Verifying a Licensed Malaysian Travel Agency
Check the agency's licence on the official channel before you pay a deposit for a Vietnam trip.
Start from the official website of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC), and search the agency’s registered name.
Then compare three names: the licence, the quote and the account you will pay into. If all three match, you have a sound first check. If they do not, pause before paying.
How do you check the licence?
The ministry links to a travel agency check from its homepage1. Follow these steps.
- Open the official MOTAC website by typing the address yourself.
- Find the travel agency check page.
- Search for the company’s registered name, not just the brand or social media page.
- Note the licence status and the licence number.
Do not use a link that arrived in a message, as it could lead to a copy of the page.
Which three names should match?
A licence only helps if it belongs to the business you are paying.
| Where you see it | What to compare |
|---|---|
| The licence check | Registered company name and licence number |
| The quote or invoice | Company name, address and contact details |
| The payment instruction | Name on the bank account or payment link |
If the account is in an individual’s name or a different company, ask why before you pay. A short written explanation from the agency is reasonable to expect.
What does a licence check not tell you?
It tells you the business is licensed. It does not tell you whether the quote is fair, whether the hotel is as described or whether the cancellation terms suit you. Use the questions to ask before accepting a quote for those. It also cannot tell you how the agency treats customers when plans change, so read the cancellation terms yourself.
What if you deal with a seller, not an agency?
Some sellers market trips on social media and pass bookings on to a licensed agency. Ask who issues the booking, and check that agency. Read red flags when booking from a seller for the warning signs and what to do next.
What should you do before paying?
- Confirm the licence on the official channel.
- Get the quote in writing, with a validity date.
- Read the deposit and payment terms.
- Check that the tour is still offered, using checking whether an advertised tour is still offered.
A reputable agency will be comfortable answering these. More practical help sits in the Booking and travelling well hub.
Send us the agency name and the details on its quote, and we can walk you through what to check before you pay a deposit.
Common questions
Who licenses travel agencies in Malaysia?
The Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, known as MOTAC, licenses travel agencies and tour operators. Its homepage links to a travel agency check labelled TOB/TAB. Start from the official MOTAC website, not from a link sent in a chat, so you reach the genuine page.
What do I search for on the MOTAC check?
Search with the company's registered name as written on its quote or website. If the agency gives you a licence number, enter that as well and see whether the name and number match. If you cannot find the business, ask for the legal company name and licence number in writing.
Does a valid licence mean the trip is safe to book?
It means the business is licensed, which is a good start. It does not prove the quote is fair or that the agency will deliver every detail. Keep checking the quote, the terms and the payment details, and ask the questions in our quote guide.
What if the person I am talking to is a freelance seller?
Ask which licensed agency issues the booking, and check that agency's name. Sellers who sell on behalf of a licensed agency should be able to give you the agency name, the quote and a payment account in that agency's name. If they cannot, pause before paying.
What should I do if I cannot confirm the licence?
Do not pay yet. Ask the agency to send its registered name and licence number, and check them again on the official channel. If they will not, compare another agency. You lose nothing by waiting a day, and the right agency will understand.
Sources
- MOTAC's homepage links to a travel agency check (Agensi Pelancongan, TOB/TAB) at motac.gov.my/kategori-semakan-new/agensi-pelancongan-tobtab/. MOTAC. Link read from the homepage; the lookup page itself was not opened. Owner: click-test it.
Keep planning
Send us the agency name and the details on its quote, and we can walk you through what to check before you pay a deposit.