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New taxi licences up for grabs in Lasithi — deadline April 14, 2026
Announcement · Municipality of Apokoronas

New taxi licences up for grabs in Lasithi — deadline April 14, 2026

February 11, 2026 Original source ↗ Verified source
Summary

The Region of Crete is opening applications for new public-hire vehicle licences across Lasithi, with the biggest opportunity in Ierapetra where three taxi licences and several minibus permits will be issued. In Agios Nikolaos, Sitia and the Lasithi Plateau, holders of existing taxi licences can apply to convert them to specialist or accessible-vehicle categories. All applications must be submitted by Tuesday, April 14, 2026 at 14:00.

New taxi and hire-vehicle licences available in Lasithi — how to apply

The Region of Crete is offering new licences for public-hire vehicles in Lasithi and allowing existing taxi licence holders to convert their permits to other vehicle categories. Applications are open now, with a firm deadline in mid-April.

What is on offer?

There are two types of opportunity: brand-new licences and conversions of existing taxi licences into different categories.

In Ierapetra, new licences are being issued:

  • 3 taxi licences (metered, up to 5 seats including driver)
  • 2 special-hire minibus licences (no meter, 6–9 seats)
  • 2 accessible-vehicle hire licences (for passengers with disabilities)

In other municipalities, existing taxi licences can be converted:

  • Agios Nikolaos: 1 taxi licence converted to an accessible-vehicle hire licence
  • Sitia: 1 taxi licence converted to an accessible-vehicle hire licence
  • Lasithi Plateau: 1 taxi licence converted to a standard special-hire minibus licence

Who can apply?

Both individuals and companies can apply. Individuals must be EU citizens; companies must be registered within the EU. All applicants must be up to date with tax and social security payments and must have no disqualifying criminal convictions.

For new licences (available only in Ierapetra), a bank guarantee of €5,000 is also required. Anyone who already holds five or more vehicle licences must demonstrate that they have suitable parking and maintenance facilities for their entire fleet.

What documents are needed?

Individuals must submit:

  • Copy of national ID card or valid passport
  • General criminal record extract
  • Tax clearance certificate
  • Social security clearance certificate
  • Bank guarantee of €5,000 (new licences only)
  • Copy of existing vehicle licence (conversions only)

Companies must also provide their articles of association and company registration documents, a certificate confirming the company is not in insolvency or liquidation, and criminal record extracts for all directors or managing partners.

All documents — except the articles of association and related company registration papers — must be issued after the first publication date of this call for applications.

How does the process work?

Once the application window closes, the competent authority checks all submissions for completeness. Valid applications are then published in an electronic list. If more applications are received than licences are available, the winners are decided by electronic lottery.

Key dates and amounts

  • Application deadline: April 14, 2026 at 14:00
  • Bank guarantee (new licences only): €5,000

Where to submit

Applications go to the Transport and Communications Directorate of the Lasithi Regional Unit in Agios Nikolaos (Terma Polytechneiou, 72100 Agios Nikolaos). Contact: G. Skoulikaris, tel. 2841 340357, email: [email protected].

Application forms are available at the office or can be downloaded from the Region of Crete website (www.crete.gov.gr).

Official source

Source translation

Machine-translated from the official source document.

HELLENIC REPUBLIC

REGION OF CRETE GENERAL DIRECTORATE OF TRANSPORT & COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTORATE OF TRANSPORT & COMMUNICATIONS REGIONAL UNIT OF LASITHI

Postal address: Terma Polytechneiou Postal code: 72100 Agios Nikolaos Contact: G. Skoulikaris Tel.: 2841 340357 Email: [email protected]

TO BE POSTED ON THE INTERNET

CC: DISTRIBUTION LIST

CALL FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST FOR THE GRANTING OF NEW PUBLIC-HIRE VEHICLE (EDX) LICENCES AND THE CONVERSION OF EXISTING LICENCES TO ANOTHER CATEGORY, AT THE SEATS OF THE REGIONAL UNIT OF LASITHI

Under the provisions of Law 4070/2012 (Government Gazette 82/A/10-4-12) as amended and currently in force, matters relating to Public-Use Passenger (EDX) vehicles are regulated and three categories of such vehicles are defined: a) EDX vehicles (TAXI) with meter, having up to five (5) passenger seats including the driver; b) EDX Special Hire vehicles (EIDMISTH) without meter, having six (6) to nine (9) passenger seats including the driver; and c) EDX Special Transport vehicles (EIDMET) without meter, having five (5) to seven (7) passenger seats including the driver.

