Travel Agent Licence

Under Section 4 of the Travel Agents Act 1975, a person carries on the business of a travel agent if the person carries on, or advertises or holds himself out as carrying on, a business of any of the following activities:

1. Supplying any person a right to travel on any conveyance

2. Supplying any person a right to travel on any conveyance to, and a right of accommodation at a hotel or similar boarding premises at one or more places, whether in Singapore or elsewhere

3. Purchasing or reserving for resale to a person a right to travel on any conveyance

4. Supplying any tour (whether or not organised by the person) to any other person

5. Such other similar activity as may be prescribed

The term ‘supply’, in relation to a travel product, includes the sale, or arranging for the provision, of the travel product.

This regulation applies only to transactions conducted within Singapore. For instance, an overseas travel agent arranging and selling a package outside Singapore, with payment made abroad, does not need a Travel Agent Licence, even if the package involves travel to or from Singapore.

A person does not require a Travel Agent Licence in the following scenarios:

Exempted entities include:

• Government and statutory boards

• Institutions of a Public Charter (IPC)

These examples are illustrative, not exhaustive. If you're unsure about needing a Travel Agent Licence, please seek independent legal advice. Operating as a Travel Agent without a valid licence is an offence under the Travel Agents Act 1975.

The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) offers two (2) types of travel agent licences.

Niche Licence
Travel agents who intend to sell, arrange or advertise only tours within Singapore, that provide conveyance to participants but without any right of accommodation.

General Licence
Travel agents conducting any other activity beyond what is described in the scope of a Niche Licence.

Eligibility
The applicant and all relevant individuals of the applicant must be suitable persons to be involved in the management or operation of the business of a travel agent.

Relevant individual refers to:

1. The applicant, in the case of sole proprietorships;

2. A partner, in the case of partnerships;

3. A member of the governing body of the unincorporated association (e.g. a member of the executive committee), in the case of an unincorporated association; and

4. Any director or officer holding a managerial or executive position (e.g. General Manager or Managing Director), in the case of a company, limited liability partnership or other body corporate.

Requirements

1. Register the business with the Accounting & Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA) to conduct the travel agent business.

2. A registered travel agent business must have a minimum paid-up capital of S$50,000 (for Niche Licences) or S$100,000 (for General Licences) and a net value of the same amount.

3. Set up an email address specifically for the operation of your travel agent business.

4. All applicants must nominate a suitable person as the Key Executive, who is responsible for the administration and operations of the travel agent. They should preferably be a director of the business and/or have managerial experience in the travel business.

5. Specify an operating address to be used for the conduct of the travel agent business.

Steps

• Application must be made online via the Travel Agents and Tourist Guides Licensing System (TRUST).

• Please click here for a step-by-step user guide

Fees and Processing
An application fee of S$200 is to be paid to the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) when submitting the online application.

A licence fee of S$400 is to be paid to STB upon approval of the online application. Your licence will be electronically issued and the travel agent details will be listed on the Travel Agent Directory of TRUST.

The processing takes up to 10 working days upon successful submission of all required documents and completed information via the TRUST website.

• Travel Agents Act 1975

• Travel Agents Regulations 2017