Special Procedures Licence for practitioners
You will need a Special Procedures Licence if you want to carry out any of the following procedures on someone else in Wales:
- Acupuncture (including dry needling)
- Body piercing
- Electrolysis
- Tattooing (including semi-permanent make up / microblading)
The licence will specify which special procedure(s) the practitioner is licenced to practice, as well as listing the premises that the practitioner operates from.
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
To be eligible for a Special Procedures Licence, you must:
- be 18 years of age or over
- provide evidence that you have a Level 2 Award in Infection Prevention and Control for Special Procedures Practitioners
Level 2 Award in Infection Prevention and Control for Special Procedures Practitioners courses
You can find a list of centres offering the Level 2 Award in Infection Prevention and Control for Special Procedures Practitioners courses on the Royal Society of Public Health RSPH website.
Visit the list of centres offering this qualification (external website).
Licence period
A Special Procedure Licence lasts for a period of 3 years from the date the licence is issued.
Temporary licences are valid for no more than 7 days.
Practitioners working in more than one Welsh Local Authority
You will need to apply to the local authority within which you conduct your special procedures. If you practice in more than one local authority area in Wales, you should apply to the local authority where you conduct the majority of your special procedures.
The special procedure licence, when issued, is valid for the whole of Wales, as long as there is a premises approval certificate granted and that these premises are listed/referenced on the practitioner's special procedures licence.
Temporary special procedure licences will be limited to a specific event and/or timeframe. This will mean that a new application must be made for each separate event (unless the practitioner has a 3-year licence).
Practitioners that are not resident in Wales
Practitioners who live outside of Wales but work in Wales, will need either a temporary special procedure licence (if infrequent and no more than 7 days) or a three-year special procedure licence.
How to apply
You’ll need to apply online for a Special Procedure Licence 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 a Special Procedure Licence
Transitional period for existing registered practitioners
There will be a transitional period when the new scheme comes into force, to allow practitioners who registered through the previous registration process to apply for a Special Procedures Licence, and if necessary, an Approved Premises Certificate
During the transition period, existing registered practitioners will:
- be automatically issued with a transitional licence/approval certificate so that they can continue to perform special procedures (as per their current registration document)
- need to apply for a Special Procedures Licence (and if needed, an approved premises certificate) before Friday 28 February 2025 as the transitional arrangements will end on Saturday 1 March 2025
If you have not obtained a licence and, where needed, a premises/vehicle approval certificate by the end of the 3 months transition period, you will not be able to practise special procedures legally.
There will be no exceptions to the requirement to obtain a licence/certificate and no extensions of time to this transitional period.
New practitioners
New practitioners who did not register through the previous registration process will not qualify for the three month transitional period.
New applicants will not be permitted to trade/practice until they are licensed (and, where applicable their premises/vehicle has been approved) under the new scheme.
Supporting Documentation
The application must be accompanied by:
- the application fee (paid as part of the online application form)
- one full face passport style coloured photograph
- evidence of a recent basic Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) certificate
- declaration of relevant offences (as set out in the Act)
- evidence of the successful completion of a regulated Level 2 Award (infection, prevention & control)
- verification of name and date of birth (e.g. passport, driving licence etc.).
- verification of current residential address (e.g. driving licence, council tax letter, utility bill etc.)
Related websites for supporting documentation
Request a basic DBS check (external website)
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 Special Procedures Licence (3 years) |
£159 |
| Compliance fee for a new Special Procedures licence (payable after the licence has been granted) |
£44 |
| Renewing a Special Procedures Licence (3 years) |
£189 |
| Compliance fee for renewing a Special Procedures licence (payable after the renewal licence has been granted) |
£41 |
| Temporary Special Procedure Licence (max 7 days) |
£92 |
| Variation of Special Procedures Licence (add new procedure) |
£131 |
| Variation of Special Procedures Licence (change of detail) |
£26 |
| Replacement of Special Procedure Licence |
£13 |
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 6 months of the end of this transitional period, or earlier (i.e. 9 months from the coming into force date).
Legislation and conditions
The draft Regulations containing specific requirements and conditions for practitioners are available in The Special Procedure Licences (Wales) Regulations 2024.
View the Special Procedures Licensing Committees (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)