Premium VTC and private chauffeur work in France: positioning, car and pricing
High-end chauffeuring is not a separate legal status: it is VTC work that sells time, discretion and reliability rather than distance.
Checked by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method and sources
A premium VTC driver or high-end private chauffeur in France has no legal regime of their own: the same rules apply as to any VTC (private hire) driver. You need the professional card obtained after the exam, the business entered on the VTC register, a vehicle meeting the order of 26 March 2015, which for a petrol or diesel car means under 7 years old, 4 doors, 4.5 m long, 1.7 m wide and 84 kW, with hybrids and electric cars exempt, and a prior booking for every pick-up. What changes is the business model. A chauffeur mostly sells hourly or daily hire and pre-booked transfers to companies, hotels, event agencies and demanding private clients. The rate is built from costs, hours actually billed, social contributions and the 10% VAT on passenger transport, not from a price per kilometre.
Your target hourly rate as a private chauffeur
Hourly rate to bill the client
€66.24
| Monthly turnover to reach, excl. VAT | €6,624 |
| Micro contributions included | €1,424 |
| Hourly rate excl. VAT | €66.24 |
Micro-enterprise, before income tax. Billed hours exclude unpaid waiting and empty runs.
What the law requires, premium or not
The word “premium” appears in no French law. The Transport Code places every paid passenger journey in a vehicle with fewer than ten seats, other than group and private transport, under the same title as taxis and VTCs (article L3120-1). A high-end chauffeur is therefore a VTC driver: they pass the chamber of trades exam, get the professional card, enter the business on the register and drive a compliant car. The full process is set out in the becoming a VTC driver guide.
The rule that separates VTCs from taxis applies too: the prior booking. Without one, a chauffeur may not pick anyone up on the street or stop or park to look for passengers (article L3120-2). For every job, they must be able to show proof of booking with the content set by the order of 6 August 2025. With business clients this is hardly a constraint: everything is booked, often days ahead.
The car: the legal minimum, then a commercial choice
The order of 26 March 2015, as in force, sets the minimum features of a petrol or diesel VTC:
| Criterion | Requirement | Hybrid and electric vehicles |
|---|---|---|
| Age | under 7 years, except collector vehicles | exempt |
| Doors | at least 4 | exempt |
| Size | at least 4.50 m long and 1.70 m wide | exempt |
| Power | at least 84 kW | exempt |
| Seats | 4 to 9, driver included | same rule |
That baseline is the same for an entry-level saloon and a limousine. The site’s vehicle check tests each point from the registration certificate. Beyond it, high-end work is about what the passenger sees and feels: rear legroom, boot space for airport luggage, a quiet cabin, spotless cleanliness and a sober colour. A six- or seven-seat van opens up families and small groups; a saloon remains the standard for business travel.
The car is also your largest cost. Long-term lease, loan or short rental, each comes with a monthly figure that goes into your rate. We do not publish vehicle prices, which depend on your own quotes.
Who buys high-end chauffeuring
- Companies: executive travel, visitors, seminar shuttles. They expect a proper invoice, often a framework contract, and payment on invoice rather than per ride.
- Hotels and concierge services: airport transfers and hourly hire for their guests. The relationship rests on reliability: one late arrival can cost the account.
- Event and travel agencies: trade fairs, weddings, film shoots, delegations. They book in volume, want precise quotes and sometimes several vehicles.
- Private clients: evenings out, weddings, long trips. A less regular market that runs on word of mouth.
Across all of them, what sells is peace of mind: punctuality, smart dress, smooth driving, discretion about what is said on board, and good English for international clients. If English is your first language, that is a real asset in this segment; your French must still be good enough for the exam and for French-speaking clients.
Selling time rather than distance
A platform driver is paid per ride. A private chauffeur mostly sells time: hire by the hour, half-day or day with waiting included, or a transfer at a price agreed in advance. That changes the maths. What matters is not the number of rides but the hours billed in a month, and the share of hours lost: empty runs to reach the client, unpaid waiting, quiet days.
A clear quote prevents disputes. State what is included (duration, mileage or area, waiting, tolls, parking), what is charged on top, and your cancellation terms. Make sure the client knows the total price before the job.
Working out your hourly rate
The calculator at the top of the page starts from your goal: the monthly net income you want and your monthly costs for car, insurance, fuel, phone and accountant. As a micro-entrepreneur, Urssaf takes 21.2 % of turnover plus 0.3 % for vocational training, so the turnover you need is net plus costs divided by what is left after those deductions. Divided by billed hours, that gives the hourly rate before VAT. If you go over the €37,500 VAT exemption threshold, or opt in, add 10 %: the rate for passenger transport (article 279 b quater of the General Tax Code).
The result is not a market price but the floor that meets your goals. If it is more than your clients will pay, adjust billed hours, costs or business structure, compared on the VTC business structure page. Deductible costs under the real regime are listed on the costs and bookkeeping page.
Employed chauffeurs: a different framework
“Private chauffeur” sometimes means an employee. A company or association may run private transport for its normal needs, notably for its own staff (article L3131-1 of the Transport Code): that is not public transport, and the driver is paid under an employment contract. As soon as you carry outside clients for payment, you are back under the VTC rules, with card, register and prior booking.
Mistakes that lose clients
- Taking a passenger who hails you outside a hotel without a booking: the offence inspections look for first.
- Underestimating unbilled hours: positioning runs, waiting, empty days.
- Neglecting invoices: companies do not pay without a compliant invoice, and the VAT on it must be right.
- Letting a petrol or diesel car age out: past 7 years it is no longer compliant, however upmarket.
The VTC register must list every vehicle you use: a second car for a group job is declared just like the first.