Have you thought of earning extra cash while studying in Sweden? I bet you considering being an Uber driver in Sweden as an international student is the way to go, hence the information below.
Ever thought of turning your automobile into a taxi, therefore, you’ll be able to create some additional dough? Working as an Uber driver in Sweden can be perfect for students. It’s well paid, extraordinarily versatile, and you get to drive around all day making chit-chat with strangers. Sounds pretty decent, doesn’t it?
The nice factor concerning becoming an Uber driver in Sweden or deliverer is that you simply will work as several or as few hours as you prefer – you are your own boss, and you’re under no obligation to stick with it if you find it’s not your jam.
However, particularly for drivers, getting initially started can be quite pricey, so it’s important you have all the facts first and consider carefully whether it’s a viable option for you.
Read also: How to Apply to Study in Germany
We have all the mandatory needs for you here, likewise as information on the way to check in and further tips for creating extra cash whereas you drive or deliver.
There are a fair few start-up expenses to consider, and you might be waiting a while before you can get on the road, but it’s well worth the initial sting to induce yourself up and running.
First of all, you need to meet the relevant criteria. You can solely apply to become an Uber driver if you:
[su_list icon=”icon: chevron-circle-right” icon_color=”#d70c16″]- Are over 21 years old
- Have a full and valid UK driver’s licence (an EU licence will need to be converted to a UK licence before you become an Uber driver)
- Have the right to work in the UK.
- Depending on the city in which you’re based, the required years of driving experience will vary (as an example, Sweden drivers need at least three years of driving experience).
You also need to pass the following checks:
[su_list icon=”icon: chevron-circle-right” icon_color=”#d70c16″]- Full medical examination from your GP
- Complete enhanced DBS check. This examines your full criminal record and checks if you’re safe to work with children and vulnerable adults
- A local map check of the city you wish to figure in. Unlike black cab drivers, you don’t need to sit a hefty exam that involves you studying the streets of Sweden for months on end (that’s what Google maps is for, right?).
- A private hire-licensed and insured car
Table of Contents
Getting a Private Hire Licence as an Uber driver in Sweden
The process of obtaining a private hire licence is pretty pain-free, and Uber does offer you help with the application process. The price of a private hire licence varies from council to council, but generally, you’ll be looking at an average of £300(ish) and it has to be renewed every three years. Bear in mind that it can take a long time to actually get your licence through after applying.
Uber claim on their website that it takes between two to six weeks, but some drivers say it’s closer to three or four months. If you have already got an automobile that matches the bill, you’re way ahead of the game. Check if your automobile is listed by Uber on their website. If your automobile did not reach the cut, you can also rent an Uber-approved vehicle on a weekly basis.
Rental costs will vary from town to town, but they’re generally offered for around £200 per week. Private rent insurance will be steep, but as with any car insurance, the longer you’ve been driving and the safer you are as a driver, the cheaper it gets.
For example, the difference between a private hire policy for people who’ve been driving for three years compared to five can be as much as £100/month.
Before you’ll be able to apply for a licence, you’ll have a short interview with Uber and will need to attend a free masterclass called an ‘Uber Ignition’ session. This is essentially a half-day info session where you find out about what it’ll be to work for Uber. Their trained workers can guide you through the entire application method therefore you’ll be able to apply for a licence from the native authorities.
They say it’ll take about four hours to complete the Ignition session, which involves the following:
[su_list icon=”icon: chevron-circle-right” icon_color=”#d70c16″]- Training for the maps test
- Guidance on how to get your health and background check
- Advice on obtaining insurance
- Guidance on how to apply for your private hire licence
These are the perks and pitfalls they claimed came with the job.
Pros
[su_list icon=”icon: chevron-circle-right” icon_color=”#d70c16″]- Getting paid within 2–3 working days of requests with Flex Pay
- You can be your own boss
- No minimum or maximum hours – you work as little or as much as suits you
- Flexible hours which will match around finding out and social life
- Relaxing job if you enjoy driving
- Very sociable job which is nice if you like chatting to people
- Passenger ratings conjointly (in theory) encourage passengers to behave properly in your automobile
- More sanctions for bad riders, which include only being able to cancel (without charge) two minutes after requesting, as well as waiting time charges if a driver is waiting at a pick-up point for longer than two minutes
- Drivers still get paid fully once a traveller uses any free credit they’ve accumulated as it’s coated by Uber. Just as well, as some tricksters are racking up as much as £1,500 in free rides.
