Working for Bolt, Uber and Food Delivery in Slovakia: Documents, Fees, Registration

Driving a taxi or delivering food is one of the most common ways Ukrainians and Russian speakers earn money in Bratislava. The barrier to entry is low, the hours are flexible and you barely need the language. But behind the apparent simplicity sit two different legal regimes, and confusing them is expensive: fines for driving a taxi without permits start at a hundred euros and reach fifty thousand.

The key thing to grasp straight away: taxi work and food delivery are two completely different activities with different requirements. For delivery an ordinary živnosť is enough. For a taxi you need a licence, a driver’s card and a medical certificate.

Here is how each of them works, step by step.

Updated: August 2026.

Taxi (Bolt, Uber): what you must have

Carrying passengers through an app counts under Slovak law as a taxi service, with everything that follows from that. The app does not replace the permits; it only connects you with the passenger.

You need three things:

A taxi service licence (koncesia na taxislužbu) — permission to carry on the activity itself.
A taxi driver’s card (preukaz vodiča vozidla taxislužby) — the document for the individual driver.
A certificate of medical and psychological fitness to drive.

You may not drive without all three, even if the app has let you on.

The licence: where to get it and what it costs

The application goes to the district office in the regional capital (okresný úrad v sídle kraja), to the road transport department — for the place where you live or are registered.

Fee: 30 euros in duty stamps, attached to the application.
Validity: ten years, unless you ask for less yourself.
What you will need: good standing (no criminal record), medical fitness, transport rules (prepravný poriadok) and a car with a valid technical inspection and emissions test.

Good news for newcomers: since the law changed in 2019, taxi services are not subject to the financial standing and professional competence requirements that apply to freight and scheduled passenger transport. That has made entering the trade noticeably easier.

The taxi driver’s card

This is a separate document for a specific person. It can be obtained by someone who:

holds a driving licence of the right category;
has full legal capacity;
is medically and psychologically fit to drive;
is of good standing, that is, has no criminal record.

Many people underestimate the psychological assessment — it is a separate appointment and a separate cost, so allow time for it.

Requirements for the car

An important change that not everyone knows about: since 1 January 2025 taxi services may only be provided with vehicles registered in the Slovak Republic. A car on Ukrainian or Polish plates will not do for this work.

The car must also have a valid technical inspection and emissions test and be properly marked.

Your own licence or working through a fleet

In practice there are two routes.

Your own licence. You obtain the permit in your own name, set up a živnosť and work directly. More paperwork at the start, but you pay nobody a middleman’s cut and you control your earnings.

Through a fleet. A company that holds a licence connects you to the platform, often helps with the paperwork and sometimes provides a car. You pay it a percentage. The barrier to entry is lower, but you earn less and you depend on the partner.

There are many fleets in Bratislava and their terms differ: commissions of between six and eight per cent are common, and some offer zero commission for the first month as a promotion. Some fleets provide fuel cards and take care of the bookkeeping.

Before you sign, establish: the size of the commission and what it is calculated on, who pays for fuel and repairs, what happens in an accident, how often you are paid and whether you can leave without a penalty.

Food delivery (Wolt, Bolt Food): what you need

Here things are noticeably simpler: no licence is needed, because you are not carrying people.

Živnosť or a fleet

As with taxis, there are two routes:

Your own živnosť. You register as a courier partner directly and receive the full amount for orders less the platform’s commission.
Through a partner fleet. This suits you if you do not have your own business identification number. The fleet takes its percentage.

Which type of živnosť you need

It is a free (unregulated) živnosť — that is, no proof of education and no examinations. The activity most often registered is «courier activity (other than postal services)». Related items worth entering at the same time: warehousing, auxiliary activities in transport, administrative services.

How to set up a živnosť step by step and what it costs is covered in the article what a živnosť is in Slovakia.

Food handling certificate

Because you work with food, you will need a potravinársky preukaz — a certificate of medical fitness for work with foodstuffs. It is issued by a doctor, costs little, but without it you will not be activated.

What to deliver on

A car, a motorbike, a scooter or a bicycle — any of them works. In central Bratislava a bicycle is often faster than a car, and it costs practically nothing to run: no fuel, no parking, no technical inspection.

This is a fundamental difference from taxi work: for delivery you do not need your own car.

Age

Through a fleet you can start delivering from the age of sixteen. To work on your own živnosť you must be of age, that is eighteen or over.

How to register

The process is simple and entirely in the app: you download the platform’s partner app, upload your documents, choose the type of cooperation, sign the contract and get access to orders.

