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9 people

Minibus for 9 people

With nine of you, you are exactly at the limit of licence B: one driver and eight passengers. If nobody wants to drive, compare a minibus with a driver here.

Our advice for 9 people

For nine people a small minibus is the right size. If one of the group drives, choose a minibus with nine seats in total: more seats in the back turns the same minibus into a vehicle that needs licence D1. If a coach company drives, that does not matter and the minibus can easily be a little roomier.

Driving yourself with 9 people?

That is allowed on a normal licence B, if the vehicle can carry no more than 8 passengers and weighs at most 3,500 kg. If one of you drives, there are 8 passengers: exactly what licence B allows. Watch the seats, not the people: a minibus with more seats in the back needs licence D1, even if not every seat is taken.

Which licence for how many passengers?

Bup to 8 passengers, up to 3,500 kgyour group of 9

D1up to 16 passengers, up to 8 metres

Dmore than 16 passengers

The driver does not count. It is about the seats in the vehicle, not about who comes along.

What the Flemish government says about the licence

With licence B you may drive a vehicle of at most 3,500 kg that is suitable for at most 8 passengers, not counting the driver.

Source: Flemish government, Which vehicles may I drive with licence B, read on 16 October 2026.

Licence D1 is for a vehicle with room for at most 16 people, not counting the driver, and at most 8 metres long.
Licence D is for a vehicle with room for more than 16 people, or a bus longer than 8 metres.

Source: Flemish government, Which vehicles may I drive with a licence C and D, read on 16 October 2026.

Without a certificate of professional competence the minimum age is 21 for licence D1 and 24 for licence D.

Source: Flemish government, Minimum age for a licence C or D, read on 16 October 2026.

Anyone who carries out commercial transport with a licence C or D needs the certificate of professional competence (code 95 on the licence).
Non-commercial passenger transport is exempt from that requirement.

Source: Flemish government, Professional competence for licence C and D, read on 16 October 2026.

Which coach suits 9 people?

The seats per type, from minibus to double-decker. The type that suits your group stands out. Click a bar for more about that type.

Which size do you choose for 9 people?

With nine people the question is rarely which type, but who drives. A minibus with eight seats in the back is the size that rental firms offer too. With a driver you have more choice: a minibus with twelve or sixteen seats gives legroom and space for suitcases on the empty seats, and the driver knows where he may stop in a city centre.

Types that fit

Minibus

8–19 people

What does a coach for 9 people cost?

A price without your trip would be a guess for 9 people, so it is not shown here. What you pay mainly depends on four things:

The vehicle. How many seats 9 people need, and what is on board.
The trip. How long the coach is on the road with your 9, how far it drives, and how far the coach company has to travel to reach you.
The day and the time. On a Saturday, a Sunday or public holiday, or at night, our standard rate adds a surcharge.
The month. Our standard rate differs per month: higher in busy months than in quiet ones.

How we work that out is explained on How we calculate.

Compare prices for 9 people

Practical points for 9 people

Nine people with luggage for a weekend fill a small minibus faster than you think. If you are going to an airport or a ski resort, put in your request how many suitcases or ski bags are coming. On a day trip to Antwerp, Ghent or Brussels the low-emission zone counts too: a coach company knows which vehicle may enter.

Low-emission zones and your coach

What to look out for with 9 people

Whoever drives does not drink that day and also drives back after a long day. With a driver the whole group can join in, the dinner at the end included.
A minibus with nine seats is quickly gone at the rental firms in summer and around the school holidays. Ask in good time, also if you go with a driver.
If you set off from different addresses, agree on one pick-up point. A tour past nine front doors costs an hour before you are properly on your way.

Frequently asked questions

Questions about a coach for 9 people

May I drive a minibus for 9 people on my normal licence?

Yes, if the minibus itself has no more than eight passenger seats and weighs at most 3,500 kg. With you included there are then nine of you. If the minibus has more seats in the back, you need licence D1, even if only eight people come along.

Is a minibus with a driver for 9 people more expensive than renting one yourself?

Usually it is, because you pay for the driver and his hours. On the other hand nobody in the group has to drive, and fuel, parking and returning the vehicle are taken care of. Fill in your trip and you see what coach companies charge for exactly your day.

Can a minibus for 9 people go abroad as well?

Yes. Put your destination in your request and the comparison calculates the whole trip, also if it goes to France, the Netherlands or Germany. A minibus you rent yourself may not always cross the border; that is in the rental firm's terms.

What does it cost to hire a coach for 9 people?

That depends on your trip: how far and how long, on which day and at what time, and which vehicle fits 9 people. Fill in your route and date, and within a minute you see what coach companies charge for your trip with 9 people.

Written and checked by Martijn Smeets, founder of BusOffer.com. Last updated on 16 October 2026.

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