In 2019 a German court declared the Uber app illegal because it bypassed registered and regulated taxi companies. Uber was also banned or restricted around the same time in London, Barcelona, and some other European cities. Uber now manages to operate in Germany and the EU only as a regulated taxi service.

Uber's presence in Germany has been a decade-long saga of legal battles and business model pivots. Historically, German courts banned Uber's original "UberPop" service (which used unlicensed private drivers) because it violated strict passenger transport laws that require drivers to hold professional commercial licenses. In response, Uber shifted to its current model, where it acts as a broker for licensed rental car companies and their professional drivers. However, even this model has faced challenges; in early 2026, courts in cities like Frankfurt have continued to scrutinize Uber’s relationship with these firms, occasionally ruling that the lack of a "return to base" rule—where cars must return to their head office after each trip—violates fair competition laws. Despite these hurdles, Uber remains operational in major cities like Berlin, Munich, and Hamburg by partnering with local taxi firms through "Uber Taxi," effectively integrating into the traditional transport system rather than replacing it.