Traveling abroad with massage

I'm interested in working in France this summer and can't find the licensure requirements anywhere online. Also, If anyone has any useful information about practicing Massage in Southern France or Nice, that would be most helpful.
Thanks!!!

Marita in Roswell, Georgia said: I'm interested in working in France this summer and can't find the licensure requirements anywhere online. Also, If anyone has any useful information about practicing Massage in Southern France or Nice, that would be most helpful.
Thanks!!!

From what I have heard massage is a 4 year degree over there. They scoff at our measly 500 to 1000 hours of training. Massage is usually done by nurses and chiropractors I think. I have been wanting to travel around Europe, and do massage when I am out of school too. There might be ways around it, and I don't know how strict it is ... but i guess it is worth looking into more?! hope that helps.

It varies form one country to the next, significantly. Some countries you won't need a license, others you'll need a tremendous amount. I always laugh that many MTs in our profession get so worked up about the term "masseuse", when french masseuses have four to eight times as much school under their belts as those in the U.S.

Where I lived in Panama, a license isn't required. It's the same in many South American countries. This can have it's own set of issues that arise though. One is usually better off advertising to the ex-patriots in these countries as many locals don't see the profession of massage as "professional" and you can risk being hit on.

Let me know if anyone finds out about the Spain requirements. I plan on staying there few months soon, it would be fun to massage there too.

Casey Shea in Seattle, Washington said: I'm hoping to travel this summer and wondering about getting international LMP certification. Has anyone done this? Ireland is my destination.

Did you ever get a response to this question? I have the same destination in mind. Thanks

No response regarding this. Let me know if you find anything out. I have a friend from Ireland traveling here, I will be getting more infoo soon.

There are a few people I can talk to as well. I will keep you posted. Thanks and good luck

Many thanks for the input. I'm working in the states again now, traveling abroad with bodywork has been on the back burner, but I sincerely appreciate the commentary. I'm sure there will come a time in the future when I'm looking into this again and everyone's feedback has been helpful.

There is no real licensing system here in Ireland. It is totally up to the employer recognising the qualification and once it is insurable.

I was hoping to work state side with massage but am unsure as the state licensing, how would I got about getting it??

I practice massagein Ohio and it has become a very regulated within the last few years. The licensing varies state to state. Most are around 500 hours of schooling or more. Ohio is 700 and is one of the highest. Im not sure if your schooling in Ireland would transfer here. You would have to take a state medical board test and perhaps even a national certification. Some states have no requirements! It just depends! Does Ireland cover massage under medical insurance, or is it more of a luxury?

Majority of ot is luxury, although some private insurance policies are starting to part re-emberse clients I know Bupa is one that does and also Vhi if you want to look at their websites.

I am a massage therapist in Virginia in the United States and am interested in living in Italy and Spain and practicing massage there. Any information on licensing requirements woudl be greatly appreciated!

Rachelita in Omaha, Nebraska said: I was in Spain a few months ago doing massage with my Uncle at his clinic. My Uncle has lived there for 8 years and had no difficulty with his massage licensing...I don't think it is very strict over there.

Hi Rachelita,

I am planning to be in europe for the summer and am looking for somewhere to do massage. Does your uncle need anyone for the summer.

I am graduating from a College of Massage Therapy Association accredited school. I would also like to travel abroad, and I know of only a few employers who offer this service stateside. I would like to work for them, however, they usually just hire locals for a one time gig. It seems to me that going to work for an individual that travels, such as an athlete or a musician etc is the way to go, I just need to locate one. Any ideas?

Wendy LMT in Dayton, Ohio said: I would also like to travel to Ireland and do Massage, anyone know the qualifications and if it is a worthy field in Ireland. Also, can I practice it being a USA citizen

Ireland massage therapist are self regulating and have their own qualifications procedure. www.massageireland.org/

You can not work in Ireland without a work permit unless you are an EU citizen. They discuss this on the Massage Therapist Association link I gave you.

Thanks for your help. I have been to Ireland numerous times and it appears that Massage Therapy is not very popular YET. Correct me if I am wrong. I do hope to travel abroad with a work visa someday and do massage, perahaps London has better oppurtunities?

Rachelita, how are you?
I just stumbled upon your email and am looking to work in Spain at a clinic/spa/wellness center while for a week or two. I am a 15 year L.M.T. with much experience internationally and domestic.
If you don't mind to pass on the information, what clinic is your uncle's and what part of Spain.

Many Blessings,
Wendy

Hannah Courtney in Cork, Ireland said: There is no real licensing system here in Ireland. It is totally up to the employer recognising the qualification and once it is insurable.

