The law does not require it, Kela does

The special group driver training (erityisryhmien kuljettajakoulutus) is voluntary in the law. But from 1 January 2024, only a driver who has received training in meeting special groups may drive a Kela taxi.

The training is given in Finnish. This English page explains the rules. It does not offer training in English.

Information read from the law, the Traficom regulation and Kela announcements on 31 October 2026. The sources are at the end of the page. The sources are in Finnish.

Law Voluntary

The Act on Transport Services sets the content and length of the training, but it does not oblige you to take it.

Kela Condition for Kela rides

Kela has made the training a condition for all Kela taxi drivers from 1 January 2024.

Who needs the training

You need the training if you drive, or plan to drive, taxi rides paid by Kela. According to a Kela announcement, an estimated 8,000 drivers drive rides paid by Kela. From 1 January 2024, the service providers dispatch the rides only to drivers who have completed the training that Kela requires.

If you do not drive Kela rides, the law does not oblige you to take the training. Other clients can still set their own conditions. So always ask the client or the dispatcher whose rides you drive or plan to drive.

Why this difference matters: the training can be presented as a legal requirement, but it is not. The requirement comes from the client, not from the legislator. So whether you need the training depends on what kind of rides you drive.

What the training contains

The Traficom regulation, in force from 1 September 2026, divides the content of the training into three parts.

meeting customers who belong to special groups
assisting customers with limited mobility or functioning and other customers who need special support
special questions of school and day care transport

In the practical exercises, you go through and practise, among other things, using the wheelchair lift and the ramp, and securing the wheelchair and other aids in the vehicle.

6.1 Meeting customers

The training covers how customers who belong to special groups are met and taken into account in the customer service event. The regulation lists six topics.

meeting customers with limited functioning and other customers who need special support, and communicating with them
awareness of different customer groups, and recognising the effects of functional limitations and the need for individual help when using taxi services
taking the customer's need for help into account when the customer experience starts and ends and during the ride
promoting a feeling of safety during the ride, for example with a safe driving style that takes into account the customer's special needs and travel comfort
taking into account and keeping the customer's dignity and privacy also when assisting
the knowledge needed to assist customers who travel with an assistance dog, and understanding the dog's task

According to the Traficom rationale memo, special groups include, in addition to customers with a physical limitation, for example customers who are blind or visually impaired, deaf or hard of hearing, and customers with limited functioning because of a cognitive or other invisible disability. They also include older customers whose functioning may be lower because of age, and children who use school and day care transport. According to the memo, the regulation does not exclude any disability.

6.2 Assisting: what is practised

The training goes through and practises at least these skills for safe assisting. The regulation lists four items.

assisting the customer to the vehicle and into and out of the vehicle, taking into account the customer's aids and limits of assisting
knowing the equipment and aids used for assisting, using them safely, and mastering the techniques needed for the transport
using the wheelchair lift and the wheelchair ramp, and securing the wheelchair and other aids in the vehicle
increasing the taxi driver's experience of different mobility and functional limitations

The rationale memo adds that the list is not exhaustive. According to the memo:

assisting is not limited to the immediate surroundings of the vehicle. The customer may need help from home to the vehicle and when arriving at the destination
as aids, the memo takes into account the wheelchair and related equipment, and all other aids that people with limited mobility use, also older people
it is important to secure the equipment to the vehicle's securing points and to lift larger mobility aids, such as an electric scooter, into the vehicle
the driver is taught to use the vehicle's passenger lift, ramp or similar
in shared rides, the ability to assist several customers and to secure two or more wheelchairs in the same vehicle is taken into account
for working with an assistance dog, it is recommended to use the Traficom guide on assistance dogs in public transport
increasing experience means that the driver experiences what it is like to use the aids of people with limited mobility, or how a visual or hearing impairment affects a taxi user
the training can include a driving exercise where the participants show how the driving style affects the customer's travel experience

6.3 School and day care transport

For this customer group, the training covers at least five things.

safety
marking the vehicle, number of passengers and use of safety devices, and the driver's responsibility for the use of safety devices
taking a passenger into the vehicle, letting a passenger out, and acting in exceptional situations
the meaning and use of the passenger list
the driver's role as a traffic educator

According to the rationale memo, safety devices include, among others, seat belts, child seats required by the age of the children, door locking, and an alcohol interlock if the client requires it. According to the memo, the passenger list is no longer a requirement set at decree level, but the party that orders school and day care transport can require the use of a similar list.

