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Motor vehicle drivers

How to become a Care Taxi Driver

Also called: Welfare taxi driver

Provides a taxi service in specially adapted vehicles that people needing care can board while staying in their wheelchair or on a stretcher.

Main tasks

Workers in this job say high school is common. From job tag's survey of people in each job, who could give several answers. It shows what workers see as common, not how many workers hold each level.

How to become one

The essential qualification to start is a class 2 standard car licence (for carrying paying passengers). However, this alone does not allow you to help passengers in and out of the taxi or give physical care. If you provide care services as well as transport, you need to have completed training such as the initial training for care workers or hold a care qualification such as certified care worker. Almost nobody joins as a new graduate. Most people move to a care taxi company from another job or set up their own business. A care taxi business can be started as a sole trader with one commercial vehicle or as a company. The basic process for getting permission to start a general passenger car transport business (limited to welfare transport) is first to meet basic requirements, such as having a vehicle, an office and start-up funds, and then apply to register the business with the local transport bureau office. At this stage a class 2 standard car licence is essential. If the application passes review, you sit a test on the relevant laws and an interview at the regional transport bureau. Once the business is approved, you have the vehicle inspected and registered, change to green commercial number plates if needed, and start operating within six months of approval. Drivers at ordinary taxi companies usually drive a normal taxi and switch to the care taxi when there is a booking. Self-employed operators need to build a network with other local operators, because working with other businesses is essential for partnerships with hospitals, other medical institutions and local government, and for handling surges in bookings. You need communication skills, the ability to handle sudden situations, caring hospitality and respect for passengers' dignity.

Ways in

Pay · Job openings · AI and this job

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Care Taxi Driver?

The essential qualification to start is a class 2 standard car licence (for carrying paying passengers). However, this alone does not allow you to help passengers in and out of the taxi or give physical care. If you provide care services as well as transport, you need to have completed training such as the initial training for care workers or hold a care qualification such as certified care worker. Almost nobody joins as a new graduate. Most people move to a care taxi company from another job or set up their own business. A care taxi business can be started as a sole trader with one commercial vehicle or as a company. The basic process for getting permission to start a general passenger car transport business (limited to welfare transport) is first to meet basic requirements, such as having a vehicle, an office and start-up funds, and then apply to register the business with the local transport bureau office. At this stage a class 2 standard car licence is essential. If the application passes review, you sit a test on the relevant laws and an interview at the regional transport bureau. Once the business is approved, you have the vehicle inspected and registered, change to green commercial number plates if needed, and start operating within six months of approval. Drivers at ordinary taxi companies usually drive a normal taxi and switch to the care taxi when there is a booking. Self-employed operators need to build a network with other local operators, because working with other businesses is essential for partnerships with hospitals, other medical institutions and local government, and for handling surges in bookings. You need communication skills, the ability to handle sudden situations, caring hospitality and respect for passengers' dignity.

How much does a Care Taxi Driver earn in Japan?

Average annual income in the private sector, bonus included, is ¥3,709,800 (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare).

Do you need a degree to become a Care Taxi Driver?

Usually not. In this job's census occupation group, only 11% of workers are university graduates.

Will AI change the work of a Care Taxi Driver?

Generative AI could change some tasks in this job, by the ILO's global estimate.

Sources

独立行政法人労働政策研究・研修機構（JILPT）作成 職業情報データベース 解説系ダウンロードデータ（IPD_DL_description_7_01.xlsx）ver.7.01 職業情報提供サイト（job tag）より2026年10月4日にダウンロード（https://shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/download）を加工して作成

独立行政法人労働政策研究・研修機構（JILPT）作成 職業情報データベース 簡易版数値系ダウンロードデータ（IPD_DL_numeric_7_00.xlsx）ver.7.00 職業情報提供サイト（job tag）より2026年10月4日にダウンロード（https://shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/download）を加工して作成

Sources: JILPT Occupational Information Database download data via job tag (解説系 ver.7.01 and 簡易版数値系 ver.7.00, downloaded 4 October 2026), processed by Peernovo; MHLW, Basic Survey on Wage Structure 2025; Statistics Bureau of Japan, 2020 Population Census; MEXT, School Basic Survey 2025; MHLW, Employment Referrals for General Workers (Hello Work statistics). Figures processed by Peernovo. English job names, translations and the matching of jobs to statistical groups, schools and degree fields by Peernovo.

Updated 4 October 2026