The Regional Governor of Crete

in the context of implementing the provisions of a) the relevant legislation on the granting of new EDX vehicle licences (TAXI or EIDMISTH) or the conversion of currently existing licences to another type, b) Decision No. 84/2012 (B' 2080) of the Regional Council of Crete, c) Decision No. 11634/15-1-2026 (B' 462) on the subject "Determination of the number of Public-Use Passenger (EDX) vehicle licences for TAXI and Special Hire (EIDMISTH) per seat in the Region of Crete and conversion of existing licences"

invites

interested natural or legal persons wishing to be granted a new EDX vehicle licence or to convert an existing licence to another category, specifically:

  • At the seat of the Municipality of Agios Nikolaos: conversion of one (1) EDX-TAXI licence to EDX-EIDMISTH(AMEA).
  • At the seat of the Municipality of Ierapetra: granting of three (3) EDX-TAXI licences, granting of two (2) EDX-EIDMISTH licences, granting of two (2) EDX-EIDMISTH(AMEA) licences.
  • At the seat of the Municipality of Sitia: conversion of one (1) EDX-TAXI licence to EDX-EIDMISTH(AMEA).
  • At the seat of Oropedio Lasithiou: conversion of one (1) EDX-TAXI licence to EDX-EIDMISTH.

to submit a relevant application with the required supporting documents by Tuesday, 14 April 2026 at 14:00.

The application must specify the seat for which a new EDX vehicle licence is requested — specifically the seat of the Municipality of Ierapetra — or the seat in the Regional Unit of Lasithi for which conversion of existing EDX-TAXI licences to EDX-EIDMISTH or EDX-EIDMISTH(AMEA) licences is requested.

The seats of EDX vehicles in the Regional Unit of Lasithi, as determined by Decision No. 84/2012 (Government Gazette 2080/B/4-7-12) of the Regional Council, are:

A) Municipality of Agios Nikolaos B) Municipality of Ierapetra C) Municipality of Sitia D) Municipality of Oropedio Lasithiou

The competent authority for receiving applications for EDX vehicle licences with a seat within the administrative boundaries of the Regional Unit of Lasithi is the Directorate of Transport & Communications of the R.U. of Lasithi.

Each interested party shall submit a signed application (signed by themselves or their legal representative) together with a file containing the required supporting documents as shown in the ANNEX, which must have been issued after the first date of publication of this call for expressions of interest.

Conditions for participation of natural and legal persons

Interested parties wishing to obtain the granting of a new EDX vehicle licence in the Municipality of Ierapetra must cumulatively satisfy the following conditions pursuant to Articles 107 and 108 of Law 4070/2012:

A) NATURAL PERSONS

  1. Must hold the nationality of a European Union member state.
  2. Must not have been finally and irrevocably convicted of any of the offences referred to in Article 100, case a' of Law 4070/2012.
  3. Must be in compliance with tax and social security obligations.
  4. Must have sufficient economic capacity to carry on the professional activity of operating EDX vehicles, proportionate to the number of licences applied for.
  5. Must have suitable premises for the parking, security and maintenance of all their vehicles, in the event that they hold more than five (5) EDX vehicle circulation licences in their own name.

B) LEGAL PERSONS

  1. Must have their registered office within a European Union member state.
  2. The persons exercising management of such legal persons must not have been finally and irrevocably convicted of any of the offences referred to in Article 100, case a' of Law 4070/2012. That is: for S.A.s, the members of the Board of Directors; for any other corporate type, the Managers; for general and limited partnerships, the general partners.
  3. Must be in compliance with tax and social security obligations.
  4. Must have sufficient economic capacity to carry on the professional activity of operating EDX vehicles, proportionate to the number of licences applied for.
  5. Must have suitable premises for the parking, security and maintenance of all their vehicles, in the event that they hold more than five (5) EDX vehicle circulation licences in their own name.

Interested parties wishing to obtain the conversion of an existing licence to another category must cumulatively satisfy the following conditions pursuant to Articles 107 and 108 of Law 4070/2012:

A) NATURAL PERSONS

  1. Must hold the nationality of a European Union member state.
  2. Must not have been finally and irrevocably convicted of any of the offences referred to in Article 100, case a' of Law 4070/2012.
  3. Must be in compliance with tax and social security obligations.
  4. Must have suitable premises for the parking, security and maintenance of all their vehicles, in the event that they hold more than five (5) EDX vehicle circulation licences in their own name.

B) LEGAL PERSONS

  1. Must have their registered office within a European Union member state.
  2. The persons exercising management of such legal persons must not have been finally and irrevocably convicted of any of the offences referred to in Article 100, case a' of Law 4070/2012. That is: for S.A.s, the members of the Board of Directors; for any other corporate type, the Managers; for general and limited partnerships, the general partners.
  3. Must be in compliance with tax and social security obligations.
  4. Must have suitable premises for the parking, security and maintenance of all their vehicles, in the event that they hold more than five (5) EDX vehicle circulation licences in their own name.

