Getting started
How guides are verified
Every guide is manually reviewed and ID-checked by our team before their profile goes live.
For travelers and guides2 min readUpdated September 24, 2026
No guide profile goes live on Rainbow Tour Guides without going through our verification process first. This is one of the main ways we keep the marketplace safe and trustworthy for travelers.
What guides submit
As part of applying, every guide provides their legal name and a government-issued identity document, which they upload securely during onboarding. They also agree to a set of commitments before they can apply: affirming their connection to the LGBTQ+ community, agreeing to our code of conduct, and pledging that they are not offering sexual services of any kind.
What our team reviews
A member of our team manually reviews each application — the profile details, the identity document, and the agreement to our standards — before deciding whether to approve it. A guide's profile only becomes visible to travelers after this review is complete and approved.
What happens to your ID document
This means the sensitive part of your application exists only for as long as it takes to review it, not indefinitely.
What "verified" means, and what it doesn't
Verification confirms that a guide is a real person who provided a valid identity document and agreed to our community standards. It's not a criminal background check, and it doesn't guarantee the outcome of any individual tour. We combine verification with other layers — locked messaging until payment, reviews from past travelers, and a clear way to report concerns — to build trust across the whole booking. See Stay safe on your tour for more on how these layers work together.
Guide status at a glance
| Status | What it means |
|---|---|
| Application in progress | The guide is still completing onboarding |
| Under review | Submitted and waiting on our team's decision |
| Approved | Verified and visible to travelers in their service cities |
| Not approved | Did not pass review; not visible publicly |
Still need help?
If you're a traveler with a question about a specific guide, or a guide waiting on your application, reach us through the contact form.
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