teaha

Certification and use of tour guides

In the Official Gazette (Part I) no. 734 of 9 August 2023, MEAT Order no. 180 was published for the approval of the Methodological Norms on the conditions and criteria for the selection, schooling, certification and use of tourist guides.

We mention that the approved methodological norms apply to legal and natural persons carrying out tourism activities in Romania.

 

According to the document, the categories of guides used in tourism activity in Romania are:

  1. a) local tour guide, who provides tourist assistance on the territory of Romania to Romanian tourists;

  2. b) national tour guide, who provides tourist assistance on the territory of Romania to foreign tourists and abroad to Romanian tourists;

  3. c) tour guide specialized for certain types of tourist activities:

  • animation guide;

  • mountain tourism guide, mountain hiking;

  • tourism guide for natural habitat;

  • guide for equestrian tourism;

  • tourism guide for caves;

  • other specialisations depending on the development of tourism activity, only for specialisations that have occupational standards developed and in force.

 

The conditions and criteria for the professional training of tourist guides are laid down in occupational standards.

The professional training of tourist guides is carried out through qualification/specialisation/upgrading training programmes organised by authorised vocational training providers or through the assessment and certification of professional competences, as well as within the national education system.

The organisation of vocational training programmes in the adult vocational training system, as well as the evaluation and certification of vocational training, is carried out in accordance with the legal regulations in force.

In order to be authorised by the central public authority responsible for vocational training, vocational training providers shall request the opinion of the central public authority responsible for tourism, which shall be issued in consultation with the Tourism, Hotels, Restaurants Sectoral Committee.

 

Occupational standards for tour guides will be endorsed by the central public authority responsible for tourism regulation.

 Persons who hold documents attesting to their professional training for one or more of the guide categories defined above may apply for a certificate and badge for the category of tourist guide for which they have the professional training.

 

Specialisation of guides:

The professional specialization for the category of national tour guide or specialized tour guide is only for persons who hold the qualification certificate for tour guide or the certificate of professional competence for tour guide.

Persons who hold documents attesting their specialisation in the category of national tour guide or specialised tour guide may apply to the central public authority responsible for tourism for the national tour guide or specialised tour guide certificate and label.

 

Certification of tourist guides:

The profession of tourist guide may be exercised by natural persons holding a tourist guide’s certificate and badge, issued in accordance with these methodological rules.

According to the recently approved methodological rules, the tourist guide’s certificate and badge is the document issued by the central public authority responsible for tourism confirming the professional capacity of natural persons qualified in the profession of tourist guide to work in one of the categories of tourist guides defined in these methodological rules.

 

The minimum criteria for obtaining the tourist guide certificate and badge are presented below:

 

MINIMUM CRITERIA for obtaining the tourist guide certificate and label

 

Criteria

Category of tour guides

local

national

specialised

The candidate must meet the following conditions:

 

1. citizenship:

 

– citizen of Romania

x

x

x

– EU/SEE/Swiss Confederation citizen

x

x

x

2. age:

 

– minimum 18 years old

x

x

x

3. education:

 

– minimum graduate of compulsory education

x

x

x

– minimum secondary school graduate without baccalaureate

–

x

x

4. professional training:

 

– at least:

–

x

x

x

x

x

– graduate of a professional qualification training program for the occupation of tour guide, organized by authorized vocational training providers or organized in the national education system, according to the legislation of Romania or of the countries of origin (recognized and equivalent by the central public authority responsible for the recognition and equivalence of qualifications acquired abroad) or to hold certificates of professional competence for the occupation of tour guide (with all the competences of the occupational standard in force), issued by an authorized assessment centre

x

x

x

– to be a graduate of a training program of specialization/perfection type organized by professional training providers authorized according to the Romanian legislation

–

x

x

5. not to have suffered criminal convictions

x

x

x

6. to be physically and mentally fit from a medical point of view for the occupation of tour guide (the category of tour guide will be mentioned), proven by a medical document issued according to the Romanian legislation.

x

x

x

 

In order to obtain the tour guide certificate and badge, the applicant, a Romanian citizen, shall submit the following documents:

 

  1. in the case of the category of local tour guide:

 

a) standard application – according to the model in Annex 2;

b) copy of identity document;

c) copy of the qualification certificate obtained after graduation from a qualification-type vocational training programme (in accordance with the legal regulations in force) or copy of the certificate of professional competence for the occupation of tourist guide, issued by an authorised professional competence assessment and certification centre, provided that it has all the competences of the occupational standard in force;

d) a valid criminal record certificate issued by the competent authorities;

e) a document attesting to completion of the minimum compulsory education;

f) a medical document issued in accordance with Romanian legislation proving that the holder is medically fit (physically and mentally) to work as a tourist guide;

g) 2 photographs (2.5 cm x 3.5 cm);

  1.  
  2.  

  3. in the case of the national tour guide category, the documentation shall include, in addition:

  4.  
  5. a) a document attesting the completion of secondary education without a baccalaureate diploma;
  6. b) copy of certificate/certificate/diploma on knowledge of a foreign language;
  7. c) a copy of the certificate of graduation from a vocational training programme of the specialisation type, organised by vocational training providers authorised under Romanian law;
  8.  
  9.  

