All massage shops must be licensed, display police-issued poster from Dec 1 - The Straits Times

There will be a one-year grace period for existing operators of open-concept massage establishments.

SINGAPORE – All massage shops, including open-concept ones, must be licensed from Dec 1 and display prominently on their shopfronts a police-issued poster containing details of their licences.

In a statement on Nov 5, the police said open-concept massage establishments are no longer exempted from requiring a massage establishment licence from Dec 1, and these operators must obtain a new Category 3 licence.

Also, the tenure for all three licence categories for massage shops will be extended to three or five years, as compared with one to three years for the current two categories.

In February, the police said that they would clamp down harder on massage parlours and salons involved in vice, and are reviewing the Massage Establishments Act.

Massage shop operators must get a licence from the police under the Act, although it currently exempts open-concept massage establishments, and beauty salons and hair salons that do not provide massage services.

The police then said in April that all massage establishments must be licensed from the second half of 2026.

From Dec 1, those who want to operate an open-concept massage shop must undergo a “fit and proper” assessment before it can be granted a Category 3 licence.

Massage establishments are currently licensed under Category 1 or 2; Category 1 shops are bigger, allow for foreign workers of any nationality with valid work passes, and have to be CaseTrust-accredited.

Applicants must also submit relevant land planning approval from the Housing Board or the Urban Redevelopment Authority for the premises to be used.

The approval from either agency also applies for current establishments in the other two categories that are renewing their licences.

Existing open-concept massage shop operators will get a one-year grace period, until Nov 30, 2027, to fall in line with the new regulations, failing which they will have to stop their operations, the police said.

Those that get a Category 3 licence before June 1, 2027, will receive 50% off the $340 fee for a three-year licence, or the $510 fee for a five-year licence.

Operators of open-concept shops must comply with requirements, such as allowing customers and the public to have an unobstructed view of the massage services being provided at all times, and not having structures that would allow massage services to be provided in private.

Minister for National Development Chee Hong Tat said in a Facebook post on Nov 5 that HDB has taken action on 26 cases involving vice activities across both sold and rental shops since January.

“HDB shop owners have a responsibility to ensure they do not turn a blind eye to vice activities on their premises, or they will face serious consequences,” he added.

“Our heartlands are home to families and communities, and we will ensure they remain a safe environment for all. We will continue to work closely with SPF to weed out such undesirable activities from our neighbourhoods.”

The police on Nov 5 said that all massage shop operators must clearly display on their shopfronts a police-issued poster containing details and key conditions of their licence, and a website link for the public to report breaches to the police.

Existing Category 1 and 2 massage shops have up to Jan 31, 2027, to fall in line with the new rule.

“Failure to display the poster will be an offence,” the police said.

However, Category 1 and 2 licensees will no longer need the police’s approval for their employees’ uniforms, unless they differ from the uniform standards – a shirt or blouse with sleeves bearing the establishment’s name or logo and the employee’s name, together with pants that are knee-length or longer.

All licensees, including those in the new Category 3, must ensure employees are not indecently dressed on the premises, the police said.

The police also said on Nov 5 that they will grant longer licence tenures of three or five years, as part of the Government’s efforts to review regulations and reduce administrative burden on businesses.

New Category 1 and Category 2 licensees will be issued a one-year provisional licence, before being granted licences of three or five years, depending on their compliance history.

This replaces and simplifies the current progressive licensing tenure model.

New Category 3 licensees will be issued licences of three or five years from the outset, subject to the police’s assessment and the applicant’s compliance record.

Those who wish to apply for the new Category 3 licence can go on the GoBusiness portal from Nov 5.

The process could take around four weeks, including a possible site inspection, where applicable, the police said.

Anyone convicted of operating a massage establishment without a valid licence may be fined up to $10,000, jailed for up to two years, or both.

Repeat offenders may be fined up to $20,000, jailed for up to five years, or both.