How Can Foreigners Acquire TÜRSAB A-Level Travel Agency Certificate?

What is travel agency certificate, why is it required?

Some business fields in Turkey are subject to special authorization, one of them is travel agencies. Travel Agency Operation Certificate, in order to operate travel agency activity, it is an official document issued by the Republic of Turkey Ministry of Culture and Tourism for commercial organizations.

The companies which will operate holiday, tour, organization and health tourism activities have to acquire TÜRSAB A-Level Travel Agency Certificate firstly.

How to request a Travel Agency Title?

Following the establishment of the company, the following documents have to be prepared in the Travel Agency Title Request (for newly-established travel agencies) section on the Ministry of Culture and Tourism web page.

• Application petition,

(Because of the registration in the ministry system, the land telephone, e-mail address and web page written in the petition must belong to the agency and be active)

• Trade registry gazette,
• Title Preference List (There should be more than one title in order of preference. Before determining the agency titles, detailed research should be completed by travel agency search section on the ministry’s web page. Agency titles that are active and closed or canceled are not accepted, even the word of the designated title should not be the same..)

Application is made to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism by post. If the agency title is deemed appropriate, you will receive a reply letter by the ministry with a mail notification document within maximum 15 days.

How is the TÜRSAB Application Process ? 

Within 30 days from the notification that the agency title has been deemed appropriate by the Ministry; 

For A-Level Travel Agency Certificate, a security deposit of 7,000 TL is required to be deposited into the account of the Central Accounting Directorate of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

Things to be considered;

• Payment must only be made from the company account. (Cash deposit payments from personal accounts are not accepted.)
•  The receipt must be stamped and signed by the relevant bank.
• In the explanation part, official company title must be written completely.

(For each branch where the security deposit amount will be established, 25% of the amount must be paid)

Application can be made to TÜRSAB by mail or hand delivery with the following documents on the TÜRSAB web page.

If the application is made directly to the institution,

• Company executive
• Person authorized by power of attorney
• Agency staff working under insurance,

can made the application.

Required Documents;

1) Application petition

2) The original of the declaration stating the date and number of the Trade Registry Gazette, which contains the articles of association of the applicant legal entity, which includes tourism or travel agency activity. (Attached on the page as EK4)

3) The original or certified copy of the Trade Registry Certificate regarding the latest situation in which the authorized person or persons to represent are also specified.

4) Recognizance regarding the title of agency  (Name, seal and signature), (Attached on the page as EK1)

5) Company Officer Criminal record certificate declaration form and its attachment criminal record certificate (Attached on the page as EK1)

6) Original or certified copy of the authorized person or persons to represent the legal entity.

7) It is obligatory to employ at least one personnel with one of the following qualifications in the travel agency headquarters and branches, and the valid documents are listed as following.

• To certify that staff has completed vocational high school, associate degree or undergraduate education on hotel management and tourism, or
• To certify that the information officer has a foreign language achievement certificate, or
• To certify that he has the guide document issued by the Ministry, 
• Among the documents related to the personnel who will work in travel agencies, the original of the information officer foreign language certificate of achievement and the original or certified copy of the other documents are submitted to TÜRSAB and archived. In the event that the original of the documents whose certified copy is requested to be submitted, the photocopy of the document is confirmed by writing the name and title by the relevant officer after controlling the conformity with the original.
• Statement regarding the staff to be employed (Attached on the page as EK3)
• Monthly premium and service document or SGK state of employment

8) Applicant Legal Entity Information Form

9) Wet stamp and signed bank receipt on the payment of the security deposit amount

10) Certificate of Activity

11) Tax Certificate

Following the complete delivery of the documents to Türsab, inspection is made within a maximum of 10-15 days.

Before visiting for inspection, the Agency organization information form sent by TÜRSAB to the company e-mail address, and it must be filled and sent back to TÜRSAB via e-mail.

Things to consider during inspection;

• The company must have a declared land phone number. (It’s controlled during inspection)
• It is strictly forbidden to have another company at the same address where the agency is located.
• You must have a KEP address (as both receiver and sender),if you don’t have it, you should create it before inspection.
• A signboard must be completed before the inspection, if not, a sticker plexi sign slightly larger than A4 can be made temporarily.
• If your agency is in an office block or a business center, its name must be included in the main entrance of the business center, as well as the sign on the door.
• If the windows are clad and advertised, the agency title must also be printed.
• Information on the web page, e-mail and the number of square meters of the office should be communicated to the relevant person coming for inspection.

After inspection process, the companies which found adequate for certification, they will be listed as a TÜRSAB member for A-Class with paying 74.714,63 TL registration fee in 2021.

The file approved by TÜRSAB is sent to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. If the file, which is taken under a detailed examination by the Ministry, is not failing, it is sent to the provincial directorate of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism within 15-20 days after the approval of the authority. The document can be received upon informing the company official by e-mail and telephone.

Before receiving the document, the original bank receipt showing that the document fee of 900.00 TL has been deposited into the bank account of the Circulating Fund Central Directorate (DÖSİM) at the Ziraat Bank Ankara Public Corporate Branch must be taken.

EFT transaction is not accepted.

The travel agency document number and travel agency title must be written on the receipt statement.

If you want to make the payment from the company account, you must receive a wet stamp and signed receipt from the bank.

The required documents while going for receiving the certificate;

• Document Fee payment receipt original
• If the person who goes to receive the document is a company representative, a copy of the signature circular, if another person is to be assigned, a letter or power of attorney on a letterhead stating that this person is authorized to receive the document.
• Photocopy of the Trade Registry Gazette
• Tax Certificate
• Photocopy of signature circular