  10. in the case of the category of specialised tour guide, the documentation shall additionally include:

  11.  
  12. a) a document attesting the completion of secondary education without a baccalaureate diploma;
  13. b) copy of certificate/certificate/diploma on knowledge of a foreign language;
  14. c) a copy of the certificate of graduation from a vocational training programme of the specialisation/upgrading type, organised by vocational training providers authorised under Romanian law.
  15.  
  16. For temporary or occasional services, according to Directive EC 36/2005, in the case of tour guides, citizens of EU/SEE/Swiss Confederation Member States who accompany groups of tourists on the territory of Romania without providing tour guide services at tourist attractions, it is mandatory to notify for temporary or occasional services (at least 60 days before providing the activity), according to the declaration in Annex no.4.
  17. This declaration shall be renewed once a year if the provider intends to provide services temporarily or occasionally in Romania during that year.
  18. The provider may submit this declaration, together with the supporting documents, by any means (via the electronic single point of contact or by sending it to the institution’s registry), and the procedure ends with the issue of a temporary authorisation valid until the end of the year and the updating of the institution’s electronic database. The necessary documents are:
  19.  
  20. a) a prior written declaration, on own responsibility, containing information about the applicant, about the activity he/she intends to carry out on a temporary/vocational basis on the territory of Romania, the period during which he/she intends to provide tour guide services in Romania, etc.;
  21. b) copy of the identity document;
  22. c) a proof that the competent authorities of the Member State of establishment certify that at the date of issue of this document the holder is legally established on its territory for the purpose of exercising the activities of tourist guide and has not been forbidden to exercise them even on a temporary basis;
  23. d) proof of professional qualification: diplomas, certificates or other evidence of qualification as a tourist guide, i.e. specialisation.
  24.  
  25. According to MEAT Order no.180/2023, EU/SEE/Swiss Confederation citizens who settle in Romania and wish to practice the profession of tour guide are obliged to obtain the tour guide certificate and badge, according to the documentation for the recognition of professional qualifications obtained in an EU/SEE/Swiss Confederation member state, which includes:
  26. a) certificate of professional competence for the qualification of tourist guide issued in Romania by a centre for the assessment and certification of professional competence authorised by the central public authority responsible for adult vocational training, provided that it has all the competences of the occupational standard in force in Romania;
  27. b) atestat/certificate/diploma on knowledge of the Romanian language at least at intermediate level;
  28. c) the documents referred to in paragraph 1, points a), b), d), f) and g);
  29. d) in the case of the category of national/specialised tourist guide, the documentation shall additionally include a copy of the certificate of completion of the vocational training programme of the specialisation/perfection type.
  30.  
  31. The tourist guide’s certificates and badges are valid for 5 years. They shall be updated before the expiry of the 5-year period from the date of issue or the last update. Otherwise, the document loses its validity.
  32. Use of tour guides:
  33. The profession of tour guide can be exercised either as a basic activity or as a complementary activity, only by tour guides holding a certificate and a tour guide label
  34. Economic operators, non-governmental organisations involved in tourism and local public authorities may use tour guides only on the basis of a legal form of collaboration or employment, as appropriate.
  35. The tourist guide’s certificate and badge are issued by the central public authority responsible for tourism and are made according to the model presented in Annex no. 3 of the Order.
  36. Important aspects:

  • The tour guide has the obligation to carry with him during his activity the valid tour guide’s certificate and badge, which he has to present at the request of the persons authorized to control his activity.

  • Foreign tour guides who work temporarily/on an occasional basis on the territory of Romania are not entitled to carry out tour guide services at tourist attractions and are obliged to hire tour guides certified by the central public authority responsible for tourism.

  • The specific duties and obligations of the tour guide are determined by the tourism economic operator, organizer of the tourist programs, and differ according to the category of tour guide and the specifics of each action.

  • The tourist guide certificates and badges issued on the basis of the provisions of the Order of the Minister of Transport, Construction and Tourism no. 637/2004 for the approval of the Methodological Norms on the conditions and criteria for the selection, training, certification and use of tourist guides, with subsequent amendments and additions, lose their validity within 5 years from the date of issue.

  • The procedures for the certification of tourist guides and the notification of temporary and occasional service provision may be carried out via the electronic single point of contact.

  • Where there are suspicions following verification of diplomas, certificates of competence and other evidence of formal qualifications awarded to nationals of Member States, the central public authority responsible for tourism may ask the competent authority of the Member State concerned to confirm the authenticity of these documents. In case of justified doubts, the Romanian competent authorities may request from the competent authorities of a Member State a confirmation that the applicant is not suspended or prohibited from exercising the profession as a result of a serious professional error or a conviction for offences related to the exercise of his professional activities.

  • The exchange of information with the competent authorities of different Member States is carried out via the Internal Market Information System (IMI).

  1.  
  2.  
  3. Legal basis:
  4. – MEAT Order no.180/2023 for the approval of the Methodological Norms on the conditions and criteria for the selection, schooling, certification and use of tourist guides.
  5. – https://economie.gov.ro/