Licensing of travel agent‘s activities

Travel agent – a natural or legal person who is not a tour operator but sells or offers to purchase an organised travel (equivalent of the “organised travelling” in the Directive (EU) 2015/2302 is “package travel”) concluded by a tour operator. Equivalent of “travel agent” in the Directive (EU) 2015/2302 is “travel retailer”.  

I.  Issue of a travel agent‘s license

Pursuant to Article 18 (2) of the Law on Tourism of the Republic of Lithuania (hereinafter: the “Law on Tourism”), a travel agent (legal or natural person) wishing to provide travel services and obtain a travel agent’s license must provide:

• Travel agent’s declaration approved by the State Consumer Rights Protection Authority (hereinafter: the “Authority”).
• Annual profit (loss) report and balance sheet (for legal entity). If the annual financial report of the legal entity for the last previous year has been submitted to the Register of Legal Entities (hereinafter: the “Register”), they may not be additionally submitted to the Authority. In such a case, the Authority shall take necessary financial reports from the Register. If the legal entity is newly registered, the opening balance sheet shall be provided.

The issue of a license is free of charge.

The abovementioned documents shall be submitted (optionally):

• by e-mail –  prieziura@vvtat.lt.
• in person - Vilnius, Vilniaus g. 25, 308 kab;
• by post to:

Valstybinės vartotojų teisių apsaugos tarnybos

Turizmo rinkos priežiūros skyriui

Vilniaus g. 25, LT-01402 Vilnius

LITHUANIA

Note:

• The travel agent may carry out its working 1 day after the declaration was submitted to the Authority or on the date indicated in the declaration, if the date is following after the day on which the declaration is submitted. A natural person must have a certificate of individual activity when carrying out the activities of a travel agent.
• Those who hold a tour operator’s certificate are not required to have a travel agent’s license but must declare the travel agent’s activity as part of a report.
• After the Law on Tourism came into effect on 8 May 2014 certificates issued to travel agencies and travel retailers are considered repealed since 1 November 2014.
• Within 1 working day of receipt of the documents submitted to the Authority, the Authority sends a confirmation that the documents have been received and registered, and, where appropriate, that the information submitted needs to be corrected.
• The declaration is examined only after the receipt of all proper documents and information and if equity capital is not less than ½ of the authorised capital (for public limited liability companies and private limited liability companies) and property liabilities do not exceed the total assets of the legal entity (for other legal forms of a legal person).
• The license is granted for an unlimited period of time (no paper document) in website licencijavimas.lt and Authority’s website.
• If the Authority decides not to issue a licence, the subject is informed about the decision in 1 working day after the decision is made.

Travel agents who have a licence for their activities after the end of the calendar year, but not later than 90 working days from the last day of the calendar year, shall submit to the Authority an annual report according to the rules approved by the Authority. (Form for legal entities; form for natural persons).

II. Revocation of Travel agent’s license

The Authority on the next working day from the moment of the following circumstances occur, terminates the travel agent’s right to provide services when:

• the travel agent, a legal person, fails to comply with the Authority’s obligation within 3 months to restore the equity capital ratio in accordance with the requirements of article 18 (3) (4) of the Law on Tourism;
• the travel retailer does not submit the report referred to in article 18 (3) (3) of the Law on Tourism within the additional period of 10 working days specified by the Authority.

The Authority informs the travel agent in writing on the next working day after the decision about the revocation of the travel agent’s right to provide travel services is made.

Information is provided by Sigita Rasimavičienė, Chief specialist, Tourism Market Surveillance Unit, e-mail sigita.rasimaviciene@vvtat.lt  or prieziura@vvtat.lt