Sole-Proprietor Restricted Travel Insurance Agency Licence

• Licensing requirement: Only the travel agency or wholesaler (corporation, partnership, or sole-proprietor), registered under the provincial Business Practices and Consumer Protection Act, must hold a restricted travel agency licence (see Council’s Travel Agent Exemption Notice dated January 5, 2005).
• Licensing exemption: Employees or commissioned salespeople of the licensed restricted travel insurance agency do not need to hold a licence if their only insurance-related activity is to sell travel insurance incidental to the ordinary business of the travel agent or wholesaler. However, exempt employees still need to meet education requirements.
• Restricted travel insurance sole-proprietor licence holders must meet the same licensing requirements as corporate or partnership restricted travel insurance licence holders:
  • Register with the BC Corporate Registry.
  • Meet the agency name requirements.
  • Register with Consumer Protection BC.

Employees or commissioned salespeople of the licensed restricted travel insurance agency do not need to hold a licence if their only insurance-related activity is to sell travel insurance incidental to the ordinary business of the travel agent or wholesaler.

Employees of the licensed restricted travel insurance agency or wholesaler must meet education requirements to qualify for the individual licensing exemption:

• Pass the Council-approved travel insurance exam (can be taken online) from the Association of Canadian Travel Agencies (ACTA — formerly Canadian Institute of Travel Counsellors):

PO Box 12612, Martinway Plaza 
Etobicoke, ON M9R 4C7

Telephone: 1-888-257-2282│1-905-282-9294 (ext. 128)

Facsimile: 1-905-282-9826

Web: www.acta.ca

Email: (Exam Coordinator) certification@acta.ca

• Exam results are valid for a period of 1 year. An individual is not eligible for the licensing exemption and must retake the exam, if:
  • They have not worked in the travel insurance industry for 1 year after successful exam completion.
  • They have not been actively involved in the travel insurance industry for 2 or more years.
• The licensed travel agency or wholesaler is responsible for ensuring its exempt employees meet these education requirements.
• Exempt employees must also complete a minimum of 2 hours of continuing education each calendar year, following specific content and record-keeping requirements.

*Council does not have information regarding course costs, delivery methods, or scheduling.

Courses must be completed within one year of submitting a licence application to the Insurance Council. We will consider courses completed outside of the one-year-limit, if you have completed additional courses, which lead to a CAIB or CIP designation, within the last year of the application date, and all the courses leading to the designation were completed within one year of each other. Please submit exam results for each course along with your licence application for review.

• Complete the application yourself, following the instructions in the application package. 
• Answer all questions and attach all required documents, including the application fee, before submitting your application to Council, as incomplete applications may take longer to process.
• If your application has been pending for more than our displayed processing times, please feel free to contact Council's Licensing Department.

View and download the Sole-Proprietor Restricted Travel Insurance Agency Licence Application

View the Sole-Proprietor Restricted Travel Insurance Agency Licence Fee Schedule