How To Become a Licensed Tourist Guide for Albanians and Foreigners

TIRANA, October 20

All those persons, who want to provide services as professional tourist guides, must obtain a two-year certificate that can be renovated. The Albanian government has adopted the criteria for issuing such certificates and the decision will enter into force as soon as it is published in the Official Gazette.
Afterwards, the individuals that exercise this activity will receive the certificate within six months.
According to the above-mentioned criteria, Albanian citizens that will work as professional guides must be over 18 years of age, they must have completed high-school, have a clean criminal record, and he or she must have a document, which confirms that they have successfully completed the training program for qualifying as professional guides.
Meanwhile, the foreign citizens that want to work as tourist guides, besides these criteria must have basic knowledge of the Albanian language. Secondly, they must have stayed legally in Albania not less than a year.
Moreover, a special commission will scrutinize and adopt the requests of individuals that are going to apply for a certificate for no more than 45 days.
Sub-legal acts define that the guide cannot accompany a guide with more than 52 persons and he has to stay with them all the time. The decision also defines how a self-employed guide must register at the National Business Center, pay taxes, etc.
Any category of guides will have a specific curriculum that is going to be a product drafted by several responsible institutions. The new law on tourism recognizes three categories of guides, local, national and those of specific specialities.

News Source: monitor

Photo Credit: DRKK Berat