Tour Guide ID Card
What is an ETOA Tour Guide ID?
ETOA Tour Guide IDs are ONLY available to tour guides who are contracted to full ETOA members. These cards have been used by thousands of guides across Europe and are increasingly becoming a ‘must have’ item for tour guides and tour operators alike.
We offer a Digital Tour Guide ID as standard with the option to also purchase a physical card. These cards offer enhanced facial recognition software to validate the identity of the card holder along with significantly enhanced card delivery and management options through our digital service. Digital cards are available within 24 hours of purchase on most mobile devices.
Tour Guide ID card Benefits
“For me as a Tour Director being an ETOA Member is essential: Free entrance* to museums and major sights all over Europe, charge-free legal assistance in Italy in tour guiding related cases and most of all the membership card is the most prestigious business card in the tourist industry.”
“A great service from ETOA. Our tour leaders love the peace of mind in being able to demonstrate when out and about with their groups that they’re a recognised travel professional – free entry to a lot of sites on the itinerary is a bonus.”
“Having the ETOA card can be very useful as it gives you a professional status and of course gets you into sites for free* when you accompany local guides on city visits.”
“With the physical card, we feel safer and more confident as it is much easier to identify ourselves and gives us the opportunity to visit certain places such as museums, that allow us to have greater knowledge.”
What does it cost?
A Digital Tour Guide ID card costs EUR 80- and can be saved straight to your phone or portable device. You can also purchase a physical card for an additional EUR 25-.
Physical cards will be despatched within 7 days of purchase to the registered office of the ETOA member for which the guide works unless alternative arrangements have been agreed between ETOA and the ETOA member.
Significant discounts are available for tour operators ordering more than 50 cards for their tour guides. Please contact tourguide@etoa.org for more information.
All cards are valid through to 31 March 2025 and are only available to guides working for ETOA full members.
How does it work?
Applying for a card is quick and easy. Tour guides working for paid-up ETOA members can apply for their ETOA Tour Guide ID card by following this link.
We have introduced photo ID verification to improve the security of the card. This means you will also be asked to upload a government approved photo ID document to confirm your identity along with a photo to our secure Tour Guide ID portal.
You will also need to confirm the ETOA member you are working for in 2024 and we will verify your status with them.
Once we have all your information, you will then be asked to pay for your Tour Guide ID Card on the ETOA website. Delivery of your digital card to your mobile device will be completed within 24 hours of payment, and often much faster. Physical Tour Guide ID cards will be mailed to your nominated ETOA member.
If you work for an ETOA member and would like to order one or more Tour Guide ID cards on behalf of your tour guides, then please contact tourguide@etoa.org and we will be pleased to help you process your application(s).
Frequently Asked Questions
You can only apply for our Tour Guide ID card if the company you work for is a paid-up ETOA member. You can check if the company is a member here. If the company you work for is a paid-up ETOA member but does not appear on the list in the application form, please contact tourguide@etoa.org.
You can apply if you provide your services for a company who is a paid-up ETOA member. Remember, if you order a physical card it will be sent directly to their office.
Yes, you can apply if you are providing services for a paid-up ETOA member. ETOA’s definition of a Tour Guide is that they may work with the same group over a period of days on a closed-circuit tour or/and on a specialist walking tour. Note that the ETOA Tour Guide ID card is NOT evidence of a qualification, thus it is neither a licence nor a certificate. It does not affect the holder’s rights to provide services. If you are providing services in countries where guiding is regulated, you will need to comply with the local regulation.
Your digital card will generally be delivered to your chosen mobile device within 24 hours of approval, often much faster.
If you have opted to also receive a physical card then we aim to post the card via Royal Mail within 14 days from order date. Depending on the delivery country, the card may be held up in customs or delayed due to local service, which is out of our control. Cards are sent directly to the company address.
Unfortunately, it is not possible to send Tour Guide ID cards to your personal address unless specifically authorised by your tour operator. The address the card will be sent to appears in the field below the Tour Operator name in the application form when the Tour Operator is chosen. If you believe this address is incorrect, please contact tourguide@etoa.org before you apply for the card.
The Tour Guide ID cards are charged in EURO currency. Unfortunately, the invoice cannot be changed to other currencies.
If you have received the card and the information provided in the application form was incorrect, ETOA serves the right to charge an additional €15 +VAT fee to re-issue the card. If the error was made by ETOA, we apologise and will fast-track a new digital and/or physical card free of charge.
It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that all information provided in the application form is correct. If you think you may have made a mistake on the form, please contact tourguide@etoa.org as soon as possible.
Your digital tour guide ID can be downloaded to a new device in the same way as your original digital tour guide ID and using the same login credentials.
If you have lost your physical Tour Guide ID card valid for the current season, please contact tourguide@etoa.org. You will need to provide your full name and date of birth and we will reprint the card for a fee of €15+VAT. Please note that we are only able to process the reprint when the invoice has been paid in full.
Yes, it is. If you work for a paid-up ETOA member and would like to apply for more than 10 cards, please contact tourguide@etoa.org. Significant discounts are available for tour operators ordering more than 50 cards.
Terms & Conditions
- Cards are only available to tour guides contracted by a paid-up ETOA member for the year in which the card is being applied for;
- The ETOA ID card is neither a licence nor proof of qualification and should not be represented as such;
- ETOA reserves the right to refuse applications at its sole discretion;
- ETOA reserves the right to cancel Tour Guide ID cards in the event of misuse.
Access to legal support in Italy
*This benefit is only applicable if the Tour Guide is based in EU, outside of Italy.
The local law enforcement authorities (Polizia, Guardia di Finanza, Carabinieri, Polizia Municipale, Polizia Provinciale) may approach and check if Tour Guides have the correct documentation to lead groups.
To avoid a fine the EU Tour Guide must be able to provide documentary evidence that the Dichiarazione Preventiva has been sent within the said timeframe.
In case the Tour Guide receives a fine despite having sent the Dichiarazione Preventiva, the Tour Guide can oppose it within 30 days (counting from the day the fine has been inflicted/notified). The fine can only be opposed if it has not been paid.
If the Tour Guide receives a fine, the below steps should be followed:
- The law enforcement authorities must release a copy of the fine to the Tour Guide, otherwise it will be impossible to oppose it.
- The Tour Guide must immediately send their Tour Operator a readable copy of the fine along with a short report, which should include whether the Tour Guide did send the Dichiarazione Preventiva or not.
- Within 48 hours following the fine, the Tour Operator should send a legible copy of the document received by the Italian authorities to ETOA. This will enable ETOA and our local Italian legal partners to assist in opposing the fine. Please, use the e-mail address tourguide@etoa.org.
*Discounted or free access. The card can give you free or discounted access to a range of museums, attractions and other tourism suppliers across Europe. While there are no formal agreements, experience shows that many individuals have found the card useful in this respect.