The new licensing scheme requires practitioners who perform any special procedure (acupuncture, body piercing, electrolysis and/or tattooing) on someone else in Wales to be licensed. 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. Each practitioner must have their own licence. Licensed practitioners can only operate in premises/vehicles that have been approved.
It will be an offence for a practitioner to carry out a special procedure without a licence or to perform any procedures from premises or vehicles that are not approved. It will also be an offence not to comply with the specific requirements detailed in the regulation for practitioners and premises/vehicles.
How to apply
Application from existing registered practitioner
Practitioners who were registered under the existing requirements of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982 are required to apply for their own special procedure licence and, if necessary, a premises/vehicle approval certificate.
Those with existing registrations will have 3 months from coming into force date (29th November 2024), to submit an application for a licence (and, where applicable, an approval certificate) and will benefit from a transitional licence. This transitional licence will allow existing practitioners to continue to perform special procedures (as per their current registration document), whilst the new licence application is being submitted.
A transitional licence/approval certificate will be automatically issued to all existing registered premises and practitioners, and there will be no requirement for you to apply for this.
An application for a licence under the new scheme must be made within this 3 month period (by 21st February 2025).
If you do not obtain a licence and, where applicable, a premises/vehicle approval certificate by the end of the transition period you will not be able to practice legally. There will be no exceptions to the requirement to obtain a licence/certificate and no extensions of time.
Fees
Please see the fees below 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.
| Licence Type | New | Renewal |
|---|
| Special Procedures Licence (3 years). |
£203.00 |
£189.00 |
| Licence Fees | Fee |
|---|
|
Temporary Special Procedure Licence (max 7 days).
|
£92.00 |
| Variation of Special Procedures Licence (add new procedure). |
£131.00 |
| Variation of Special Procedures Licence (change of detail). |
£26.00 |
| Replacement of Special Procedure Licence. |
£13.00 |
Licence period
This Special Procedure Licences lasts for a period of 3 years from the date the licence is issued. Temporary licences are valid for no more than 7 days.
Eligibility
The applicant must be 18 years of age or over.
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 valid insurance cover in respect of the performance of a special procedure.
- Evidence of a recent basic disclosure certificate (DBS)
- 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, utilitybill etc.).
Processing & 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 practitioners are available in The Special Procedure Licences (Wales) Regulations 2024 (senedd.wales).
The overarching regulation which sets out the legal framework for Special Procedures and other legal requirements is the Public Health (Wales) Act 2017 (Part 4)
Contact us
For any enquires regarding the special procedures licensing scheme, please email foodsafety-healthandsafety@conwy.gov.uk
Further guidance
The Welsh Government is due to publish non-statutory guidance for the Special Procedures Licensing Scheme, which will provide detailed information on the requirements of the licensing scheme, how to apply for a licence and an approval certificate, how to comply with the license and approval conditions and the enforcement powers available to the local authority.
Public Health Wales (PHW) will also be publishing the Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Guidance for Special Procedures in Wales, which will provide more detailed information and guidance on IP&C measures and how they can be applied in the special procedures sector.
These documents have yet to be published, and it is anticipated to be available soon. The links to these guidance documents will appear here, once they become available.