HOW TO HIRE · HEALTH & WELLBEING

How to hire a massage therapist in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

No register applies to massage therapists in any UK nation; London boroughs license massage premises. Here are the checks that matter and what to ask.

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THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a massage therapist in five steps

  1. Know that no register appliesAsk for the qualification and the awarding body instead, and check it.
  2. In London, ask about the licenceMassage premises in most boroughs need a special treatment licence.
  3. Tell the therapist about your healthInjuries, pregnancy, blood clots, skin conditions, recent surgery, medicines.
  4. Agree length, pressure and price30, 60 or 90 minutes; the areas to work; what add-ons cost.
  5. Speak up during the massageToo firm, too cold, uncomfortable — a good therapist adjusts without fuss.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

No statutory register or licence applies to massage therapists as people in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, and the title is not protected. Some massage therapists join accredited voluntary registers; that is a choice, not regulation. What the law does protect is health titles: a massage therapist may not call themselves a physiotherapist unless they are on the HCPC Register.

Ask the massage therapist for the qualification, who awarded it and when, and check with that body.

Special treatment licence (London)

In Greater London (not the City of London) the borough licenses premises used for massage with a Special Treatments Licence, under Part II of the London Local Authorities Act 1991 where the borough has adopted it; members of some practitioner bodies are exempt. Outside London, the council licences in England cover skin piercing and acupuncture, not massage.

In London, ask the massage therapist whether the premises hold a special treatment licence or which exemption applies; a mobile therapist working in your home is a question for the borough. gov.uk →

Insurance

No register sets an insurance requirement for a massage therapist, so ask. Public liability insurance covers injury or damage; professional indemnity covers harm from the treatment itself.

Ask the massage therapist for the insurer's name and the policy dates.

Trader status and cancellation terms

A massage therapist in business is a trader, and the Consumer Rights Act 2015 duty of reasonable care and skill applies. The 14-day cancellation right does not cover services related to leisure activities booked for a specific date (Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 28), so the therapist's own cancellation terms usually decide.

Read the cancellation and late-arrival terms before you book, and keep the confirmation.

VAT

Massage is standard-rated at 20%: massage therapists are not on a statutory register, so it is not covered by the health exemption. A therapist with VAT taxable turnover above £90,000 must register, charge VAT and show it as its own line; one under it charges none.

Ask whether the price includes VAT, and for the VAT number if the therapist adds it. gov.uk →

“What massage training do you hold, and from which body?”

A good answer: A named qualification and awarding body you can check, and any voluntary register they belong to.

“Are you insured for massage, and with whom?”

A good answer: An insurer's name and dates, offered without hesitation.

“In London: are these premises licensed for massage?”

A good answer: A special treatment licence from the borough, or a clear explanation of the exemption they rely on.

“What does a 60-minute massage include?”

A good answer: Consultation time, the areas covered, oils, and whether the hour is hands-on time.

“Is there anything about my health that rules massage out?”

A good answer: Questions about clots, recent surgery, pregnancy and skin before any massage starts — and advice to see your GP if needed.

“What pressure will you use, and how do I tell you to change it?”

A good answer: An agreed pressure and an invitation to say so at any point.

“Are hot stones, cupping or aromatherapy extra?”

A good answer: A price for each add-on, before the massage therapist starts.

Getting the quote right

  • Who actually attends a mobile massage — the therapist you booked or one sent in their place, employed or subcontracted
  • The session length and whether it is hands-on time
  • Add-ons priced separately — hot stones, cupping, aromatherapy oils
  • Travel charge for a mobile massage
  • The VAT number, and VAT at 20% as its own line — massage is outside the health exemption, and a therapist under £90,000 adds nothing
  • Cancellation and late-arrival rules
  • Any package price and what happens to unused sessions

Walk away if

  • Claims to be a physiotherapist without HCPC registration
  • No health questions before starting
  • Will not say how they are insured
  • London premises with no licence and no explanation
  • Pressure to buy a large package
  • Anything that makes you uncomfortable about draping or privacy
LOW
£40
TYPICAL
£50
HIGH
£80

What a massage therapist costs: £40–£80 per session

Massage therapists price by the session length — 30, 60 or 90 minutes — with add-ons and mobile visits charged on top. Massage Therapist price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

Massage therapists near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you.