The full content, item by item, is in the Traficom regulation (in Finnish, link in the sources).

Length and how it is given

According to the law, the training is 21 hours long, and at least seven hours of it is practical teaching.

Practical teaching is always in-person training.
The theory can be given as distance training, where you can ask the trainer questions in real time. Independent online training can be at most seven hours.
The training organisation that gave the training issues a training certificate to the person who completed it.
If you have held a taxi driver licence under the old, repealed law, and you can prove that you took part in the statutory training or further training of that time, you get the certificate by completing the whole practical teaching.
There is no exam. Section 26 a of the law and section 6 of the Traficom regulation have no exam, and the 2021 Traficom rationale memo says the training has no exam.

Only training organisations that work with a Traficom permit may organise taxi training, and the training organisation must have experience of taxi traffic (Traficom news, 6 July 2026). The page has not read a list of training organisations. Check the organiser with Traficom before you sign up.

Special group driver training at taksiajolupa.fi

What Kela requires from the driver

According to the Kela announcement of 5 October 2023, only a driver who has received training in meeting special groups may drive a Kela taxi from 1 January 2024. Kela says that in its procurement it required all Kela taxi drivers to complete the special group driver training. According to the announcement, an estimated 8,000 drivers drive taxi rides paid by Kela.

The service providers dispatch rides paid by Kela from 1 January 2024 only to drivers who have completed the training that Kela requires. Without the training, Kela rides are not dispatched to you. The Kela announcements do not say anything about other consequences. Consequences for the contracts that start on 1 January 2027 have not been read from a source, so this page does not claim anything about them.

The contracts that start on 1 January 2027

According to the Kela announcement of 8 May 2026, nine service providers organise the taxi services from 1 January 2027 in 17 competition areas. The procurements are done as concession contracts. The Kela announcements of 2 February 2026 and 8 May 2026 do not mention driver training. So the condition does not show in these announcements. Kela's procurement documents have not been read, so Kela's own contract text has not been checked.

Three dispatcher pages were read on 31 October 2026.

On the Taksi Helsinki Kela cars page, the driver's conditions include, among others, a valid driving licence, a valid taxi driver licence, enough skills in the national languages and "special group driver training completed". The page also requires the Taksi Helsinki Kela online training, which the page said would open in November 2026.
On the Kanta-Häme Kela cars page of Keski-Suomen Matkojenyhdistelykeskus (KSMYK), it says: "All drivers must complete the special group driver training". The page also requires KSMYK's own driver training. The page gives its price as about 40 euros (VAT 0 %), and you can complete it on your own on a Moodle platform.
The Valopilkku Oy page (the konnektio.fi address redirected there) does not mention special group driver training. According to the page, Valopilkku Oy has been chosen as the Kela transport service provider for ten areas from 1 January 2027, and the transport company is responsible for the drivers' qualification.

The pages of other dispatchers were not read. Ask the conditions from the dispatcher you plan to sign a contract with. A dispatcher can require its own training in addition to the special group driver training.

Who the requirement applies to

According to the Kela announcement, the condition applies to all Kela taxi drivers, that is, drivers who drive taxi rides paid by Kela. If you do not drive Kela rides, Kela's condition does not apply to you directly. Other clients can set their own conditions, so ask them from the client or the dispatcher.

Where you get the certificate

The training organisation that gave the training issues a training certificate to the person who completed the special group driver training. According to section 3.1 of the Traficom regulation, the training organisation must give the certificate on request, without delay and free of charge.

