Under the Massage Establishments (ME) Act 2017, the licensee of a licensed ME is required to seek the prior approval of the Licensing Officer before an employee is allowed to work in the Massage Establishment.
Criteria for Grant of Approval for Employment in a Massage Establishment
When making a decision on whether to grant approval, the Licensing officer must take the following into consideration:
- Whether the applicant has the requisite expertise, qualifications and approved training to perform the duty or duties employed for in the establishment
- Whether the individual is a fit and proper person to be employed to work in the establishment according to relevant Ministry guidelines
- Whether the grant of approval is contrary to the public interest
Employees must meet the following requirements:
- Must not have offered or provided, for consideration, any form of sexual service.
- Must not have engaged in any indecent act in the course of any employment.
- Must not have been convicted of any relevant offence under the Women’s Charter 1961.
- Must not have been convicted of any relevant offence under the Penal Code 1871.
“Relevant offence” means any offence under section 294, 354, 354A, 375, 376, 376A, 376AA, 376B, 376C, 376D, 376E, 376EA, 376EB, 376EC, 376ED, 376EE, 376F, 376H, 377BA, 377BB, 377BC, 377BD, 377BE, 377BF, 377BG, 377BH, 377BI, 377BJ, 377BK or 377BL, or section 509 as in force before 1 January 2020 of the Penal Code; or any offence under section 140, 141, 142, 145, 146, 146A, 147 or 148 of the Women’s Charter.
The Licensing Officer may also take into account other matters and evidence as may be relevant.
Restriction on Employment
- whom the licensee knows or has reason to believe is likely to engage in, or abet another person to engage in, the provision of sexual services;
- who is below 18 years of age; or
- who has not undergone and passed a medical health screening if required to do so by the Licensing Officer.
Please see the table below for the employment of foreigners for the various categories of licensed massage establishments.
| Criterion | Category I | Category I (Provisional)* |
Category II |
Category II (Provisional)* |
| Employment of Foreigners |
No restriction on foreigners, but subject to Ministry of Manpower’s approval |
Only Singapore Citizens, Singapore Permanent Residents and Malaysians with valid work permits will be allowed to work in the ME. |
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| Approval to Employ Individuals to Work in a Massage Establishment |
Approval must be obtained from the Police Regulatory Department (PRD) before any individual may be employed to work in a massage establishment. |
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Types of Application and Associated Fees
| Types of Applications | Validity | Fees (Non-refundable) |
| New Employee Approval Application |
Approval tagged to the validity of a Massage Establishment Licence |
$50 upon submission of application |
| Amend Existing Employee Approval Application |
N/A | N/A |
| Withdrawal of Existing Employee Application |
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| Cancel Existing Employee Approval |
New Employee
The licensee must submit an Approval for Employee via the GoBusiness e-services to obtain approval before any individual can work in a licensed massage establishment.
| Steps | Description |
| 1 | You may submit an Approval for Employee Application via Gobusiness portal |
| 2 | Log in as Business User using SingPass |
| 3 | Under ”My Licences”, select the active licence and click on the “Select Action” to Amend. |
| 4 | Under Type of Amendment, Select “Change of Employee Details” to Add New Employee. |
| 5 | Step 5: Follow the instructions thereafter to complete the transaction. |
Amend Employee’s Details
You may make the following amendments to your existing Employee Approval:
- Change of ID Type
- Change of Staff Post
| Steps | Description |
| 1 | You may submit an Amendment Application via Gobusiness portal |
| 2 | Log in as Business User using SingPass |
| 3 | Under ”My Licences”, select the active licence and click on the “Select Action” to Amend. |
| 4 | Under Type of Amendment, Select “Change of Employee Details” to Update Existing Employee. |
| 5 | Step 5: Follow the instructions thereafter to complete the transaction. |
Cancel Approval
When an employee ceases to be employed, the licensee must notify the Police Regulatory Department within 3 calendar days of termination of employment.
| Steps | Description |
| 1 | You may submit a cancellation Application via Gobusiness portal |
| 2 | Log in as Business User using SingPass |
| 3 | Under ”My Licences”, select the active licence and click on the “Select Action” to Amend. |
| 4 | Under Type of Amendment, Select “Change of Employee Details” to Terminate Existing Employee. |
| 5 | Step 5: Follow the instructions thereafter to complete the transaction. |
Withdrawal
You may withdraw your application for Employee Approval at any time before it is approved.
If the application has been approved, you will no longer be able to withdraw it and must make an application to cancel the approval instead.
| Steps | Description |
| 1 | You may withdraw your pending application via GoBusiness portal |
| 2 | Log in as Business User using SingPass |
| 3 | Under “My Submission”, select “Processing” and click on “Select Action” and withdraw the application. |
Documents Required
| Types of Documents | Category I (Provisional)* |
Category I |
Category II (Provisional)* | Category II |
| Valid Work Pass/Letter |
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| Relevant Recognised Certification |
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Processing Time
- Approximately 4 weeks from the receipt of the application and if all necessary supporting documents are enclosed (if required). Any incomplete or incorrect submission will be rejected.
- You will be notified of the outcome via SMS and/or Email. In the meantime, you may log in to GoBusiness to view your application status.
Submission of Application
- You will be directed to the GoBusiness Licensing web page. Have your SingPass ready to log in. The process may take around 15-20 minutes to complete.
- If you require assistance or guidance on the GoBusiness portal, please contact the helpdesk at (+65) 6336 3373 or email AskGoBiz@crimsonlogic.com.sg.