  1. ConsultationHealth questions, problem areas and the pressure you like.
  2. Privacy and positioningYou undress to your comfort level and are covered with towels throughout.
  3. The massageThe agreed areas for the time booked, using oil or balm.
  4. Check-insThe therapist asks about pressure and comfort during the massage.
  5. AftercareAdvice on water, stretching and what to expect the next day.

Special Treatments Licence
The London borough licence for massage and similar premises.
Effleurage
Long, gliding strokes at the start and end of a massage.
Petrissage
Kneading strokes that work deeper into muscle.
Draping
Covering the body with towels, uncovering only the area worked.
Contraindication
A health reason not to massage, or to massage an area.
Voluntary register
A register a therapist chooses to join — not statutory regulation.

AFTER

When the job is done

Keep the receipt and notesWhat was treated and any advice — useful if you claim on a health plan or book again.
Notice how you feelMild soreness for a day can be normal after firm work; sharp or worsening pain is a reason to call.
Follow the aftercareWater, gentle stretching and rest as the therapist advised.
Rate the visitSay what the massage therapist did well and what they missed. Unhappy? The make-it-right step comes before the review is published.

STEP 1Raise it with the massage therapist, in writingName the problem and the fix you expect. When the massage from a massage therapist in business falls below reasonable care and skill — the standard section 49 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 sets — section 54 gives you the right to repeat performance or a price reduction.
STEP 2Use Locufy's make-it-right stepRate a booked massage therapist below four stars and you are asked whether to send it to them first; we follow it through. Then you review.
STEP 3Trading Standards, or the boroughNo regulator covers a massage therapist. If London premises are operating without a special treatment licence, tell the borough's licensing team; otherwise refer a massage therapist who will not engage to Trading Standards through Citizens Advice on 0808 223 1133 in England and Wales (0808 223 1144 in Welsh), Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 800 9060, or Consumerline on 0300 123 6262 in Northern Ireland.
STEP 4Small claims, if money is still owedIf the massage therapist will not refund or put it right, a small claim needs no solicitor: up to £10,000 in England and Wales, £5,000 under simple procedure in Scotland, and £5,000 in Northern Ireland.

Hiring a massage therapist: questions people ask

Not as people — no register or licence applies to massage therapists in any UK nation. In Greater London, massage premises usually need a special treatment licence from the borough.

Ask for the qualification and the awarding body, check with that body, and ask about insurance. Some therapists are on accredited voluntary registers you can search.

No. 'Physiotherapist' is protected and needs HCPC registration; a massage therapist cannot diagnose or treat injuries as a physiotherapist does.

£40 to £80 a session, typically around £50. Longer sessions, add-ons and mobile visits cost more. The massage therapist price guide breaks the range down, and the search above lists massage therapists near you with their prices.

If the therapist is VAT-registered, yes, at 20% — massage is not covered by the health exemption, which needs a statutory register.

Tell the therapist in writing and see your GP if needed. A therapist in business owes reasonable care and skill under the Consumer Rights Act 2015.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in health & wellbeing

How to hire: Deep Tissue MassageHow to hire: Swedish MassageHow to hire: Sports MassageHow to hire: Hot Stone MassageHow to hire: Aromatherapy MassageHow to hire: Pregnancy MassageHow to hire: ReflexologistHow to hire: PhysiotherapistAll 701 hiring guides →

Massage therapists near you

Massage therapists in LondonMassage therapists in ManchesterMassage therapists in BirminghamMassage therapists in GlasgowMassage therapists in BelfastAll massage therapists on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. gov.uk — tattoo, piercing and electrolysis licence (England and Wales; Special Treatments Licence in London)
  2. London Local Authorities Act 1991, Part II — special treatment licences
  3. HCPC — professions and protected titles
  4. gov.uk — Health professionals and pharmaceutical products (VAT Notice 701/57)
  5. Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 28 — exceptions to the right to cancel
  6. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  7. Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 30 — cancellation period
  8. Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 36 — services started in the cancellation period
  9. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 54 — consumer's rights for services
  10. Health professionals and pharmaceutical products (VAT Notice 701/57) — 2.5 Services that are not exempt from VAT (taxable at the standard rate)
  11. GOV.UK — VAT rates
  12. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register