According to the Traficom rationale memo, the training organisation reports the completed training to Traficom, and an entry in the traffic register requires that you took part in the whole training. This page does not say exactly which certificate or register entry each dispatcher asks for. Ask the dispatcher.

Kela ride dispatchers by area from 1 January 2027

Kela put the service providers for its taxi rides out to tender. Two service providers were chosen for each competition area, and the customer can choose from which one to order the taxi. Each region is its own area, except Keski-Pohjanmaa and Pohjois-Pohjanmaa, which form one area. Åland was not part of the procurement.

The Kela announcement of 8 May 2026 said that the current contracts continue until the end of 2026. Nine service providers were chosen in total. The region names below are in Finnish.

Etelä-Karjala: Taksi Helsinki Oy and Konnektio Oy
Etelä-Pohjanmaa: Konnektio Oy and Tampereen Aluetaksi Oy
Etelä-Savo: Joensuun Taksi Oy and Lahden Aluetaksi Oy
Kainuu: Konnektio Oy and Keski-Suomen Matkojenyhdistelykeskus Oy
Kanta-Häme: Taksi Helsinki Oy and Keski-Suomen Matkojenyhdistelykeskus Oy
Keski- ja Pohjois-Pohjanmaa (one area): Pohjois-Suomen Taksi Oy and Konnektio Oy
Keski-Suomi: Konnektio Oy and Keski-Suomen Matkojenyhdistelykeskus Oy
Kymenlaakso: Kymenlaakson Taksi Oy and Lahden Aluetaksi Oy
Lappi: Lahden Aluetaksi Oy and Taksi Helsinki Oy
Pirkanmaa: Tampereen Aluetaksi Oy and Konnektio Oy
Pohjanmaa: Keski-Suomen Matkojenyhdistelykeskus Oy and Keskustaksi Oy
Pohjois-Karjala: Joensuun Taksi Oy and Konnektio Oy
Pohjois-Savo: Konnektio Oy and Joensuun Taksi Oy
Päijät-Häme: Lahden Aluetaksi Oy and Tampereen Aluetaksi Oy
Satakunta: Konnektio Oy and Tampereen Aluetaksi Oy
Uusimaa: Taksi Helsinki Oy and Keski-Suomen Matkojenyhdistelykeskus Oy
Varsinais-Suomi: Konnektio Oy and Taksi Helsinki Oy

Source: Kela announcement, 8 May 2026. The situation can change, so check the current information on the Kela website before you make decisions.

The difference from the 21-hour basic training

The special group driver training and the taxi driver basic training are different courses. Both are 21 hours long, but the sources describe them separately.

Special group driver training. Law: section 26 a. Length 21 hours, of which at least 7 hours practical teaching. Regulation: section 6. Topics: meeting customers, assisting, and school and day care transport. A training certificate is issued for this training separately. Kela has required this training from Kela taxi drivers.
Taxi driver basic training. Law: section 25 a. Length at least 21 hours. Regulation: section 4. Topics: assisting passengers and safety, special needs of different passenger groups, customer service situations, rights and duties of the driver, and safety of transport and traffic. According to the Traficom news of 6 July 2026, a mandatory 21-hour training before the taxi driver exam starts for new taxi drivers from November.
Supplementary training. Law: section 26 b. Length at least 7 hours. The supplementary training is a separate training connected to renewing the taxi driver licence, and section 5 of the Traficom regulation describes its content.

According to the rationale memo, the content of the special group driver training stayed mostly the same, but overlaps with the basic training were removed. For example, functional limitations are taught at a basic level in the basic training and in more depth in the special group driver training.

The sources that were read do not say if the basic training replaces the special group driver training. Kela's condition applies to the special group driver training, so ask the training organisation which training certificate you get.

Frequently asked questions

Is the special group driver training mandatory?

