IATA accreditation lets an agency ticket flights on its own code. It is not a licence to trade, and plenty of good agencies never get it. Below are the accreditation models, the official IATA fees, the bank guarantee each country asks for, a printable requirements checklist and a way to check the IATA code of any agency.
Quick answer: IATA accreditation lets a travel agency issue airline tickets under its own IATA code and settle with airlines through the IATA Billing and Settlement Plan (BSP). You need it only if you want to ticket flights yourself. You don't need it to sell hotels, transfers, tours or activities, and a new agency can sell flights without it through a consolidator. The IATA fees themselves are fixed in Swiss francs: CHF 250 to apply for GoLite or CHF 1,500 for GoStandard, plus an annual fee from CHF 200. The bigger cost is the financial security, usually a bank guarantee, that GoStandard needs. It is set country by country: at least USD 10,000 in India, BDT 3,000,000 in Bangladesh and PKR 10 million for a new agent in Pakistan.
IATA accreditation is a place on the International Air Transport Association's Agency List. It lets you sell tickets for the airlines in the BSP and settle with all of them in one place. You get an IATA numeric code, sign a single Passenger Sales Agency Agreement and get access to BSPlink, the online system for your BSP billings.
People search for an "IATA license", but IATA does not license anyone to trade. Your licence comes from your own government. IATA rules (Resolution 812, section 2.2.2) require you to hold whatever registration or travel licence local law demands before you apply. Accreditation sits on top of that. Our travel agency licence guide covers the government side.
Agencies based in the USA follow a different route: accreditation there runs through IATAN, the US division of IATA.
The IATA agency programme, called NewGen ISS, gives you three main accreditation models. The real difference is how you pay airlines. GoLite agents pay as they go. GoStandard agents get a cash facility: they issue now and remit later, which is why IATA wants a guarantee from them.
| Model | Name in IATA rules | How you pay airlines | Financial security | Application and registration fee | Annual fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GoLite | Standard Accreditation with no Cash Facility | IATA EasyPay (a pre-funded e-wallet) and customer cards | None at the start. IATA can ask for one if amounts owed on debit memos (ADMs) and similar adjustments reach USD 5,000 in your busiest quarter | CHF 250 | CHF 200, 350 or 500 |
| GoStandard | Standard Accreditation with Cash Facility | All BSP methods, including cash (billed and remitted later) | Required, set by the Local Financial Criteria for your country and held for at least the first two years | CHF 1,500 | CHF 200, 350 or 500 |
| GoGlobal | Multi-Country Accreditation | All methods, across several countries under one head office | Required, one guarantee for all locations | CHF 2,500 | CHF 48,000 |
| TIDS | Travel Industry Designator Service (an identifier, not accreditation) | Cannot issue tickets through the BSP | None | Free | Free, with a yearly revalidation |
Checked November 2026. Sources: IATA Resolution 812, Attachment H (Edition 46, Update 1, 1 January 2026); IATA Travel Agent Accreditation brochure (fees valid as of February 2025); IATA TIDS FAQ. Annual fee bands: up to USD 200,000, USD 200,001 to 2,000,000, and over USD 2,000,000 of gross annual BSP sales.
A fourth model, GoEurozone, covers agencies with offices in several euro-zone countries. It won't matter to most readers of this page.
GoLite, in most cases. It's what agents often call "IATA Lite": the cheapest way in, with no guarantee to post on day one. The IATA accreditation brochure says agents can change model at any time, so you can move to GoStandard later.
The catch is cash flow. Every EasyPay ticket needs money in the wallet before you issue it, so you're pre-funding airline sales instead of being billed for them. If you sell corporate travel on account, that gets uncomfortable fast.
Each country has its own IATA checklist, but Resolution 812 sets the core, and it looks much the same everywhere. These are the items on the India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, UAE and Philippines checklists as we read them in November 2026.
IATA accreditation requirements checklist (GoLite and GoStandard)
The IATA fees are modest and identical worldwide. The bank guarantee isn't, and for GoStandard it's usually most of the money.
| Fee | GoLite | GoStandard | GoGlobal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Application fee, head office | CHF 150 | CHF 1,000 | CHF 1,500 |
| Registration fee, head office | CHF 100 | CHF 500 | CHF 1,000 |
| First annual fee, paid with the application | CHF 200 | CHF 200 | CHF 48,000 |
| Total due at application | CHF 450 | CHF 1,700 | CHF 50,500 |
| Annual fee from year two (by BSP sales) | CHF 200 / 350 / 500 | CHF 200 / 350 / 500 | CHF 48,000 |
| Each branch (associate entity), on joining | CHF 250 | CHF 500 | CHF 500 |
| Each branch per year (first 10 branches) | CHF 100 | CHF 100 | CHF 100 |
Checked November 2026. Source: IATA Resolution 812, section 14 and Attachment H (Edition 46, Update 1, 1 January 2026). A Travel Agency Commissioner fee is added where applicable; the published table does not give that amount.