Processing of applications — announcement of results

After the application submission period ends, the competent authority will check the completeness of the required documents and the conditions for granting a new EDX vehicle licence or the conversion of an existing licence to another category.

The applications will then be recorded in an electronic list by the name or business name of the applicant per seat, by type of EDX vehicle (TAXI or EIDMISTH), in ascending order of application number, indicating the corresponding number of licences requested for each applicant.

This list will be posted on the website of the Region of Crete (www.crete.gov.gr) and on the website of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport (www.yme.gr).

In the event that the total number of licences requested per seat exceeds the number determined by the Regional Governor's decision, an electronic lottery shall be conducted in accordance with Article 106, paragraph 7 of Law 4070/12 as amended and currently in force.

Following completion of the procedure and the transmission to the Regional Governor of Crete of the lists of those selected by lottery from the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, for the seats of the Regional Unit of Lasithi, a decision shall be issued approving, in the name of each eligible person, the granting of a new licence or the conversion of an existing EDX-TAXI licence to EDX-EIDMISTH(AMEA) as well as the conversion of an existing EDX-TAXI licence to EDX-EIDMISTH.

THE REGIONAL GOVERNOR OF CRETE

STAVROS ARNAOUTAKIS

DISTRIBUTION LIST:

A) REGION OF CRETE

  1. Office of Regional Governor Arnaoutakis
  2. Office of Deputy Regional Governor of Heraklion
  3. Office of Deputy Regional Governor of Chania
  4. Office of Deputy Regional Governor of Rethymno
  5. Office of Deputy Regional Governor of Lasithi
  6. General Directorate of Transport & Communications
  7. Directorate of Transport & Communications R.U. Heraklion
  8. Directorate of Transport & Communications R.U. Chania
  9. Directorate of Transport & Communications R.U. Rethymno
  10. Directorate of Transport & Communications R.U. Lasithi
  11. Independent Press Office (with the request that a press release be issued to local media — radio, television, newspapers — pursuant to Article 106 paragraph 3 of Law 4070/12)

B) MINISTRY OF INFRASTRUCTURE & TRANSPORT

  1. Directorate of Passenger Transport (D32)
  2. IT and Electronic Systems Support Service (D9) (with the request that the announcement be posted on the Ministry's website pursuant to Article 106 paragraph 3 of Law 4070/12)

C) All Municipalities of the Region of Crete (with the request that it be posted on the municipality's website, displayed at the municipal office and at the KEP offices of each municipality, pursuant to Article 106 paragraph 3 of Law 4070/12)

D) Professional associations of EDX vehicle owners and drivers of the Prefecture of Lasithi.

ANNEX

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS FOR NATURAL AND LEGAL PERSONS FOR THE GRANTING OF A NEW EDX LICENCE OR THE CONVERSION OF AN EXISTING LICENCE TO ANOTHER CATEGORY

Documents must have been issued after the first date of publication of this announcement/call for expressions of interest, except for documents 1 and 2 of table (B).

(Application form is available from the Transport & Communications Directorate of the R.U. of Lasithi and is posted on the Region's website)

(A) NATURAL PERSONS

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS

  1. Copy of national identity card or valid passport.
  2. General criminal record extract.
  3. Tax clearance certificate.
  4. Social security clearance certificate from the main insurance body.
  5. Bank guarantee with the particulars of Article 110 of Law 4070/12, in the amount of €5,000 (for new EDX licence applications only).
  6. Copy of existing circulation licence (for conversion of an existing circulation licence only).

(B) LEGAL PERSONS

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS

  1. Government Gazette (ΦΕΚ) publication of the articles of association, or if not published, a certified copy of the latest articles of association from the competent court or a lawyer, together with a certificate of amendments from the competent authority.
  2. Government Gazette (ΦΕΚ) with the publication of the constitution and composition of the current Board of Directors and the appointment of the Managing Director or legal representative, if applicable to an S.A.
  3. Certificate confirming that the entity is not in bankruptcy, liquidation, suspension of activities, compulsory administration or insolvency proceedings, and that no such proceedings have been initiated against it.
  4. General criminal record extract showing that the persons specified in Article 108, case b' of Law 4070/12 have not been finally and irrevocably convicted of any of the offences under Article 100, case a'. That is: for S.A.s, the members of the Board of Directors; for any other corporate type, the Managers; for general and limited partnerships, the general partners.
  5. Tax clearance certificate.
  6. Social security clearance certificate from the main insurance body.
  7. Bank guarantee with the particulars of Article 110 of Law 4070/12, in the amount of €5,000 (for new EDX licence applications only).
  8. Copy of existing circulation licence (for conversion of an existing circulation licence only).