Massage and special treatment

Forms and guidance for making an application for a special treatment licence or a therapist registration application.

This guidance should help you in making your licence or registration application. Please contact us if you have any questions before you start up a business. You must have a licence before you start trading.

For business support please visit the council's business support and advice page.

Special treatment licences include any beauty treatment that involves:

  • massages
  • manicures
  • acupuncture
  • tattooing
  • cosmetic piercings
  • chiropody
  • light treatments
  • electrical treatments
  • other similar treatments.

It also includes saunas, steam rooms and other baths.

The Special Treatments A-Z (pdf 836KB) is a comprehensive list which details whether treatments need a licence or not. It also gives information on therapist training requirements.

Standard conditions

Massage and special treatment (MST) Licences are subject to standard conditions which must be followed at all times unless otherwise agreed in writing with us. You should study these carefully to make sure that your business can comply. Following a consultation with all licence holders last year a number of changes have been made to update the Standard Conditions. A useful checklist of documents that you are expected to keep can be found in Appendix A of the Standard Conditions document below.

The Standard conditions Q&A guidance will help you see what you need to do to comply with the changes introduced to the conditions when you renew your licence in 2020.

Applications which do not include a fully completed application form and other requested information cannot be processed. You must send copies of the application form to the Metropolitan Police and London Fire Brigade. Our environmental health officers will also be consulted and may contact you to arrange an inspection of your business before the licence can be granted. If your application is unopposed or agreement is reached with you over any additional conditions or work to be carried out then the licence will be granted, usually within 28 days.

Licence application and renewals

If you want to apply for a massage and special treatment licence or therapist registration please read the information on this web page before applying.

If you have any questions email mst@lbhf.gov.uk

The legislation permits certain premises offering special treatments to be exempt from holding a licence. The criteria that must be met is set out on the application form. The List of Bodies of Health Practitioners Granted Exemption (pdf 255KB) by the London Special Treatments Group lists health practitioner membership bodies which have been assessed as meeting the legislation requirements. Therapists working at exempt premises do not require registration.

Apply online

Renewal reminder letters are sent out by email about three weeks before the licence expiry date.

Application for an exemption from a licence

If you want to apply for a licence exemption please read the information on this web page before applying.

Application forms (Word and pdf documents)

Complaints about special treatments

You should contact us if you have any concern about beauty or cosmetic treatments being offered without a licence or if you suspect therapists are not registered with us. You should also contact us if you would like to report poor practices likely to lead to injury or ill health.

If you need to report a crime, you can do so by contacting police on 101 or reporting online. Always call 999 in an emergency.

The Havens are specialist centres in London for people who have been raped or sexually assaulted. To speak to The Haven call 0203 299 6900 – for more information visit www.thehavens.org.uk

If you have been a victim of sexual assault or rape or you have information about an offender, contact police on 101 or 999 in an emergency – there are specially trained officers who will listen and investigate where needed.

Modern slavery and labour exploitation

Modern slavery is real and happening all around us. That's why it's important to recognise the indicators of modern slavery and to know how to respond if you suspect someone is a victim. Find out more Modern slavery

How to pay

The fee will be taken as part of the application process. You will need a credit or debit card to make the payment.

Fees (2024-25)

New licence application
Part A application fee: £578.50
Part B ongoing costs: £354.40
Total fee: £932.90

Licence renewal
Part A application fee: £298.10
Part B ongoing costs: £354.40
Total fee: £652.50

Therapist registration – valid for 3 years
Part A application fee: £159.10
Part B ongoing costs: Not applicable
Total fee: £159.10

Licence variation
Payable at any time other than on renewal. Licence variations are: removal or addition of permitted treatments; change of trading name; change of licensee name (not transfer to another person).
Part A application fee: £423.40
Part B ongoing costs: Not applicable
Total fee: £423.40

Transfer of licence
Part A application fee: £415.80
Part B ongoing costs: Not applicable
Total fee: £415.80

Occasional licence – up to 5 days duration
Part A application fee: £294.40
Part B ongoing costs: Not applicable
Total fee: £294.40

  • View a full explanation of the fee structure

    Part A and Part B fees can be paid together at the beginning of the application process. Paying Part A and Part B with the application will mean that as soon as the applicant is advised the licence has been granted they can carry out treatments immediately.

