Beauty salons are required to have a licence

Beauty salons are required to have a licence

When opening a beauty salon, the following business licenses and permits need to be completed to apply for a beauty salon license:

1. Business Registration Certificate: As a business entity, a beauty salon needs to register with the Commerce and Industry Department of the Hong Kong SAR Government and obtain a Business Registration Certificate.

2. Advertising Licence: If a beauty salon needs to post advertisements “outdoors” or “hang beauty salon signs”, it is required to apply for an advertising licence from the Lands Department of the HKSAR Government.

3. Massage Parlour Licence: According to the Massage Parlours Ordinance, beauty parlors are required to apply for a massage parlour licence if they provide full body massage services to customers of the opposite sex. A full-body massage refers to the provision of massage services or treatments to the part of the person’s body from below the shoulder to above the knee.

4. Day Procedure Centre or Clinic Licence: If a beauty salon provides medical services, such as performing medical aesthetic treatments, it is required to apply for a Day Procedure Centre or Clinic Licence.

It should be noted that the requirement for a massage parlour licence is mainly to combat pornographic activities, and it is only necessary to apply for a masseur when providing full body massage services to clients of the opposite sex. If only face, scalp, neck, shoulder, hand, arm or foot (up to knees) massages are offered, the requirement for a massage parlor licence can be exempted.

Before applying for a beauty salon license, it is advisable to carefully study the relevant regulations and requirements to ensure that your business is operating legally and complying with the regulations in Hong Kong.

Department of Health – Distinguish between medical procedures and cosmetic services https://www.dh.gov.hk/tc_chi/useful/useful_medical_beauty/useful_medical_beauty.html

Massage Parlour Licence https://www.police.gov.hk/info/doc/licensing/general/tc/gls_mel_Guideline(TC) .pdf

Private Healthcare Licence https://www.orphf.gov.hk/tc/regulatory_regime/new_licensing_scheme_licence_application