Fleets: how they actually work

Most newcomers start out through a fleet, so it is worth going through this arrangement in detail — it is where unfavourable terms are easiest to fall into.

What a fleet is

A fleet (flotila in Slovak) is a company that holds a taxi service licence and has a contract with the platform. It connects drivers under its own permit.

The logic is simple: instead of spending months gathering documents and obtaining a licence in your own name, you join a ready-made structure and start earning within a few days. For that you pay a percentage.

One thing to be clear about: you still need your own taxi driver’s card and medical certificate. The fleet covers the licence, but not the individual driver’s documents.

Three models of cooperation

Your own car, fleet commission. You drive your own car and the fleet takes a percentage of turnover. Rates of around six to eight per cent are common on the Slovak market, and some offer zero for the first month as a promotion.
A fleet car on hire. You pay a fixed rental for the car. There are arrangements where, with a rental, the fleet takes no percentage at all — it makes its money on the rental itself.
A mixed arrangement. Rental plus a small percentage. Do the sums especially carefully here: the two deductions add up.

Deposit

When hiring a fleet car you are often asked for a refundable deposit — sums of around 150 euros are common, paid when you collect the car. There are also offers with no deposit.

Be sure to establish in writing: on what conditions the deposit is returned, within what period, and what counts as grounds for withholding it.

How and when you are paid

A common practice is weekly payouts, for many fleets on Mondays. That is more convenient than waiting a month, but check what the contract says, not just the advert.

What is usually offered on top

help with the paperwork and the licence;
bookkeeping and filing;
fuel cards;
round-the-clock support;
a car with company livery.

This is genuinely valuable, especially in the first months when you understand neither the language nor the rules. But you pay for it — and it is worth knowing exactly how much.

What to ask before signing the contract

Adverts promise a lot; the contract tells the truth. Establish in writing:

Question	Why it matters
What percentage, and of what amount	A percentage of turnover and a percentage of the sum after the platform’s commission are different money
Is there a rental and what does it include	Insurance and servicing are sometimes charged separately
Who pays for fuel	The biggest variable cost
What happens in an accident or breakdown	Who pays the excess, and what about earnings for the days off the road
Deposit: how much, and when it comes back	A frequent source of disputes when you leave
How often payouts are made and to which account	You need a Slovak account, see how to open a bank account
Is there a minimum number of hours or trips	A hidden obligation that adverts do not mention
How to terminate the contract	Notice, penalties, returning the car

What to watch out for

A few signs that should put you on your guard:

Refusal to give you the contract in advance. A normal company will send the text for you to study. «Come in and sign it here» is a bad sign.
Terms given only verbally. The promised commission belongs in the contract, not in a chat thread.
Earnings promises that are too good. The sums in adverts are usually before fuel and depreciation are deducted, and assume you are working flat out.
A request to pay for the job. A legitimate fleet earns from your work, not from a joining fee.
A contract only in Slovak with no explanation. You have the right to understand what you are signing. If they refuse to explain, that is your answer.

Fleets recruit drivers actively through classified boards and job portals, so there is plenty of choice. Compare at least three offers before agreeing to the first one.

When to move to your own licence

A simple calculation: if you work steadily and hand the fleet a noticeable sum every month, work out how quickly the 30 euros for the licence, the medical assessments and the time spent on paperwork would pay for themselves.

For anyone who sees this as temporary earnings, a fleet is more convenient. For anyone staying in the trade long term, your own licence is almost always better value.

How much the platform and the fleet take

Not all of what the customer pays reaches you. There are usually two deductions:

The platform’s commission — a percentage of every trip or order that Bolt, Uber or Wolt keeps. The amount depends on the platform, the city and the current terms, so check the up-to-date figures in the contract and in the app: they change and vary by region.
The fleet’s commission, if you are not working directly. Here rates of around six to eight per cent are common on the Slovak market.

If you work through a fleet, the deductions add up. So when comparing offers, do not count «the fleet’s commission» but how much actually stays in your pocket after a typical shift.

And do not forget the costs the platform does not cover: fuel, depreciation, insurance, tyres, servicing. A courier on a bicycle has almost none of these; for a taxi driver they eat a noticeable share of the takings.

Taxes and contributions

Both taxi drivers and couriers work as self-employed people, not as employees. That means:

you file your own tax return for the previous year;
you pay your own health and social insurance contributions;
you have no paid holiday or sick leave in the form an employee has;
once you exceed the set turnover threshold, you must register as a VAT payer.

