The Croatian taxi transport market is entering a new, more regulated era with the introduction of the mandatory taxi driver card. As of June 4, 2025, all drivers engaged in this activity can submit an application for this key document, which will soon become an indispensable condition for legally performing the job. The Agency for Commercial Activities (AKD), as the competent issuing authority, has appealed to all drivers to submit their applications as soon as possible to avoid the expected crowds and delays before the legal deadline expires. Namely, the amendments to the Road Transport Act, which entered into force on December 4, 2024, gave drivers a transitional period of 12 months to comply, meaning that work without this card will be impossible after December 4, 2025.

What is the Taxi Driver Card and What is Its Purpose?

The taxi driver card is the fundamental official identification document that every taxi driver will have to possess and, more importantly, display in a clearly visible place inside the vehicle while providing the service. This move is designed with the aim of radically increasing transparency and safety in a sector that numbers around 27,000 service providers. Thanks to the card, passengers will at all times have an unequivocal confirmation of the identity of the person transporting them. On the other hand, road transport inspectors and other authorized officials will be able to quickly and efficiently check the driver's status on the ground. The core of the card is a unique QR code. By scanning this code with a smartphone, service users and supervisory bodies can instantly verify the validity of the document and access key data about the driver, thus creating a powerful mechanism for combating unregistered carriers and raising the general level of trust in the profession.

The kit that each driver receives consists of two parts. The first is the driver card itself, intended for display in the passenger compartment, most often on the dashboard. The second part is a special vehicle sticker, which is applied from the inside to the lower right corner of the windshield. This dual system ensures that key information is always available, both to passengers in the vehicle and to external observers and officials, guaranteeing complete business transparency.

Who Can Request the Card? Strict Conditions for Professionals

To ensure a high level of professionalism and safety, the legislator has defined precise and strict criteria that a person must meet to be entitled to obtain a taxi driver card. The goal is to ensure that passengers are transported exclusively by qualified, responsible, and reliable individuals. The conditions are as follows:

• Age limit: The candidate must be at least 21 years old, which is considered the age that brings the necessary maturity and responsibility for performing this job.


• Driving license: Possession of a valid category B driving license is mandatory, which is a fundamental prerequisite for driving passenger cars.


• Professional qualification: It is necessary to prove possession of an initial qualification acquired through a special education program for category B drivers or to present proof of completed secondary education for the occupation of a driver.


• Good repute: This is one of the key conditions that protect passengers. The applicant must have "good repute," which in practice means they must not have a final conviction for certain criminal offenses. The check of this condition is carried out by the card issuer (AKD) ex officio, by inspecting the criminal records, thus relieving the driver of the obligation to obtain this certificate independently.

Application Procedure: Digital, In Person, or by Mail

The process of obtaining the card is maximally simplified and adapted to the digital age, offering drivers several different channels for submitting applications. The fastest and most efficient way is via the internet. Using the e-Citizens system, drivers can access the specialized eTaksi platform at https://etaksi.akd.hr/. The digital process guides the user step-by-step through filling out the form and attaching the necessary documentation, eliminating the need for a physical visit to the offices.

For those who prefer a more traditional approach, the application can also be submitted in person. This can be done at the premises of AKD, located at Savska cesta 28, on the first floor, in Zagreb. The third option is to send the complete documentation by registered mail to the same address. Regardless of the chosen method, it is crucial that the application is complete and correctly filled out to avoid delays in processing.

Prices and Issuance Deadlines: Plan Ahead

The costs and waiting time for the issuance of the card depend on the urgency of the procedure. In the regular procedure, from the moment of receiving the complete and correct documentation, AKD undertakes to issue the card within 30 working days. The fee for the regular procedure, with personal collection of the card at AKD's premises, is 80.00 EUR. If the driver wants the card to be delivered to their home address, the price is increased by the postage costs and amounts to 85.50 EUR.

For drivers who need the card in a much shorter time, an urgent procedure is provided. In this case, production and issuance are guaranteed within just three working days. The price of this expedited service is 150.00 EUR for personal collection, or 155.50 EUR if the card is sent by delivery to the applicant's address. Given the significant price difference, as well as the expected high load on the system as the final deadline approaches, the recommendation to all drivers is not to wait until the last moment.

Legal Background and the Role of AKD: A Guarantee of Safety and Expertise

The introduction of the taxi driver card is the result of an initiative by the Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure, and it was formalized through the Act on Amendments to the Road Transport Act. The key provision is the newly introduced Article 12.b, which regulates in detail the purpose, appearance, and issuance procedure of this document. Entrusting this extremely important job to the Agency for Commercial Activities (AKD) is not a random choice. It is a company with 34 years of experience in producing highly secure and protected documents for the Republic of Croatia. Their expertise has been confirmed through long-term projects, such as the issuance of digital tachograph cards for professional drivers of freight vehicles and buses, a job they have been doing since 2009. Additionally, since 2022, AKD has been the holder of public authority for the issuance of driver qualification cards. All these documents are compliant with the strictest international and European standards, which has logically positioned AKD as the only qualified partner for the implementation of the taxi driver card system.

System Digitization: Modernization for Greater Transparency

In addition to the physical card itself, AKD has also established a complex, secure IT system that forms the backbone of the entire project. This system enables secure connection with various state registers and databases, which automates and speeds up the process of checking the prescribed conditions. This means that data on the driving license, qualifications, and criminal record are checked electronically, reducing the possibility of error and misuse. Equally important, the system is designed to conduct periodic checks of the driver's status, ensuring that all cardholders continuously meet the "good repute" condition. This digitization and modernization project is also closely linked to the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), and the data will be integrated into the AKD Affinis reporting and management system, jointly developed by the Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure and AKD. This raises taxi transport to a higher level, aligned with the digital standards of the 21st century.