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To become an ABTA member, you'll need to be eligible for membership.
The requirements for becoming an ABTA member will depend on whether you act as an agent and/or a principal. So, when you apply to join ABTA, we’ll seek to understand the type of business you are undertaking.
You can enquire about becoming an ABTA member here.
Once we’ve established whether you’re acting as an agent and/or a principal, we’ll consider whether you meet ABTA’s financial criteria. Your latest set of accounts will need to demonstrate:
We’ll also complete a risk assessment. As part of this, ABTA will do a search to verify your identity. This involves checking the details you supply against those held on any databases to which the credit reference agency for the time being instructed by ABTA has access. This includes the Electoral Register and fraud prevention agencies. We may seek verification from other organisations who request the information for reasons of fraud prevention or investigation of crime to protect ourselves and consumers from theft and fraud. If you give us false or inaccurate information and we suspect fraud, we will record this and may share this information with other organisations.
During the application process, we’ll let you know whether you need financial protection as a condition of membership. This will depend on the type of sales you are undertaking, or intend to undertake, as an agent and/or principal. For example, if you sell accommodation only then you won’t need to have any financial protection in place (but you can, if you want to).
We can talk you through this and explain any requirements during the application process. And, if you become an ABTA member, you’ll have a dedicated Financial Protection contact at ABTA to assist you.
The majority of members who require, or choose to put in place, financial protection do so through ABTA bonding.
If you become an ABTA member and provide security to ABTA for financial protection under ABTA’s Pipeline Protection scheme and/or the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018 (PTRs), you’ll be required to pay an annual contribution towards the cost of ABTA Limited’s bond replacement and bond shortfall insurance policy. This contribution forms part of the security that you provide to ABTA, under the Articles of Association and ABTA’s Membership Rules.
The policy is in place so that, if a member that provides financial protection through ABTA financially fails, and their security arrangements (e.g. bond) are insufficient to cover the full costs associated with their failure (such as refunds, claims, fulfilment and repatriation), ABTA can make a claim on the policy to request funds towards funding the shortfall. This aims to ensure that the failed member’s customers and suppliers do not suffer a financial loss as a result of the member failing.
If your company does not currently meet the financial criteria to become a member trading as an agent or as a principal in your own right, you may still be able to meet the requirements of one of our existing members that offer ‘managed branch’ facilities to start ups and existing travel businesses.
ABTA managed branches are operated on behalf of an ABTA member by another company or individuals, who have entered into a managed branch agreement with an ABTA member and conduct business on behalf of that member.
The member is responsible for the customers, turnover and liabilities to customers of the managed branch. The operator of the managed branch does not require ABTA membership in its own right – the managed branch receives a branch ABTA number by virtue of the member’s membership. There are now over 600 managed branches within ABTA membership with retail agents and tour operators participating.
This will provide you with your own ABTA number and provide access to our services. The various managed branch operators compete with each other and offer different commercial terms – so you should research your options with each of the following ABTA members.
More details can be found on our members’ websites who provide this business model. They include:
If you wish to apply for ABTA membership, you’ll need to complete an application form. An application fee is payable with your completed application form. Our membership onboarding team will help you through the process.
A joining fee is payable once an offer of membership has been made to you. If you’re applying as an agent and a principal, you’ll only pay one set of joining fees.
An annual ABTA membership subscription fee is also payable. ABTA’s membership year runs from 1 July to 30 June each year. If you join ABTA partway through the membership year, your subscription calculation will be pro-rated.
Please note that all fees are subject to VAT and are non-refundable.
If you’d like to know more, please contact our membership onboarding team: Enquire how to become an ABTA Member