Rates, the reliefs for new entrepreneurs and the VAT thresholds are covered in the article taxes in Slovakia, and how to file a return in the article on declaring income.

A practical tip: set part of every payout aside straight away. The most common misfortune for newcomers is to spend everything earned and then, in the spring, discover a tax bill and a contributions top-up nobody expected.

If you have temporary protection status

With odídenec status you have free access to the labour market and need no separate work permit. But there are two cases to distinguish here:

Working through a fleet on an employment contract — the simplest option, with minimal requirements on you.
Working on your own živnosť — this is already self-employment, and the živnosť must be set up under the general rules.

For taxi work you will need the licence and the driver’s card in any case — your residence status does not exempt you from them.

What you risk by driving without the documents

The state has been policing this sector noticeably more strictly in recent years. Drivers on the apps are required to have a licence, a driver’s card and a properly marked car.

Fines for breaches run from 100 to 15 000 euros. For a repeat offence, up to 50 000 euros and withdrawal of the licence.

Add to that the risk people think about last: after an accident during an unlicensed trip there may be problems with the insurance payout. Saving on the permit then costs you on a completely different scale.

Which to choose: taxi or delivery

	Taxi	Food delivery
Permits	Licence + driver’s card + medical certificate	Živnosť only
Car	Required, registered in Slovakia	Not required, a bicycle will do
Barrier to entry	Higher: documents, time, costs	Low, up and running in a few days
Running costs	Fuel, servicing, depreciation	Minimal on a bicycle
Age	From 18	From 16 through a fleet
Language	Basic Slovak is useful	Barely needed

A sensible strategy for anyone who has just arrived: start with delivery while the paperwork goes through and you find your feet, then move into taxi work once you have a car and understand the market.

A step-by-step plan: where to start

If you have chosen delivery

Decide: your own živnosť or through a fleet. Without a živnosť, only a fleet is possible.
Set up a živnosť with the free activity «courier activity».
Get a food handling certificate from a doctor.
Download the platform’s partner app and upload your documents.
Sign the contract and start taking orders.
Open a separate account straight away and set part of each payout aside for tax.

If you have chosen taxi work

Have the medical and psychological assessments.
Obtain the taxi driver’s card.
Apply for the licence at the district office in the regional capital, fee 30 euros.
Make sure the car is registered in Slovakia and has a valid technical inspection and emissions test.
Set up a živnosť and connect to the platform — on your own or through a fleet.
Study the fleet contract before signing, if you go that route.

Frequently asked questions

Can I work without Slovak?

In delivery, more or less yes — everything goes through the app. In taxi work basic Slovak is useful: you will meet passengers who do not speak English, and you will have to explain yourself to the police at a check.

Do I need my own car for taxi work?

Yes, and it must be registered in Slovakia. Some fleets provide a car on hire — then you do not need your own, but you will earn less.

Will a car on Ukrainian plates do?

No. Since 1 January 2025 taxi services may only be provided with vehicles registered in Slovakia.

How long does the paperwork take?

Delivery — from a few days. Taxi work takes longer, because you need the assessments, the driver’s card and the licence. Plan in weeks, not days.

Can I combine delivery with a main job?

Yes, and many people do. The hours are flexible. But remember that self-employment income has to be declared together with your other income.

What happens if I drive without a licence?

A fine of 100 to 15 000 euros, and for a repeat offence up to 50 000 euros plus withdrawal of the licence. Along with possible insurance problems after an accident.

Is a food handling certificate compulsory for delivery?

Yes, it is required when working with foodstuffs. It is issued by a doctor and costs little.

What to read next

Couriers and drivers will find a useful benchmark in the minimum wage in Slovakia in 2026.

On an ordinary employment contract, redundancy entitles you to severance pay, the amount of which depends on your length of service.

Anyone wanting to work for themselves on a larger scale will find this useful: how to set up a company in Slovakia.

Citizens of non-EU countries without temporary protection status first need to regularise their stay with the right to work — see work permits in Slovakia.

Still have questions? Write to us

If something is still unclear — which documents you need in your particular situation, whether to go through a fleet or set everything up in your own name, what works out better given your residence status — ask in the form below.

We are a Slovak company and answer in Russian and Ukrainian.

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Write to us directly at pomosh@pomosh.sk — describe your situation in your own words, that is enough. We answer in Russian and Ukrainian, usually within one working day.

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This information is gathered from public sources online and is accurate at the time of publication. Platform terms, commission rates and legal requirements change. Before you start, check the current terms in your contract with the platform and, if necessary, consult an accountant or a lawyer.