PDVL Singapore: How to Get Your Private Hire Car Driver's Vocational Licence

If you've already got your Class 3 licence and you're thinking about driving for Grab, Gojek, or another private hire platform, there's a step most new drivers don't expect: you can't just start driving passengers around with your regular licence. You need a PDVL first, and the process has its own set of requirements, fees, and timelines separate from anything covered on your BTT or FTT.

PDVL Is Not the Same as PDL

These two acronyms trip up a lot of people because they look nearly identical. A PDL (Provisional Driving Licence) is what you get before you're allowed to start practical driving lessons, it's part of getting your regular Class 3 licence in the first place. Our PDL Singapore guide covers that process in full. A PDVL is something else entirely, it's a vocational licence you apply for years later, after you already hold a full driving licence, specifically to drive passengers commercially for a private hire platform.

Who Can Apply

To be eligible for a PDVL, you need to meet all of the following:

• Be a Singapore Citizen. Permanent Residents and foreigners are not eligible, PRs lost eligibility for new PDVL applications under rules introduced in September 2020.
• Be at least 30 years old at the point of application.
• Hold a valid Class 3 or 3A licence for a continuous period of at least one year.
• Have an N/O Level English grade of D7 or higher, or pass the Workplace Literacy Assessment instead.
• Pass a background check. Applicants with a history of serious offences will not be considered.
• Pass a medical examination, including a chest X-ray, confirming you're fit to drive.

The Application Steps

The process runs through LTA's LicenceOne portal, accessed via Singpass, and generally follows this order:

• Apply online through LicenceOne, selecting PDVL as the vocational licence type, and pay a non refundable $40 application fee.
• Complete your medical checkup and chest X-ray at a clinic of your choice, usually costing somewhere in the $58 to $63 range.
• Register for the PDVL training course and test with an approved provider, such as ComfortDelGro Taxi, NTUC LearningHub, or the Singapore Taxi Academy. Grab also runs its own course option through GrabRentals.
• Attend the course, which typically runs around 8 to 10.5 hours depending on the provider, followed by a test covering several modules.
• Pass the test. You'll receive a Temporary Vocational Licence the same day, letting you start driving while the permanent one is processed.
• Your Digital LTA Vocational Licence is issued through the Singpass app, usually within 20 working days.

What It Costs

Course fees vary by provider and have shifted over time, with some providers listing figures in the low hundreds of dollars before subsidies. Most Singaporeans can claim a significant portion back through SkillsFuture Credit, which every citizen aged 25 and above receives, often bringing the out of pocket cost down substantially. It's worth checking your SkillsFuture balance before enrolling, since the subsidy can cover most of the course fee depending on how much credit you have available.

How Long It's Valid, and What Comes After

A PDVL is valid for three years from the date it's issued. Holders are required to attend a refresher course once every six years, though drivers who haven't accumulated any demerit points during that period may be exempted from this requirement. If you already hold a TDVL (the taxi driver equivalent, which also covers private hire driving), you don't need a separate PDVL, a TDVL already lets you drive both.

A Few Things Learners Get Wrong

• Assuming your Class 3 licence alone is enough to drive for Grab. It isn't, the PDVL is a separate, mandatory requirement.
• Confusing PDVL with PDL because of the similar name and both being LTA related licences.
• Not checking the one year Class 3 holding requirement before applying, which can delay eligibility if your licence is still new.
• Forgetting that PRs are no longer eligible for new PDVL applications, a change some drivers are still catching up with.

Getting your BTT and FTT out of the way is what makes a PDVL possible in the first place, but it's a genuinely separate process with its own age requirement, course, and test. If turning your licence into an income stream is part of your plan, it's worth budgeting the time and cost for this step well before you actually need it.