If you want to run a hotel, motel, guesthouse, tour company, travel agency or guiding business in Gilgit-Baltistan, the office you’ll deal with is the Directorate of Tourist Services — usually shortened to DTS or DTSGB. The tourism department’s own DTS page sends anyone who wants a licence for hotels, motels, tour guides, tour operators or travel agencies to the official DTS website at dtsgb.gog.pk.
This guide is an overview for two kinds of reader: people who want to apply for a licence, and travellers who want to understand what a licence means before they hire someone. We don’t issue licences, and we don’t restate fees or form lists, because those are revised from time to time. Treat everything below as orientation. Confirm the current requirements with DTS before you apply or pay anything.
What the Directorate of Tourist Services is
The Directorate of Tourism in Gilgit-Baltistan dates back to 2006, when the department’s background notes record a directorate of tourism being set up along with district tourism offices. You can read the timeline on our page about the tourism department’s background and history.
According to the tourism department FAQ, the Directorate of Tourism now works as the Directorate of Tourist Services under three pieces of tourism law:
- the Gilgit-Baltistan Hotel and Restaurant Act 2020
- the Gilgit-Baltistan Tour Guides Act 2020
- the Gilgit-Baltistan Travel Agencies and Tour Operators Act 2020
Our tourism sector acts and regulations page lists them. We don’t reproduce the statutes. If your application depends on the exact wording of a section, read the Act itself from an official source or ask DTS.
Which businesses the published rules cover
The tourism department FAQ includes short statements about who needs a licence. Each one has its own page on this site; together they map who the rules apply to.
Hotels and guesthouses
The FAQ says hotels and guest houses must obtain a tourism department licence, comply with safety and hygiene standards, and are subject to regular department inspections. See hotel and guesthouse regulations.
Restaurants
Restaurants must obtain a tourism department licence and comply with food safety regulations, and they are subject to local government inspections. See restaurant regulations.
Homestays
Homestays are regulated by the tourism department. Homeowners must obtain a licence before offering accommodation and follow department guidelines on guest safety and comfort. See homestay regulations.
Tour operators and travel agencies
Tour operators must obtain a tourism department licence, comply with safety standards, provide trained and licensed guides, and follow department guidelines. See tour operator regulations.
Tour guides
Tour guides must hold a tourism department licence, comply with safety standards, and know the region’s history, culture and geography well enough to give tourists accurate information. Our page on tour guide regulations has the rule. The longer guide on registered tour guides explains that the Tour Guides Act provides for testing, licensing, renewal and a code of conduct.
Adventure sports operators
Adventure sports operators need a licence, must meet safety standards, provide trained and licensed guides, use quality equipment and follow department guidelines. See adventure sports operator regulations.
Porters and mule owners
For trekking and mountaineering, the FAQ says porter and mule hire is regulated and requires licensed porters and mule owners. It also gives welfare guidelines, such as not overloading animals and providing adequate food and water. See porter and mule hiring regulations.
These summaries are the published rule as we found it — not every condition, fee or document. That detail sits with DTS.
How the licensing process works, in outline
The official DTS website describes its licensing process in three broad stages: application submission, document verification and approval. It also publishes official forms, tourism legislation, and directories of licensed service providers.
In practice, that journey usually looks like this:
- Identify the right category. A guesthouse, a restaurant, a tour operator and a guide are separate licence types. If your business does more than one thing — for example a guesthouse that also sells tour packages — ask DTS whether you need more than one licence.
- Get the current form and checklist from DTS. Download it from the official DTS site, or collect it from the Directorate. Don’t rely on an old form passed around on social media or saved from a previous year.
- Prepare the documents the checklist asks for. The official checklist decides what’s needed, not this page and not a friend’s memory of their own application.
- Submit and pay any fee through the official channel. Keep copies of everything you submit, along with receipts.
- Verification. DTS checks your documents. For premises-based businesses, the FAQ also refers to safety and hygiene standards and inspections, so be ready for that.
- Approval and licence issue. Once approved, you receive your licence. Registered tour operators on our tours pages, for example, carry licence references in the DTS-GB format.
- Renewal. Licences are not necessarily permanent. The Tour Guides Act, for instance, provides for renewal. Ask DTS how long your licence is valid and when to renew.
Practical tips for applicants
These come from common sense and from what the official sources emphasise — they aren’t legal requirements.
Start early
Licensing involves verification, and verification takes time. If you want to be open for the summer season, start well before it. Many visitors arrive between late spring and early autumn, when the high passes are open. Our best time to visit guide explains the seasonal pattern.
Keep one folder for everything
Keep the form, every document, every receipt, any correspondence, and the name of the office or official you dealt with. If there’s a query later, you’ll be glad you did.
