How to start rideshare in Queensland, Australia

Step 1.1

Apply at TMR

Queensland licences are issued by Transport and Main Roads (TMR). Book a visit to a TMR customer service centre and bring your passport, visa evidence, your current driver licence and proof of your Queensland address.

Step 1.2

If you hold an overseas licence

On a temporary visa you can usually keep driving on a valid overseas licence. If it is not in English, carry an official English translation or an International Driving Permit. Once you become a permanent resident you have three months to change over to a Queensland licence. Licences from recognised countries convert without a driving test; others require the written and practical tests.

Australia only recognises about 28 countries. India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, the Philippines and China are not on that list, so you must pass the PrepL road rules test and the Q-SAFE practical driving test to convert your licence. Keep driving on your overseas licence while you prepare, but note that failing the practical test withdraws your right to drive on it.

Step 1.3

It must be an open licence

To carry passengers you need an open Australian driver licence, held for at least one year. Learner, P1 and P2 licences are not accepted.

Step 2.1

Yes, you need one

In Queensland rideshare is called booked hire. Every driver carrying passengers for Uber, DiDi or Bolt must hold a Booked Hire/Taxi Driver Authorisation issued by TMR. Driving passengers without one is an offence.

The DA covers you, the driver. The Booked Hire Service Licence covers the car. They are two separate approvals and you need both.

Step 2.2

Medical assessment first

Before you apply, a doctor must complete the TMR medical assessment form. Book this early, because appointments can take a week or more.

Step 2.3

History checks

TMR checks your criminal and traffic history. Declare everything, including old or overseas matters. Being open matters more than the history itself.

Step 2.4

Lodge and wait

Lodge the application at a TMR customer service centre with your medical certificate, licence and identification, and pay the fee. Approval usually takes a few weeks.

Step 2.5

Food delivery is different

If you only deliver food with Uber Eats, DoorDash or Menulog and never carry passengers, you do not need a Driver Authorisation.

Step 4.1

Check your visa allows work

You must have the right to work in Australia. Student, working holiday, partner and permanent visas all carry different conditions. Check yours online with VEVO first.

Step 4.2

Tax File Number

A Tax File Number (TFN) is your personal tax number. It is free from the ATO. Without one you pay a much higher tax rate.

Step 4.3

Australian Business Number

Driving for these apps means you work for yourself, not as an employee, so you need an ABN. It is free and usually issued the same day.

Step 4.4

GST from your first fare

If you carry passengers you must register for GST from your very first trip, no matter how little you earn. If you only deliver food, you register once you earn $75,000 or more in a year.

This is the rule most new drivers miss. Register for GST before your first passenger trip.

Step 4.5

Lodge a BAS every quarter

Once registered, you lodge a Business Activity Statement every three months and pay the GST on your fares. Set money aside from every payment so the bill is not a surprise.

Step 5.1

Uber

The largest platform in Brisbane and on the Gold Coast, so the least waiting between trips. Sign up online and upload your licence, DA, vehicle licence and inspection documents.

Step 5.2

DiDi

DiDi charges a lower service fee than Uber, so you keep more of each fare, but trip volume is smaller.

Step 5.3

Bolt

Bolt is newer in Australia and growing across South East Queensland. Its commission is also lower than Uber.

Step 5.4

Food delivery apps

Uber Eats, DoorDash and Menulog need no Driver Authorisation. Many drivers deliver in quiet hours and carry passengers at peak times.

Step 5.5

Run more than one app

Using two or three apps at once is normal and legal. Accept the first trip offered and pause the others. Less waiting between jobs is the single biggest lift to weekly earnings.

Step 6.1

Learn the busy hours

In Brisbane and on the Gold Coast the strongest windows are weekday mornings and evenings, Friday and Saturday nights, and early morning airport runs. Rain and major events lift fares sharply.

Step 6.2

Keep records from day one

Keep rental invoices, fuel and charging receipts, tolls, car washes, phone bills and a logbook of your kilometres. These reduce the tax you pay at the end of the year.

Step 6.3

Protect your rating

A clean, quiet, air-conditioned car and a short greeting are enough to hold a five star rating. Platforms deactivate drivers whose ratings fall too low.

Step 6.4

Start with the car sorted

Most new drivers lose weeks waiting on inspections and insurance. Apply with us and collect a Camry Hybrid that is already licensed, insured and documented for Uber, DiDi and Bolt.