I was hoping to work state side with massage but am unsure as the state licensing, how would I got about getting it??

Although this industry is not regulated you cannot get a job doing massage, insurance and you cannot get insured without training, you e to hold a certificate in Swedish or holistic massage or beauty therapy where massage therapy is a componant of, The examining bodies and qualification distributers being CIBTAC AND ITEC,.For anyone comming to Ireland and wanted to work in massage there are exceptions and foreign training courses overseas certs are excepted in most cases

I've read you have to either be a citizen or have a work permit before obtaining employment in another country. Is this alwways the case? It was just mentioned above. What about the UK/Ireland (or nothern Ireland). Went to an international massage school which requires alot fewer hours to obtain a certificate/diploma. Any info would be helpful-thanks

elements137 in Medford, Oregon said: From what I have heard massage is a 4 year degree over there. They scoff at our measly 500 to 1000 hours of training. Massage is usually done by nurses and chiropractors I think. I have been wanting to travel around Europe, and do massage when I am out of school too. There might be ways around it, and I don't know how strict it is ... but i guess it is worth looking into more?! hope that helps.

it s actually a 3 yr course, but to practice massage as a beautician, you need to have a beautician degree, you will practice massages (called modelages, for beauticians, as they are only leisure massages) and they ll probably ask you to do some facials, nail treatments, and other body treatments as well.
As concerning massages, they usually practice californian massage, bali massage, reflexology, ayurvedic massage etc
I have myself an ITEC certification for swedish massage and reflexology but in France (my home country) it's only a plus with a beautician cert. There is no cert recognised for massage except the kiné ones (medical, 3yr course).

Hope this helped.

vanessa in Aixe, France said: it s actually a 3 yr course, but to practice massage as a beautician, you need to have a beautician degree, you will practice massages (called modelages, for beauticians, as they are only leisure massages) and they ll probably ask you to do some facials, nail treatments, and other body treatments as well.
As concerning massages, they usually practice californian massage, bali massage, reflexology, ayurvedic massage etc
I have myself an ITEC certification for swedish massage and reflexology but in France (my home country) it's only a plus with a beautician cert. There is no cert recognised for massage except the kiné ones (medical, 3yr course).

Hope this helped.

vanessa.....i've been a practicing massage therapist here in a spa town in northern california for 13 yrs. i have state certification, have also passed a national exam. i am planning on coming to live in france for a few months, perhaps starting this october, and this could lead to moving to france shortly thereafter. i would love to do my massage work over there and not just as 'travail noir'. i have an e.u. passport.

i would appreciate comments and suggestions.

just got back from being in australia for a year and doing massage therapy over there. heading to spain in may, does anyone know if it's easy to find a massage job there?

Hi,

I just came back from living 7 years in Paris, France.... where I was grad student and then worked in marketing for a company.

As far as I know, its not "getting a liscence' to pratice massage in France, Italy, etc... that would be hard, it is:

- Getting a WORK PERMIT to live and work in Europe. If you happen to have an EU passport, then you can move to Europe and THEN deal with the liscencing process. However, as an American with NO WORK PAPERS, there is little to no chance that you will be hired. Europe has a lot of unemployment.

If you want to live in Europe, better to go as an English teacher.

V

I am an LMT for 11 years, thinking of traveling to do some work elsewhere...How can I get started? I have worked in Pain Management for most of my 11 years, however, I worked in a few salons over the years...Help!

www.massageireland.org/faqs/working-in-ireland.html

All the information for Ireland is here.

I may relocate to the UAE. Does anyone know what the requirements are for massaging in Abu Dhabi and Dubai? Is there an international Massage License? If so, how does one obtain that license? Also, if anyone has ever massaged in the UAE, I would love to hear about your experience. Thanks!

For anyone looking to practice massage in the U.S. here is the current listing of requirements for each state:
www.massagetherapy.com/careers/stateboards.php

A great older article about practicing massage in Europe:
www.massagetherapy.com/articles/index.php?article_id=980

I found the following page that explains the requirements for some European locations:
www.massage.ca/regulation_and_licensing_uk.html

Hi - Great Site!

I'm moving to Atlanta, GA in a few weeks. I've been a qualified massage therapist/reflexologist for five years and an Esthetician for fifteen years. Do I have to get the state license to work or will some spas hire me based on my european qualifcations and experience? I've looked into schools - wow!! I don't really want to have to pay to go back to school.

Thanks in advance for your help!

globalstacy in Caldwell, Texas said: just got back from being in australia for a year and doing massage therapy over there. heading to spain in may, does anyone know if it's easy to find a massage job there?