Ask, don’t assume
If you’re not sure whether something applies to you, ask DTS directly. Common examples are whether a small family guesthouse counts as a homestay or a guesthouse, or whether day trips you organise for your own guests count as tour operating. A two-minute question can save a rejected application.
Know the difference between GB and federal registration
The tourism department FAQ explains that operators registered with DTS Islamabad, the federal side, are listed through the NADRA operators list. Operators registered with the tourism department in Gilgit-Baltistan are listed on the official GB tourism website. If you’re an operator working with international trekking and expedition clients, find out which registrations apply to your work. Our page on hiring registered operators for international visits covers this.
Treat the code of conduct as part of the job
Guides in particular are expected to know the region’s history, culture and geography. If you’re preparing for a guide licence, the culture, history and languages sections of this site are useful background reading. They don’t replace any official test material.
For travellers: what a DTS licence tells you
Visiting rather than applying? This is the part that matters to you.
A DTS licence tells you a business has gone through the official licensing process for its category. It doesn’t tell you that the business is the best, the cheapest, or right for your particular trip. Here’s how to use licence information sensibly.
Check the official directory
DTS keeps separate directories for licensed tour operators and licensed tour guides. Use the right one for the service you’re booking. Our hiring a tour operator guide and the registered tour guide guide both explain why.
Ask to see the licence
The DTS site says visitors can contact the Directorate directly or ask to see a business’s current licence certificate. A professional business won’t mind you asking.
Don’t rely on old lists
A name on an older published list — including the operator records on our tours pages — is not proof of current status. Licences can lapse or change. Check the live directory close to your booking date.
Match the licence to the activity
A sightseeing guide isn’t automatically suited to a technical trek. A trekking or mountaineering trip in a restricted area has its own rules, including permits and licensed guides and porters. See applying for trekking and mountaineering permits and trekking and mountaineering regulations.
Get the deal in writing
Licensed or not, confirm the itinerary, price, inclusions and cancellation terms in writing before you pay.
Related licences and permits that are not DTS business licences
People sometimes confuse a DTS business licence with other kinds of permission. A few that come up often:
- Trekking and mountaineering permits are for the activity, not the business. See our permits guide.
- National park entry is handled through the wildlife authorities, according to the FAQ. See national park visit regulations.
- Camping permits. The FAQ says camping needs a tourism department permit before tents go up, in designated areas. See camping regulations.
- Archaeological survey NOCs come from the Director of Archaeology and Museums. See applying for an archaeological survey NOC.
- Investment and public-private partnership enquiries go through a separate route. See contacting the PPP authority for investment and potential tourism investments.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I apply for a DTS licence in Gilgit-Baltistan?
The tourism department directs applicants for hotel, motel, tour guide, tour operator and travel agency licences to the official Directorate of Tourist Services website, dtsgb.gog.pk. Get the current form and checklist there, or from the Directorate itself.
What does a DTS licence cost?
We don’t publish licence fees, because they’re set and revised officially and an old figure can mislead you. Ask DTS for the current fee for your category before you apply.
Which laws govern tourism licences in Gilgit-Baltistan?
The tourism department FAQ names the Gilgit-Baltistan Hotel and Restaurant Act 2020, the Tour Guides Act 2020, and the Travel Agencies and Tour Operators Act 2020. The Directorate works as the Directorate of Tourist Services under these Acts.
Do homestays and restaurants need a licence too?
According to the tourism department FAQ, yes. Homeowners must get a licence before offering accommodation, and restaurants need a tourism department licence and must comply with food safety rules. Confirm the details with DTS.
How can a traveller check whether an operator or guide is licensed?
Use the official DTS directories, which are separate for operators and for guides. You can also ask the business to show its current licence certificate. Don’t rely only on adverts, social media or older printed lists.
What are the main stages of the DTS licensing process?
The official DTS website describes three broad stages: application submission, document verification and approval. It also publishes official forms, tourism legislation and directories of licensed service providers. The exact steps for your category come from DTS.
How long does it take to get a DTS licence?
We don’t give a processing time, because no figure we could quote would be reliable. Verification takes time, so start well before the season you want to open for, and ask DTS how long your category usually takes.
Do DTS licences need to be renewed?
Licences aren’t necessarily permanent. The Tour Guides Act, for example, provides for renewal. Ask DTS how long your licence is valid and when and how to renew it.
Do I need more than one licence if my guesthouse also sells tours?
Possibly. Guesthouses, restaurants, tour operators and guides are separate licence categories. If your business does more than one of these things, ask DTS which licences apply before you apply.
Is a DTS licence the same as a trekking permit?
No. A DTS licence covers a business. Trekking and mountaineering permits cover an activity on a route or peak. National park entry, camping permits and archaeological survey NOCs are separate again. See our permits guide.