Fees are set in Swiss francs and invoiced in your local collection currency. If IATA rejects the application, it keeps the application fee and refunds the registration, annual and Commissioner fees.
GoStandard and GoGlobal agents must lodge a financial security, normally a bank guarantee or an insurance bond, for at least their first two years. The amount comes from the Local Financial Criteria for your market, published in section 3 of the IATA Travel Agent's Handbook. If it does not reach IATA within 40 days of approval, your cash facility is restricted and the accreditation converts to GoLite.
GoLite agents don't post one at the start.
| Market | Minimum financial security for a new GoStandard agent | Criteria in force since |
|---|---|---|
| India | USD 10,000, or an amount matching the agency's Remittance Holding Capacity. GoLite: none unless the amount at risk exceeds USD 5,000 | 1 May 2022 |
| Pakistan | PKR 10 million while accredited for under 12 months; then PKR 7,000,000 or a sales-based amount, whichever is higher | 1 September 2023 |
| Bangladesh | BDT 3,000,000, or a sales-based amount, whichever is higher | 1 December 2019 |
| United Arab Emirates | Days' sales at risk on estimated annual sales, minimum USD 100,000 or the local equivalent | 1 May 2019 |
| Philippines | PHP 2.0 million | 1 September 2024 |
Checked November 2026. Source: IATA Travel Agent's Handbook, Edition 46 (effective 1 July 2026), Section 3, Local Financial Criteria. The IATA online country checklists add that the exact level is confirmed after your documents are reviewed.
Budget for these as well. We haven't put numbers on them because they vary by provider and city.
The guarantee is the one that hurts. Our startup cost calculator shows how a guarantee changes the cash you need before you open. Expect the bank to want collateral or a cash margin behind it, which means money you can't use for anything else while you stay accredited.
IATA does not publish one end-to-end time. Resolution 812 does set deadlines for each IATA step, and they add up to roughly eight weeks at most once your file is complete. Getting the file complete is usually the slow part.
Plan the slow items first. Ticketing certificates must be issued or endorsed within six months of submission, audited accounts take as long as your auditor takes, and a bank guarantee can take weeks. If IATA rejects the application, you can ask it to reconsider within 30 calendar days.
A TIDS code is much quicker: IATA processes a complete application in 3 to 5 business days.
These notes come from the IATA checklist for each country and the Handbook. Both change, so open the IATA Accreditation Country Checklists page for your market before you file.
The India checklist (AMS-CHECKLIST-0167) has no national travel licence item. It asks for a GST REG-06 certificate and one trade registration, such as a Shop and Establishment certificate, a professional tax registration or a Udyog Aadhaar certificate. Two ticketing-certified staff and a GDS letter of appointment are mandatory. GoStandard applicants add audited accounts no more than 12 months old.
The Indian financial criteria ask for a security of USD 10,000 or one matching the Remittance Holding Capacity of the agency, issued by a scheduled bank or an approved insurer. GoLite agents are exempt until their amount at risk passes USD 5,000. So the realistic IATA license cost in India for a GoStandard start is CHF 1,700 in IATA fees, the guarantee, and your training and audit costs. The business set-up side is in our guide to starting a travel agency in India.
The Pakistan checklist (AMS-CHECKLIST-0157) starts with the travel agent licence from the Department of Tourist Services (DTS), renewed and with more than two months left before expiry when you apply. An NTN certificate is mandatory too.
The Pakistani financial criteria are the most detailed of the five. They set a minimum paid-up capital of PKR 5 million for the head office and PKR 1 million for each branch, and want accounts audited by a chartered accountant. For GoStandard, the financial security is at least PKR 10 million in the first 12 months, as a bank guarantee or an insurance bond. Read our Pakistan travel agency guide for the DTS process.
The Bangladesh checklist (AMS-CHECKLIST-0158) wants a Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism registration certificate and a City Corporation trade licence, both notarised and valid for the current year, plus a TIN certificate.
For GoStandard, the Handbook sets a minimum financial security of BDT 3,000,000, or a higher sales-based amount once you're trading. Add CHF 1,700 in IATA fees plus training and audit, and that's the IATA license cost in Bangladesh for a cash-facility agency. GoLite avoids the guarantee. The licences themselves are covered in our Bangladesh travel agency guide.
The UAE checklist (AMS-CHECKLIST-0217) asks for a licence from the Economic Department and a licence from the tourism authority, each no more than 36 months old, plus the memorandum and articles of association and a PCI DSS attestation. Under the Gulf Area criteria, GoStandard applicants need audited accounts no more than 12 months old, or an audited opening balance sheet if the business is younger than a year.
Those criteria are also the steepest here. New GoStandard applicants post a security based on estimated sales, with a floor of USD 100,000 or the dirham equivalent. See our UAE travel agency guide.
For GoStandard, the Philippine criteria require at least 12 months of trading as a travel agent, paid-up capital of PHP 3.0 million, working capital of PHP 1.2 million, a financial assessment score of 70 or more and a security of at least PHP 2.0 million. The Philippines checklist (AMS-CHECKLIST-0213) also wants your SEC General Information Sheet. Department of Tourism accreditation is a separate, national process, explained in our Philippines guide.
