language.
4. Before booking the assessments: score 85% or more on three mocks in a row for each test, starting with the free mock 1.
5. While you wait for the licence: decide on your car (own or rented), get insurance quotes and read the operator's driver requirements, so you can sign up the day your licence arrives.