Open-concept massage parlours to require licences under new police rules
The stricter rules come amid an increase in vice-related activities and a "steady rise in public unhappiness", said the Singapore Police Force.
A massage establishment which was raided by police officers between Aug 4 and 11, 2021. (File photo: Singapore Police Force)
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SINGAPORE: The Singapore Police Force (SPF) will tighten regulations on massage businesses later this year, it said on Tuesday (Apr 21).
Under a new regulatory framework, open-concept massage establishments will no longer be exempt from licensing, SPF said in a news release.
The move comes after the police observed a rise in vice-related activities and infringements of exemption conditions in open-concept massage establishments (MEs), and amid a steady increase in public unhappiness because of the "number of open-concept MEs and the social disamenities they create", SPF said.
Massage establishments are currently grouped into two licence categories.
Category 1 licences are granted to those that operate in HDB shop houses, shopping centres and hotels, while Category 2 licences are for shops located away from residential areas, schools and places of worship.
Open-concept massage establishments have been exempt from licensing since 2018, and only have to comply with exemption conditions such as registering with the police and ensuring that there are no rooms, partitions or cubicles in their premises that would allow massage services to be administered in private.
Under the new rules, which will come into effect in the second half of 2026, the exemption will be removed and replaced by the new Category 3 licence.
Open-concept massage establishments under the new category will be subject to more stringent licensing, including the requirement to obtain the relevant land-use approval from the Housing and Development Board (HDB) or Urban Redevelopment Authority before the premises can be used as an open-concept massage establishment.
"Operators must also comply with licensing conditions, including the requirement not to set up rooms, partitions or cubicles within the ME," SPF said.
"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," SPF added.
HDB will be working closely with SPF to clamp down on errant massage establishments, Minister for National Development Chee Hong Tat said.
"Errant operators will not be permitted to continue their illegal business activities in our neighbourhoods, regardless of whether they are operating out of HDB rental or sold shops," Mr Chee added.
"We will weed them out and not allow such undesirable activities to spread in our housing estates and affect the living environment for residents."
SPF also said it will make three other changes, which will apply to all categories of licencees.
Establishments must prominently display an SPF-issued poster at their shopfront that states the operator's licence number and key licence conditions, and includes a web link for the public to report any breaches to the police.
The posters must be clearly visible to the public. Failure to display the poster will be an offence, SPF said.
To reduce administrative burden, SPF will also extend the licence tenures of compliant licencees for up to five years, compared to the current three years.
New Category 1 and 2 licensees will continue to be issued a one-year provisional licence before the operators are reassessed, depending on their compliance history.
New Category 3 licencees will be issued licences valid for up to three or five years from the outset, subject to the SPF's assessment.
Lastly, SPF will remove the need for establishments to seek its approval for employee uniforms and replace the requirement with "clear standards on uniform decency".
