In this guide · 7 sections
Short answer
Anyone who provides in-person guiding to tourists for payment needs an STB Tourist Guide Licence, valid 3 years (S$72 to apply or renew). Show each guide's licence number, state deposit and cancellation terms before payment, and check if tours with transport need a travel agent licence.
Who needs an STB Tourist Guide Licence
STB's Tourist Guide Licence page says that under the Singapore Tourism Board Act 1963, anyone who provides in-person guiding services to tourists for remuneration requires a valid tourist guide licence. The GoBusiness licence entry adds that this applies to both full-time and part-time guides.
| Item | What STB and GoBusiness say (Oct 2026) |
|---|---|
| Who needs it | Anyone giving in-person guiding services to tourists for payment |
| Eligibility | At least 21 years old and medically fit; pass an ATO screening test |
| Training | Tourist Guide Training Programme, minimum 120 hours, through an Approved Training Organisation |
| Course fees | About S$1,125 to S$1,950 after funding, depending on ATO and eligibility |
| Where to apply | STB's TRUST system, after passing the course assessments |
| Validity and fee | 3 years; application or renewal fee S$72 |
| Renewal conditions | Includes being up to date with MediSave contributions as a self-employed person |
The licence belongs to the individual guide. If your business hires several guides, each one needs their own licence, and your website should make that visible.
Do you also need a travel agent licence?
This is the question tour businesses most often miss. STB's Travel Agent Licence page says local companies or persons in the business of making travel arrangements or conducting tours, in Singapore or abroad, must hold a travel agent licence. The activities it lists focus on supplying travel on a conveyance, such as a coach, van or boat, with or without accommodation.
| Your tours | Tourist Guide Licence | Travel Agent Licence |
|---|---|---|
| You guide on foot, customers make their own way to the meeting point | Yes, for each guide | Check with STB; activities listed centre on conveyance |
| Tours include a coach, van, trishaw or boat you arrange | Yes, for each guide | Likely; STB's niche licence covers tours within Singapore with conveyance |
| You sell packages with hotels or flights | Yes, for each guide | Yes, general licence |
Our guide to travel agency websites and the STB licence explains the niche and general licences, fees and what a licensed agent must show on its website.
Showing licence details on your website
STB's published licence conditions for tourist guides (updated 7 October 2014) say a licensee must carry the licence at all times and wear the official badge supplied by STB whenever acting as a tourist guide. Customers can look up licensed guides in STB's TRUST directory. Make that easy on your site:
Licence details to show
The same conditions say a licensee must not receive commission for bringing tourists to a business. If your site promotes shops or restaurants on a tour, keep those links free of hidden referral payments to guides.
Online bookings and deposits for tours
Tour customers book from their phones, often from overseas and in a different time zone. A booking system that shows real availability and takes payment upfront saves the back-and-forth on WhatsApp and cuts no-shows.
Set tours, times and group sizes
Create each tour with its meeting point, duration, language and maximum group size, so the calendar closes when a slot is full.
Decide full payment or deposit
Small-group walking tours usually take full payment. Private or custom tours often take a deposit with the balance due before the date.
Show the cancellation policy before payment
State refund cut-offs (for example, full refund up to 48 hours before) and what happens in bad weather, on the booking page and in the confirmation email.
Collect only the details you need
Name, email, phone and number of guests. Under the PDPA, do not ask for passport numbers unless a partner genuinely requires them.
Send reminders and meeting instructions
An automatic email or SMS the day before, with a map pin and the guide's name, reduces late arrivals.
Our guide to choosing a booking system in Singapore compares common options and their fees.
Reviews, photos and what not to claim
Tour customers rely heavily on reviews, which makes them tempting to fake. Only publish genuine reviews, link to the platform where they were left, and do not write or buy them. Do not use photos of places or groups you did not actually guide, and get permission before posting photos of identifiable guests.
A good tour website
- Licence numbers and guide names on every tour page
- Clear price, what is included and meeting point
- Cancellation and weather policy shown before payment
- Mobile booking that works in under a minute
Red flags to avoid
- "Licensed" with no licence number
- Stock photos presented as your own tours
- Reviews copied from elsewhere with no source
- Refund terms only revealed after payment
Do it yourself or get help?
A licensed guide can launch a simple site with a booking widget on a website builder. Help is worth it when you run several tours and guides, take deposits, or want tours in more than one language.
IT Sorted is a Singapore-based team of developers with over 10 years of experience. Business Website (S$1,490) builds a fast site with guide profiles and licence details, and Online Booking System (S$390) adds tour calendars, payments or deposits and automatic reminders. Licensing questions go to STB; we do not give legal advice.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, if you guide tourists in person for payment. STB says that under the Singapore Tourism Board Act 1963, anyone who provides in-person guiding services to tourists for remuneration needs a valid Tourist Guide Licence. This applies to both full-time and part-time guides. You must complete an approved training programme and pass the assessments first.
GoBusiness lists the application or renewal fee as S$72, and the licence is valid for 3 years. The Tourist Guide Training Programme costs extra: STB lists course fees of about S$1,125 to S$1,950 after funding, depending on the training organisation and your eligibility for funding, as of October 2026.
It depends on what you sell. STB says businesses making travel arrangements or conducting tours need a travel agent licence, and the activities it lists focus on transport and accommodation. Tours that include a coach, van or boat likely need one. For pure walking tours, describe your business to STB in writing and keep the reply.
It is good practice. Customers and partners can check licensed guides in STB's TRUST directory, and showing each guide's name, licence number and languages makes that easy. If you also hold a travel agent licence, the travel agent rules require your licence number in advertisements.
Yes. Most booking systems let you take full payment or a deposit, with the balance due before the tour. Show the deposit amount, refund cut-offs and bad-weather policy clearly before the customer pays, and repeat them in the confirmation email so there is no dispute later.