    Part A covers the administration costs of processing the application. Part A must be paid when application is made. Part B is to cover other costs of the massage and special treatment licence service. This includes inspection and compliance visits, enforcement action and other costs not directly associated with the processing of the application. Part B is payable if the licence is granted.

    If Part B is not paid on application it will be a condition of the licence that Part B must be paid within 7 days of notification of the licence being granted. If Part B is not paid within 7 days the licence will not be valid and treatments covered by the licence must not be carried out. We strongly recommend that Part A and Part B are paid together.

  • View information about fee refunds

    If an application for a licence is not granted or if the applicant withdraws the application the Part A fee is not refundable. A refund for Part B minus a fee of £48 to cover council administration costs can be made on written request from the applicant if it was paid on application.

    If an annual licence is surrendered (for example if the business closes) a partial refund of the Part B fee only can be given to the licence holder. The value of the refund will be calculated as one-twelfth of the Part B fee paid for each complete month which remains unexpired at date of surrender, minus an administration fee of £48. The date of surrender will be deemed to be the date the council receives the paper licence.

    If a licence is withdrawn by the council (for example for non-compliance with licence conditions) no refund is payable.

  • View information about data protection

    The new Data Protection Act 2018 protects information that identifies you. The act ensures the UK's national data protection arrangements meet the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

    For more information see the food and safety team privacy notice.

Acceptable qualifications

The council will only accept national/international regulated qualifications, like City and Guilds, CIDESCO, NVQ or equivalent. Registration with the council does not guarantee the competency of the practitioner, it merely shows that they are qualified to provide the treatments which have been approved.

Therapists undertaking body piercing, tattooing, micropigmentation, IPL and similar treatments will be required to attend a pre arranged interview before registration can be granted.

International qualifications

If you have obtained an international qualification which is not generally recognised within the UK, you must complete two stages before applying for therapist registration:

a) If the certificate of qualification is in a language other than English, you must obtain a full translation of the certificate into English. This must be carried out by an independent licensed translator and must be endorsed as a true translation of the certificate.

b) Once the qualification certificate has been translated into English, you will need to obtain a comparability certificate. This will state what your qualification is equivalent to in terms of UK qualifications. A comparability certificate may be obtained from the UK ENIC. This organisation provides a service for individuals seeking information on comparability between international and UK academic qualifications. This service is intended to assist those with overseas qualification to progress towards further studies and employment in the UK. Please be advised that UK ENIC will make a charge for this service. Contact UK ENIC for full details of how to apply.

Trainee therapists

Trainee therapists, who have not yet received a recognised qualification, will be provisionally registered which will allow them to work within licensed premises. It will be the responsibility of the licence holder to ensure trainees are supervised at all times and are competent to carry out treatments.

Trainees should complete the therapist registration application form and indicate their current training programme and expected finish time. Evidence of training, for example a letter from the college, and/or the MST Licence Holder should be sent in with the application.

Trainees will only be registered for a maximum period of one year in the first instance. After successful completion of training the therapist may apply for full registration.

Reasons to refuse an application

Your application may be refused, suspended or revoked for any of the following reasons:

  • the correct fee has not been paid
  • requested documents or information has not been provided
  • the premises are not structurally suitable for the purpose
  • there is a likelihood of nuisance being caused to neighbours
  • the persons concerned or intended to be concerned in the conduct or management of the premises used for special treatment could be reasonably regarded as not being fit and proper persons to hold such a licence
  • the persons giving the special treatment are not suitably qualified
  • the premises have been or are being improperly conducted
  • the premises are not provided with satisfactory means of lighting, sanitation and ventilation
  • the means of heating the premises are not safe
  • how a treatment is to be given or how equipment is used is not considered safe
  • fire precautions including means of escape and fighting fire equipment are not adequate
  • the applicant has been convicted of a relevant offence.

Applications will be considered by the council licensing sub-committee where there are reasons for concern over the management of the premises. The law relating to this licence is the London Local Authorities Act 1991.

Planning permission

You should check that your business premises has the correct planning permission to lawfully carry out massage and special treatments.

General data protection regulations

For information on general data protection regulations and how we manage your data please see our privacy notice.

Contact details

Hammersmith & Fulham Council
Environment Department
Food and Safety Team
Hammersmith Town Hall
King Street
London W6 9JU

020 8753 1081
mst@lbhf.gov.uk

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