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The Singapore Police Force will implement changes to the massage establishment (ME) regulatory framework in the second half of 2026.

Currently, operators of open-concept MEs are exempted from licensing under the Massage Establishments (Exemption) Order 2018.They must simply comply with the exemption conditions, such as registering with the Police, and ensuring that there are no rooms, partitions or cubicles in the premises that would allow massage services to be administered in private.

Since the exemption took effect in 2018, the Police have observed a steady rise in public unhappiness, arising from the increase in number of open-concept MEs and the social disamenities they create. The Police have also observed an increase in vice-related activities and infringements of exemption conditions in open-concept MEs.

The Police intend to tighten the ME regulatory regime to address these concerns.

We intend to remove the exemption for open-concept MEs and replace it with a new Category 3 licence. Police also intend to make three other changes, applicable to Categories 1, 2 and 3 licencees, as follows:

1. Mandate the display of a Police-issued poster stating the licence number of the ME and a URL for the public to easily report regulatory breaches, to be affixed on ME shop-fronts; 
   
   
2. Extend the licence tenure for all ME categories to up to five years for compliant licensees, while retaining shorter licence tenures for errant and recalcitrant licensees; and
   
   
3. Remove the need for Police’s approval of employee uniforms and replace it with clear standards on uniform decency.

New Category 3 Licensing Regime for Open-Concept MEs

The Police will remove the exemption for open-concept MEs and require them to be licensed under a new Category 3. All  open-concept ME operators will be subject to more stringent licensing criteria, including the same “fit and proper” requirement to which Category 1 and 2 operators and employees (as defined under the Massage Establishments Act 2017) are already subject, and requirement to obtain the relevant land use approval from the Housing & Development Board or Urban Redevelopment Authority before the premises can be used as an open-concept ME. Operators must also comply with licensing conditions, including the requirement not to set up rooms, partitions or cubicles within the ME. 

Mandatory Poster to be Displayed at Shopfront

All ME licensees must henceforth display a Police-issued ME poster at their shopfront and ensure that it is clearly visible to the public. The poster will state the licence number, the key conditions of the licence, and include a URL for the public to easily report any breaches to the Police. Failure to display the poster will be an offence. 

Extended Licence Tenure for Compliant ME Licencees

To provide greater regulatory certainty for compliant ME operators and reduce their administrative burden, the Police will introduce longer tenure licences of up to five years, up from three years currently, for all ME categories. The Police will discontinue the existing progressive tenure system and grant longer tenures of three or five years from the outset. New Category 1 and 2 ME licensees will continue to be issued with a one-year provisional licence. Thereafter, they may be granted three- or five-year licences, depending on their compliance history. New Category 3 ME licensees will be issued licences with tenures of three or five years from the outset, subject to the Police's assessment.

Clear Uniform Standards

To reduce the administrative burden on operators, the Police will remove the current requirement for ME licensees to seek approval for employee uniforms. Instead, the Police will provide clear standards on uniform decency with which ME licensees must comply. Police will take enforcement actions against operators which do not adhere to the standards.

Industry Engagement and Implementation Timeline

The Police will engage the ME associations and ME operators to explain the regulatory changes before implementing the changes in the second half of 2026. 

Existing open-concept ME operators will be granted a grace period to apply for and obtain a licence, after the changes are implemented. During this grace period, existing operators may continue to operate their open-concept MEs. The Police will announce the operationalisation details after the engagements with the industry.