Special Procedures Licensing Scheme: Approved Premises Certificate
Premises or vehicles will need to be approved with an Approved Premises Certificate where the following procedures are performed:
- Acupuncture (including dry needling)
- Body piercing
- Electrolysis
- Tattooing (including semi-permanent make up / microblading)
The approval certificate will be issued to the person responsible for the business at a premises, this may be the owner, manager or practitioner - they do no need to be performing the procedures themselves and may not be directly employing practitioners.
If a practitioner holds a special procedure licence but is an employee, or rents a chair/room in someone else's business, then they do not need to have their own premises/vehicle approval certificate but must still make sure that they only operate from an approved premises or vehicle.
It will be an offence for a practitioner to undertake any special treatment without a licence or undertake any treatment of an unapproved premises or vehicle.
It will also be an offence not to comply with the specific requirements set out in the regulations for practitioners and premises/vehicles.
Eligibility
The person applying for an Approved Premises Certificate must be 18 years of age or over.
Licence period
The Approved Premises Certificate lasts for a period of 3 years from the date the licence is issued. Temporary certificates are valid for no more than 7 days.
How to apply
You’ll need to apply online for an Approved Premise certificate and provide the supporting documentation.
When applying, you'll have the option to create a customer account. We recommend creating an account in case you want to save your application and come back to it later.
Apply online for an Approved Premise certificate
Transition period for existing registered premises
There will be a transition period when the new scheme comes into force, to allow business premises registered through the current registration process to apply for an Approved Premises Certificate and, if necessary, a Special Procedure Licence.
During the transition period, those responsible for existing registered premises will:
- be automatically issued with a transitional licence/approval certificate so that they can continue to operate a special procedures business, as per their current registration document
- need to apply for an Approved Premises Certificate (practitioners must also be licensed or be covered under these transitional arrangements to perform any special procedures at these premises) before Friday 28 February 2025 as the transitional arrangements will end on Saturday 1 March 2025
If you have not obtained an Approved Premises Certificate, and where needed, a premises/vehicle by the end of the 3 months transition period, then these premises will no longer be legally allowed to be used by practitioners to practice any of the specified special procedures.
There will be no exceptions to the requirement to obtain a licence/certificate and no extensions of time to this transitional period.
New premises/vehicles
New premises/vehicles that did not register through the current registration process will not qualify for the three month transitional period.
These premises cannot be used for any of the specified special procedures until they have been approved (and where applicable, the practitioners are licensed) under the new scheme.
Supporting Documentation
The application must be accompanied by:
- a premises/vehicle layout plan (must include: points of entry/exit into the premises and into any rooms, measurement and shape of any room within the premises and the location of equipment sinks, sharps bins, staff rooms, storage areas/facilities/rooms for products & equipment, toilets, waiting areas/rooms, wash hand basins, waste bins, windows and workstations).
- evidence of the successful completion of a regulated Level 2 Award (infection prevention and control) held by the applicant.
- Recent colour photograph of vehicle is enclosed (if applicable)
- verification of name and date of birth (e.g. passport, driving licence etc.)
Fees
The following fees are proposed for each licence, temporary licence or for other variations.
An application is not treated as having been made until the application fee has been received and cleared.
Special Procedures Licence fees
| Licence or activity | Fee |
|---|
| New Approved Premises Certificate (3 years) |
£244 |
| Compliance fee for a new Approved Premises Certificate (payable after the approval certificate has been granted) |
£141 |
| Renewing an Approved Premises Certificate (3 years) |
£204 |
| Compliance fee for renewing an Approved Premises Certificate (payable after the renewal approval certificate has been granted) |
£141 |
| Approved Premises/vehicle – Temporary Approval (ancillary event) |
£385 |
| Approved Premises/vehicle – Temporary Approval (convention/main purpose) |
£680 |
| Variation of Approved Premises/vehicle Certificate (add procedure) |
£189 |
| Variation of Approved Premises/vehicle Certificate (structural change) |
£189 |
| Variation of Approved Premises/vehicle Certificate (change of detail) |
£26 |
Processing and Timescales
New applications will be processed within the timescales specified by the Welsh Government statutory/non-statutory guidance.
Existing registered practitioners, who apply for a Special Procedures Licence within the 3 months transitional period, will be processed within 3 months of the end of this transitional period, or earlier (i.e. 6 months from the coming into force date).
Legislation and conditions
The draft regulations containing specific requirements and conditions for premises and vehicles are available in The Special Procedures Approved Premises and Vehicles (Wales) Regulations 2024.
View The Special Procedures Approved Premises and Vehicles (Wales) Regulations 2024 (external website)
The regulations that set out the legal framework for Special Procedures and other legal requirements is the Public Health (Wales) Act 2017 (Part 4).
View the Public Health (Wales) Act 2017 (Part 4) (external website)