Applying for a Massage Establishment / Spa & Wellness Licence

A Massage Establishment licence is required if you intend to carry on the business of providing massage services in an establishment.

A Massage Establishment licence is not required if you are providing any of the following without any massage service or treatment:

• Manicure

• Pedicure

• Light treatment

• Electric treatment

• Vapour treatment

• Baths

New Licence Application

You must ensure that approval for the relevant land use and a valid Massage Establishment licence had been obtained before making any financial commitment or entering into any contractual agreement.

Criteria for Grant of Licence

To be eligible for a Massage Establishment licence, you must meet the following criteria:

1. Be a fit and proper person. The criteria and requirements for a person to be considered fit and proper to hold a licence are (but not limited to) whether the relevant person has honesty, integrity, a good reputation, competence and capability.

2. Be a responsible officer. Responsible officer means a partner of the partnership, a member of the governing body of the unincorporated association, and any director of the company or officer holding a similar managerial or an executive position in the body corporate.

3. At least 21 years of age at time of application

4. Possess a valid and relevant work pass if you are a foreigner

Applications on behalf of an organisation will require a co-licensee who is a responsible officer from the organisation and able to meet the fit and proper criteria. Types Of Massage Licence

The ME licence fees are reflected in the table below: Type of Application/Licence Fee

1. 1-year Massage Establishment Licence $290 for 1 year

2. 2-year Massage Establishment Licence $440 for 2 years

3. 3-year Massage Establishment Licence $590 for 3 years

Licence Type

Category 1 (Provisional)

Places to operate

HDB shop houses, shopping centres and hotels

Nationality of employees

Singapore citizens, permanent residents and Malaysians with valid work passes only

Minimum establishment floor area

At least 100m2

CaseTrust certification

Letter of Acceptance

Category 1

Places to operate

HDB shop houses, shopping centres and hotels

Nationality of employees

Singapore citizens, permanent residents and any foreign nationality with valid work passes

Minimum establishment floor area

At least 100m2

CaseTrust certification

Accreditation

Category 2 (Provisional) / Category 2

Places to operate

Areas away from residential areas, schools, and places of worship.

Nationality of employees

Singapore citizens, permanent residents and Malaysians with valid work passes only

Minimum establishment floor area

At least 50m2

CaseTrust certification

Not required

You must apply for Category 1 (Provisional) or Category 2 (Provisional) licence first before you can apply for a new Category 1 or Category 2 massage establishment.

Licensing Conditions for Category I and Category I (Provisional) Licences

1. The hours of operation of the licensed establishment shall be from 0700hrs to 2230hrs daily unless otherwise stipulated by the Licensing Officer.

2. The licensee shall maintain a register of employees. The register shall be maintained at the licensed establishment and the licensee must submit the register to the Police or Licensing Officer for inspection as and when required by the Police or Licensing Officer. Where an employee ceases to be employed at the licensed establishment, the employee’s record must be kept by the licensee for at least one year after that employee’s last day of employment.

3. (a) There must be no locking device for the doors of the massage or treatment rooms.

(b) All rooms shall be numbered.

(c) Rooms used by employees for administrative matters should have proper signages with a ‘No Entry’ sign to prevent unauthorised entry by customers.

(d) Rooms for massage must be clear of any permanent or temporary objects or structures, so that there is a clear view of the room when the door is opened.

4. (a) The licensee shall ensure that at least 80% of masseuses/therapists have the required certification recognised by the Licensing Officer.

(b) The licensee shall ensure that each trainee masseuse/therapist obtains the certification recognised by PLRD within six months, to be calculated cumulatively, from the date of first registration.

5. The licensee or the supervisors shall conduct daily briefings to all employees that no sexual services are allowed within the licensed establishment.

Licensing Conditions for Category II and Category II (Provisional) Licences

1. The hours of operation of the licensed establishment shall be from 1000hrs to 2230hrs daily unless otherwise stipulated by the Licensing Officer.

2. The licensee shall maintain a register of employees. The register shall be maintained at the licensed establishment and the licensee must submit the register to the Police or Licensing Officer for inspection as and when required by the Police or Licensing Officer. Where an employee ceases to be employed at the licensed establishment, the employee’s record must be kept by the licensee for at least one year after that employee’s last day of employment.

3. (a) There must be no locking device for the doors of the massage or treatment rooms.

(b) All rooms shall be numbered.

(c) Rooms used by employees for administrative matters should have proper signages with a ‘No Entry’ sign to prevent unauthorised entry by customers.

(d) Rooms for massage must be clear of any permanent or temporary objects or structures, so that there is a clear view of the room when the door is opened.

4. (a) The licensee shall ensure that at least 80% of masseuses/therapists have the required certification recognised by the Licensing Officer.

(b) The licensee shall ensure that each trainee masseuse/therapist obtains the certification recognised by PLRD within six months, to be calculated cumulatively, from the date of first registration.

5. The licensee or the supervisors shall conduct daily briefings to all employees that no sexual services are allowed within the licensed establishment.

Documents Required

1. Letter of Acceptance from CaseTrust

2. Coloured photographs showing the following:

• full front view of staff uniform (with sleeves for top and pants for bottom)

• side view of the staff uniform (with sleeves for top and pants for bottom)

• rear view of the staff uniform (with sleeves for top and pants for bottom)

• company or establishment name or company nametag on staff uniform

• a close-up shot of the company nametag (if nametag is used)

3. Layout plan of the establishment drawn to scale, stating the total floor area in Square Metres

4. URA planning permission for proposed use of premises to be used as ‘Massage Establishment’ / HDB approval letter (whichever is applicable)

5. ACRA Business Profile

Processing Time

About 21 working days from the receipt of the application and the necessary supporting documents, if required.

You will be notified of the outcome via email and post. Alternatively, you can login to view your application status.

CaseTrust Accreditation

Fee Structure (Fees are inclusive of GST)

Application - S$535.00

Application fee is not required for subsequent outlets under the same legal entity.

Full Assessment (first outlet) - S$856.00

First outlet which applied for CaseTrust accreditation.

Full Assessment (subsequent outlet) - S$642.00

Subsequent outlet under same legal entity which applied for CaseTrust accreditation.

Other Charges (Fees are inclusive of GST)

Fee Interim assessment (Site only) - S$428.00

Certificate printing - S$12.84

Additional Certificate printing - S$16.05

CaseTrust decal S$2.14

If you would like to know more, please contact Bestar.