How do I know a private driver in Amsterdam is licensed?
Dutch law treats any paid ride by car that isn’t public transport as taxi transport, so a legitimate chauffeur company holds a taxi transport license with a P-number of 4 to 6 digits, listed in Kiwa Register, and every driver needs a driver card issued only with a taxi diploma and a certificate of conduct. Ask the company for its P-number, and check on the day that the name and plate you were sent match the driver and the car.
Last updated:
A named chauffeur and a known car: Schiphol → any Amsterdam address
| Option | Price | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Business Class, Schiphol → any Amsterdam address | €90 | E-Class, EQE, EQE SUV, BMW i5, BMW 5 Series · up to 3 passengers, 3 bags |
| Van Class, Schiphol → any Amsterdam address | €125 | V-Class, EQV · up to 7 passengers, 7 bags |
| First Class, Schiphol → any Amsterdam address | €140 | S-Class, EQS, EQS SUV, BMW i7 · up to 3 passengers, 3 bags |
| Mercedes-Maybach (Ultra), Schiphol → any Amsterdam address | €250 | Maybach S-Class · up to 2 passengers, 2 bags · confirmed by dispatch, not instant |
Before pickup, My Ride shows the chauffeur’s name, the car, its plate and a phone number. Prices are per car, not per person, with 9% Dutch VAT included, and the same day and night. Booked less than 12 hours before pickup: +10%. At Schiphol the first 60 minutes of waiting are free, elsewhere 15 minutes; after that waiting is charged per minute at the class's hourly rate (Business €65 an hour). Free cancellation up to 1 hour before pickup.
What Dutch law requires for paid rides by car
| Who | Requirement | How you can check |
|---|---|---|
| The company | Taxi transport license from Kiwa Register, with a P-number | Ask for the P-number; look it up in Kiwa Register’s overview of license holders |
| The driver | Driver card (chauffeurskaart), issued after a taxi diploma and a certificate of conduct | The card is the driver’s ID for taxi work |
| The car | Blue license plate and an on-board computer | Look at the plate |
| The paperwork | A ride receipt showing the P-number | Ask for it at the end of the ride |
From the Wet personenvervoer 2000, the Dutch government’s taxi pages and the transport inspectorate (ILT).
How AmstelCab rides are driven
Under our terms and conditions, rides booked with AmstelCab are performed by independent, professionally licensed transport operators who work with us. AmstelCab takes the booking, sets the fixed price, runs dispatch around the clock and assigns the chauffeur.
What you can check yourself on the day: the chauffeur’s name, the car and the plate on your My Ride page, the same name on the sign in the arrivals hall, and a dispatch line that answers at any hour. If anything does not match, do not get in; call +31 6 85141194.
Related questions
Is a “private driver” in Amsterdam different from a taxi in law?
Not in the licensing sense: paid passenger transport by car, other than public transport, is taxi transport under the Wet personenvervoer 2000. The difference is in how you book and pay, not in the license.
What does a P-number tell me?
It identifies the license holder. The inspectorate says it must appear on the taxi information card and the ride receipt, and that passengers can use it to look the company up.
Who checks that taxi companies follow the rules?
The transport inspectorate (ILT), with the police and the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee; municipalities supervise too.
Sources
- Wet personenvervoer 2000 (wetten.overheid.nl), article 1: “taxivervoer” is passenger transport by car for payment, other than public transport (version in force from July 1, 2026) (checked September 24, 2026)
- ILT (Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate) — taxi transport licence and P-number (checked September 24, 2026)
- ILT — becoming a taxi driver: diploma, certificate of conduct, driver card (chauffeurskaart) (checked September 24, 2026)
- Rijksoverheid — “Extra kwaliteitseisen gemeenten aan taxi’s” (blue number plate, on-board computer, TTO in Amsterdam) (checked September 24, 2026)
- ILT — taxi inspections: the inspectorate, the police and the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee supervise taxi transport (checked September 24, 2026)
Book it, or ask dispatch first
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