Not in the law. According to the Traficom rationale memo, the training is voluntary according to the government proposal. But Kela requires it from all Kela taxi drivers from 1.1.2024.

Do I need the training if I only drive ordinary taxi rides?

The law does not require it. If you take rides paid by Kela or other rides from a client, the client can set its own conditions. Check them with the client or the dispatcher.

Does Kela require the training from 1.1.2027?

The Kela announcements of 2.2.2026 and 8.5.2026 do not mention training. But Kela has required the training from all Kela taxi drivers since 1.1.2024, and on the pages of Taksi Helsinki and Keski-Suomen Matkojenyhdistelykeskus the training is a driver condition for the new contract period. Kela's contract documents have not been read.

How long is the training?

According to the law, 21 hours, of which at least seven hours are practical teaching. Practical teaching is always in-person training. The theory can be given as distance training, and independent online training can be at most seven hours.

Is there an exam in the training?

No. Section 26 a of the law and section 6 of the Traficom regulation have no exam. According to the 2021 Traficom rationale memo, the training has no exam. A person who completes the training gets a training certificate.

What is practised in the training?

According to section 6.2 of the Traficom regulation, at least: assisting a customer to the vehicle, into the vehicle and out of it; handling the equipment and aids used for assisting; using the wheelchair lift and the ramp; and securing the wheelchair and other aids in the vehicle.

Can the training be taken online?

Practical teaching is always in-person training. According to section 3 of the regulation, at most seven hours of the training can be given as online training, and in distance training you must be able to ask the trainer questions in real time.

Can I get shorter training if I have an old taxi driver licence?

According to the law, a person who has held a taxi driver licence under the old, repealed law, and who can prove that they took part in the statutory training or further training of that time, gets the training certificate by completing the whole practical teaching.

Is the special group driver training the same as the 21-hour basic training?

No. The taxi driver basic training is a training of at least 21 hours under section 25 a of the law, and the special group driver training is a 21-hour training under section 26 a of the law. They have different content in sections 4 and 6 of the Traficom regulation.

What happens if I do not have the training?

According to the Kela announcement of 5 October 2023, the service providers dispatch rides paid by Kela from 1 January 2024 only to drivers who have completed the training that Kela requires. The Kela announcements do not say anything about other consequences.

How many dispatchers are there in an area?

According to the Kela announcement of 8 May 2026, two service providers were chosen for each competition area, and the customer can choose from which service provider of the area the taxi is ordered.

Sources

Act on Transport Services (320/2017), current text, sections 25 a, 26 a and 26 b: finlex.fi
Traficom regulation, Taksiliikenteen koulutukset (TRAFICOM/697199/03.04.03.00/2025), issued 29 June 2026, in force 1 September 2026: finlex.fi, regulation collection
Traficom rationale memo for the regulation Taksiliikenteen koulutukset, 29 June 2026: finlex.fi (PDF)
Traficom rationale memo for the 2021 regulation (voluntary, no exam): traficom.fi (PDF)
Traficom news, 6 July 2026, Taksiliikenteen koulutus ja kokeet uudistuvat: traficom.fi
Kela announcement, 5 October 2023, Kela-taksin kuljettajia koulutetaan erityisryhmien kohtaamiseen: kela.fi
Kela announcement, 3 January 2024, Kela-taksin palveluntuottajat jatkavat vuosina 2024-2025: kela.fi
Kela announcement, 2 February 2026, Kela-taksien kilpailutus käynnistyy koko maassa: kela.fi
Kela announcement, 8 May 2026, Kela-taksien uudet palveluntuottajat on valittu: kela.fi
Taksi Helsinki, Kela-autot uusi sopimuskausi: taksihelsinki.fi
KSMYK, Kanta-Hämeen Kela-autot: ksmyk.fi
Valopilkku Oy, Kela-autoilijat, tule mukaan: valopilkkutaksi.fi

Sources read 31 October 2026. All sources are in Finnish. This page is general information, not legal advice.