When looking for a Frankfurt Airport pickup you will often see “Korean driver”, “locally based driver” or “licensed driver”. In Germany, however, a driver’s qualifications alone do not make paid passenger transport lawful. This page explains what to check and how LEEMOUSINE operates.
Being allowed to drive and being allowed to carry passengers in a properly registered commercial vehicle are two entirely different questions.
Professional competence of the operator
A vehicle lawfully used for paid passenger transport
Qualifications of the actual driver
A real business location in Germany
CHECK
A paid passenger service in Germany is not legal simply because the driver is qualified. Under the Personenbeförderungsgesetz (PBefG), an operator transporting passengers for hire must hold a permit for the specific form of transport — for Mietwagen (rental with driver), that permit also covers the specific vehicles actually used.
Even if the driver holds all required qualifications, that alone is not sufficient. A proper Mietwagen business requires a permit for the operation and the form of transport, and the vehicles put into service must be registered on that permit. Under PBefG §17, the permit document (Genehmigungsurkunde) for occasional passenger transport by car lists the official plates of the vehicles used. If a vehicle is replaced, the operator must file the change with the authority.
Being allowed to drive and being allowed to carry passengers in a properly registered commercial vehicle are two entirely different questions.
Source: Gesetze im Internet ↗CHECK
The vehicle side is especially important
Simply owning a private car does not allow it to be used for paid airport pickups. The BOKraft sets separate equipment and condition standards for passenger vehicles and requires a special inspection before first commercial use.
No
The driver has a license.
What is required
The car you ride in is an approved commercial vehicle.
Driver qualification and vehicle approval are separate checks.
CHECK
It is not enough that the company has “one qualified driver” — the person who actually drives you must meet the passenger-transport requirements.
A proper service checks each of:
Competence
Approved vehicle
Driver qualification
CHECK
“EU-registered company” alone does not make a German passenger-transport operator — not even with entities in Hungary, Czechia or Poland.
Simply having a company or being registered as a travel agency does not allow paid passenger transport. A proper Mietwagen service must at least have:
A Korean driver can be a comfort advantage — but nationality is not the standard for safety and legality.
Source: Gesetze im Internet ↗“The driver has a licence.”
“We are a German company.”
“We are registered as a travel agency.”
“We have driven here for years.”
More concrete criteria are needed.
A Korean driver can be a comfort advantage — but nationality is not the standard for safety and legality.
Is this vehicle registered on a German PBefG Mietwagen permit?
The following statements alone cannot confirm that the vehicle is lawfully used for paid passenger transport:
Professional competence of the person responsible
A lawful commercial vehicle for your actual ride
Passenger-transport qualification of the actual driver
A real base in Germany
Leemousine aims to be a Frankfurt airport car service that shows this difference transparently.
Leemousine is a Frankfurt-based mobility service operated locally and directly by Lidn GmbH. We do not use “Korean driver” as our only safety argument. Our baseline is German passenger-transport regulation: operator, vehicle, insurance and operation.
The operator is clear from the start
We publish the service provider and company details transparently.
Vehicles held to official commercial standards
A German Mietwagen permit is not an attribute of the driver alone. The vehicle actually used must be registered on the operator's permit, and the permit document records its plate. Leemousine operates its service vehicles in line with the permit and inspection requirements.
Clearly distinct from a private car pickup
Carrying customers in a private car and collecting “pickup fees”, “guide fees” or “vehicle fees” does not remove the transport rules. The PBefG in principle governs paid or commercial car passenger transport.
Insurance and vehicle care to commercial standards
From the moment a customer boards, it is commercial passenger transport, not a private trip. Leemousine therefore runs permits, inspections, insurance and regular maintenance to commercial-vehicle standards.
Price confirmed before booking
Price and terms are clarified before the ride, so there are no unexpected charges at pickup.
Korean-language service from start to finish
From your arrival at Frankfurt Airport to hotels, homes, business trips and long distances across Germany — inquire and book comfortably in Korean.
Competence
Lawful vehicle
Driver qualification
German base
A Korean driver can be a comfort advantage — but nationality is not the standard for safety and legality.
These four matter more.
Leemousine aims to be a Frankfurt airport car service that shows this difference transparently.
Price and terms are clarified clearly before booking.
Source: Gesetze im Internet — PBefG §17, BOKraft