Read also: How to Apply for Student Loan for Studies in UK for Indian Students
Cons
[su_list icon=”icon: chevron-circle-right” icon_color=”#d70c16″]- Outgoings are high (Uber take a twenty fifth cut of everything you earn) thus you have to figure a good quantity to create an honest financial gain (especially if you are paying to rent a car)
- It will take a protracted time to induce your non-public rent licence through
- You need to do your own taxes
- Insurance is particularly expensive for young people
- Tipping isn’t common
- No company benefits such as pension, holiday pay, sick leave, etc. You can pay an additional £2/week for IPSE membership, but this only covers you for sickness if you’re unable to work for two weeks or more
- Spotify syncing option (where passengers can control the music in some cars from their own smartphones) can be annoying if you don’t like their music taste, or if they’re drunk and start blasting tunes in your ear!
- Passenger ratings cannot guarantee that they will not get in drunk and throw up in your automobile.
Limits
If you are beneath twenty one, you might be too young to drive Uber taxis, but good news – you can sign up to deliver Uber Eats if you’re 18 or over. As long as you are comfortable with obtaining a small amount of food daily, this opportunity’s ideal for students. Unlike driving Ubers, you don’t necessarily need to drive a car to deliver Uber Eats.
You can also use a scooter/motorbike or bicycle. If you’re hoping to deliver by car or scooter/motorbike, you’ll need a driver’s licence and vehicle insurance (including cover for food deliveries). By bicycle, you’ll need a driver’s licence or National ID.
There are some really similar pros of delivering Uber Eats with driving Ubers, like the option of Flex Pay – as a deliverer, you can receive payment within 48 hours which is great if you’re hoping to make money quickly.
To get started, you’ll need to register, consent to a safety screening and upload the required documents. Once you’ve been approved as a deliverer, you can log in whenever suits you, start making deliveries and watch your bank balance grow.
Earnings of Uber driver(s) in Sweden
For Sweden drivers, Uber fares work out as base fare of £2.50 + £0.15 per minute + £1.25 per mile. There’s also a minimum fare of £5, meaning any fare that comes in under this value will automatically round up to £5. But it’s worth noting that these rates will differ from city to city.
With Uber, your financial gain relies on what proportion you’re employed – and occasionally once the demand is beyond usual, you’ll earn more. Uber takes a 25% service fee from your fare and you can expect to pay around 20% of your earnings to go towards fuel on top of that.
It’s worth clarifying as well that as you’d be working for yourself, you wouldn’t be protected by any minimum wage law.
It’s up to you to make sure you pick up enough passengers to keep your income safely above minimum wage (or living wage if you’re 25 years or older). As you’re self-employed when working with Uber, you’d have to set aside your own 20% income tax and declare it in a self-assessment tax return in April each year.
How to create extra money as an Uber driver
Many Uber drivers say they’re going to work as few as ten hours per week but note that you will have to work a fair bit more than that for the money to be worthwhile. According to one driver we spoke to, splashing out the extra cash for a flashier car – qualifying you as an Uber Exec driver – is worth it in the long run.
Earnings of Uber Eats deliverers
[su_list icon=”icon: chevron-circle-right” icon_color=”#d70c16″]- Task Payment
- Picking up order £2.10
- Dropping off order £1.10
- Distance travelled for delivery £1.60 (per mile)
It might not look like a lot of money per task, but the minimum you’ll be paid per delivery (before Uber’s service fee) is £4 which can quickly add up if you accept enough orders.
The service fee varies depending on the mode of transport you use:
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[su_list icon=”icon: chevron-circle-right” icon_color=”#d70c16″]- Bicycle – 30%
- Scooter – 25%
- Car – 25%
Becoming an Uber driver in Sweden could be a nice choice for a part-time job for college students. From what we can see (and from what we’ve heard from drivers) if you don’t already have a suitable car, it’s worth thinking about whether this is the right option for you.
The extra expense of obtaining your own wheels as a driver suggests that you may find yourself in debt few years of it slow at Uber driving simply to pay off your car!
