What TÜRSAB licensing covers
- Verified business registration in Turkey
- Minimum passenger insurance €100,000 per passenger
- Vehicle safety inspection (every 6 months)
- Driver background checks (Turkish police clearance)
- Driver tourist-transport licence (separate from standard licence)
- Vehicle age limit (max 5 years for tourist transfer)
- Minimum standards for vehicle (Mercedes-equivalent or better)
How to verify any TÜRSAB licence
TÜRSAB publishes its full licensee register at tursab.org.tr — search for the operator name or licence number to verify. SooTransfer's licence number is D-12490, fully verified.
Why it matters for travellers
A TÜRSAB licence is your insurance — literally. If something goes wrong (accident, dispute, vehicle breakdown), TÜRSAB-licensed operators are bonded and you have recourse through the association. Non-licensed "transfer" operators (commonly found on Booking.com pop-ups or Google Ads from unverified websites) have none of these protections.
Red flags to avoid
- No TÜRSAB number on the website
- Address is "P.O. Box" or not a verifiable Turkish street address
- Vehicles older than 5 years (illegal for licensed operators)
- Cash-only with no invoice option
- Driver does not speak any English