TIDS, the Travel Industry Designator Service, gives a non-accredited agency an IATA/TIDS numeric code, so airlines, hotels and car rental companies can identify its bookings. It has been free since October 2020: no application fee and no annual fee, only a yearly revalidation of your details. What it can't do is let you issue tickets through the BSP.
To apply you'll need your legal and ownership documents, business and tax registration, a bank letter or statement in the name of the company, any government travel licence that applies, the signed TIDS terms and one recommendation letter from an IATA airline, a GDS or a major travel supplier. Each office gets its own code. TIDS isn't offered in the USA, where IATAN runs a non-ticketing programme instead.
A non-IATA travel agency is simply one without accreditation. Most new agencies start this way and sell air through one or more of these:
The trade-off is margin and control. A consolidator keeps part of the commission, sets its own service fees and controls your ticketing deadlines. In return you post no guarantee and pay no IATA fees, which for an agency selling packages is often the better deal for years. Our consolidator vs wholesaler explainer covers those relationships, and the travel agent commission rates guide covers what is left of airline commission and what replaced it.
| IATA-accredited agency | Non-IATA agency | |
|---|---|---|
| Issues airline tickets | On its own IATA code | Through a consolidator or host agency |
| Settles with airlines | Directly, through the BSP | With the consolidator |
| Up-front cost to IATA | From CHF 450, plus any guarantee | None (TIDS is free) |
| Hotels, transfers, tours | Can sell | Can sell |
Use CheckACode, the IATA code checker. The free edition confirms whether a code is valid and shows the agency name and country.
The paid Professional edition adds the address, phone number, approval date and NewGen ISS accreditation model. TIDS codes sit in the same IATA list, so a valid code alone does not prove the agency can issue tickets. And a code issued recently may take up to 30 days to appear in some suppliers' systems.
Worth remembering: a valid code tells you IATA has the agency on its list. It says nothing about whether that agency pays its suppliers on time. Check references before you send client money anywhere.
Everything we sell. DMC Quote is a B2B portal for hotels, airport transfers, attraction tickets, tours and packages, and the IATA number on our registration form is optional. We don't sell flights, so for air you'll still need accreditation or a consolidator.
That split suits most new agencies: flights from a consolidator, ground arrangements at net rates from us. On the portal you'll find 1.5M+ hotels in 190+ countries, transfers at 15+ airports and 10,000+ tours and activities, and the AI package builder turns them into a client quotation with your markup. Registration is free, with no subscription and no minimum volume.
One honest limit. If your clients mostly want flight-only tickets, your margin lives in air, and a hotel and ground portal won't change that.
The registration guide lists the documents by country. Register free →
No. IATA accreditation is optional and is not a licence to trade. You need it only to issue airline tickets on your own code through the BSP. Hotels, transfers, tours and packages can be sold without it, and non-IATA agencies sell flights through consolidators or as sub-agents of an accredited agency.
IATA fees are set in Swiss francs: CHF 450 due at application for GoLite and CHF 1,700 for GoStandard, including the first CHF 200 annual fee. Later annual fees are CHF 200, 350 or 500 depending on BSP sales. GoStandard also needs a financial security set by your country, which is usually the largest cost.
IATA fees are the same as everywhere: CHF 450 for GoLite or CHF 1,700 for GoStandard at application. For GoStandard, the Indian financial criteria add a financial security of USD 10,000 or an amount matching the Remittance Holding Capacity of the agency. GoLite agents are exempt unless their amount at risk exceeds USD 5,000.
On top of the IATA fees of CHF 1,700 for GoStandard, the Bangladesh financial criteria set a minimum financial security of BDT 3,000,000, or a higher sales-based amount. You also need a Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism registration, a trade licence and audited accounts. GoLite costs CHF 450 and has no guarantee at the start.
An IATA agency issues airline tickets on its own code and settles with airlines through the BSP. A non-IATA agency has no accreditation, so it books air through a consolidator or an accredited agency, earns a smaller share of the fare and posts no IATA guarantee. Both can sell hotels, tours and transfers.
TIDS is the Travel Industry Designator Service run by IATA. It gives a non-accredited agency a numeric code that airlines, hotels and other suppliers recognise. It has been free since October 2020, with a yearly revalidation of your details instead of a fee. A TIDS code does not let you issue tickets through the BSP.
Use CheckACode from IATA. Enter a 7 or 8 digit passenger agency code and the free edition shows whether it is valid, with the agency name and country. The paid Professional edition adds the address, approval date and accreditation model. A valid code does not prove the agency is financially sound.
No. The IATA field on our registration form is optional, and you can book hotels, transfers, tours and activities without accreditation. DMC Quote does not sell flights, so IATA only matters for the air side of your business.
DMC Quote (dmcquote.com) is a B2B travel portal run by Travel DMC Group, Singapore. Agencies register free, with or without IATA accreditation, and book ground arrangements at net rates.
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