How Long Does It Take to Become an Uber Driver? – An Uber driver is their own boss. They work not just whenever but also wherever they want to. They work on their own terms and schedules. It shouldn’t be a surprise if many are interested to become an Uber driver these days.
Are you interested in becoming one? If you are, we can help. Here we will tell you how to become a driver, including answering the question of how long does it take to become an Uber driver.
Becoming an Uber driver
The application to be an Uber driver is quite simple and straightforward. The process can be divided into three steps: submitting personal documents online, getting the car inspected, and passing the background check.
We will get into the details for each step below.
Submitting personal document online
The first step is to submit your personal document online. Uber has to know the background of the applicants and does a background check.
What kind of documents need to be submitted?
The following are the documents you need to submit to apply:
- Your personal information
- Vehicle’s information and its pictures (front and rear bumpers and interior)
- The car’s registration
- Your driver’s license and insurance.
Make sure you do this correctly by following the rule of uploading documents from the Uber site.
Getting the car inspected
The next step is to get the car inspected. This is to ensure that the car is in good condition and normal working order.
There are two ways you can have your car inspected: have it inspected in Uber’s inspection station or have it inspected in a third-party inspection station. Either way, inspection is a must.
Uber has a station for car inspection in many cities. If you want to be an Uber driver, you might want to check if there is any station in your local area.
Inspection in an Uber’s station is free of charge. Sometimes, you even get a bonus or two from Uber too. So it is the best option of the two.
If there isn’t any Uber station in your local area, you can have your car inspected by a third-party station. The inspection is quite simple and shouldn’t take long. The downside is that you have to pay for it and there won’t be any bonus from Uber.
Passing the background check
The third and final step is to pass the background check. After you submit your personal document and have the car inspected, now you have to wait for Uber to process them.
You might wonder what kind of details Uber checks. Uber checks if in the past 7 years you have had the following:
- Criminal history
- Driving without license or insurance
- Driving under the influence or other drug-related offenses
- A record of reckless driving or fatal accidents
If you don’t have any of these and submit your personal documents and the car is in good condition, you are very likely to pass the background check.
How Long Does It Take to Become an Uber Driver?
Alright, so how long does it take to become an Uber driver? According to Uber, the activation process, in general, takes about 1-7 days. There are two steps of the activation process: personal document verification and security verification.
1. Personal document verification
The first step is personal document verification, which takes between 1 – 3 business days.
2. Security verification
The second step is security verification. This is the most time-consuming process, usually takes about 7 days. In some cases, it takes longer but you will receive notification from Uber via phone or email if this happens.
When both of these are verified, you will then be able to drive for Uber. To help make the process quicker, make sure that you meet all the requirements and all required documents that you send are valid and up to date.