Quick question.... I'm relocating to Australia by August, where in AU were you, good enough business there? and any insurance or association membership are need it? Thank you for any info.

Richard in Lake Worth, Florida said: Quick question.... I'm relocating to Australia by August, where in AU were you, good enough business there? and any insurance or association membership are need it? Thank you for any info.

i was up in the beautiful whitsundays working on lindeman island! the spa i worked in was a contract company called payne industries but the spa itself was a part of club med! no insurance or membership stuff do deal with! if you head that way and look into payne industries make sure they put you there and don't put you in any of their other island spa's! i only say that because club med is pretty much always busy minus feb/march! and it's super fun and a place i wish i could still be! hope it helps! =)

Looking to leave the USA. Looking either South America OR Europe, I have friends who use to live in London, but I looking seriously getting out of America.

ProTherapist in Jefferson, Georgia said: Looking to leave the USA. Looking either South America OR Europe, I have friends who use to live in London, but I looking seriously getting out of America.

Has anyone got an answer on the licensing requirements for practicing massage therapy in France? Intending to move there next year but I'm still not sure what license is required

If you have any questions, or recommend about moving abroad, or working in any country, you can ask everything you want on www.forumtraveling.com

My Honourable Sir/Madam,
I am a male, a masseur (massager) here in Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates). I've been serving my valued clients through giving them quality massage. I provide massage like; Swedish, Deep Tissue, Sports and, full-body oil massage to male & female clients of different ages at their own residence. And I do always satisfy my clients. I do possess best quality massage oils which give the best results.
The distinctive feature of my way of massage is: I fondle the whole body dry and then, I apply oil.
Here's my short portfolio:-
My name is Shoulders,
27 male,
71 kg,
5' 6 '',
Fair complexion,
Muscular,
Good physique,
Bachelors education.
Would be sincere and dedicated.

My Cellphone No. : 055 - 31 74 670.

Kindly contact me through SMS text message, Phone call for an appointment. Please prior intimation is essential to avoid any inconvenience.
Best regards

Shoulders.

I foun my self been bery good over oll hiling people,I love it.

Blanca Clayton

hi guys

im looking for some advice, im thinking of going to vanvouver for a year to have a working holiday, iv just finished uni, i hav BA honours degree in complementary healthcare, what i need to know is to work as a therapist in canada will i need to do further studies or register with any proffesional body before i can massage any clients

thanks

Meagan Holub LMT in Seattle, Washington said: It varies form one country to the next, significantly. Some countries you won't need a license, others you'll need a tremendous amount. I always laugh that many MTs in our profession get so worked up about the term "masseuse", when french masseuses have four to eight times as much school under their belts as those in the U.S.

Where I lived in Panama, a license isn't required. It's the same in many South American countries. This can have it's own set of issues that arise though. One is usually better off advertising to the ex-patriots in these countries as many locals don't see the profession of massage as "professional" and you can risk being hit on.

Let me know if anyone finds out about the Spain requirements. I plan on staying there few months soon, it would be fun to massage there too.

I am fron Sydney and I am a qualified massage therapist. Most people can advertised in the website about massage services. majority of clients don't really care about your Licens. If you have a good hands they will come back to you. Some chiropractors will hire you to work in their center to offer massage services to their clients.

However, Australia is really hard to get the qualifications. They will not honor your certificate from the country you come from. They will require you to study in Australia before you get accepted into a professional associations. The study of massage in Australia can be very expensive to international travellers and it usually take from 12 months to 18 months before you get your Australian massage diploma.

Vic Leuterio

Richard in Lake Worth, Florida said: Quick question.... I'm relocating to Australia by August, where in AU were you, good enough business there? and any insurance or association membership are need it? Thank you for any info.

Hi Richard,

my name is Vic and I am a nurse massage therapist. My flatmate is from Slovakia and he works in my flat as a masseur he makes good money. He put his add in the internet and I helped him stablished his practice in Sydney. Australia.

When he move back home to his country I will need another person to continue the practice in my place. Let me know if you are interested. Send me an email to nursemasseur@yahoo.com.au

I can help you out to get into a professional associations if you have some papers to show.

vic

Hi,

I would like to know if it is allowed to work as a spa(massage)therapist in France with English(ITEC) diplomas.

I'm originally Japanese.I'm actually living and working as a massage therapist in France at the moment.
I'd been in England for 6years, studying and working, got ITEC diplomas of Holistic massage,Reflexology,Aromatherapy, also several certificates such as deep tissue, pregnancy massage etc.
I moved to France with my French husband 2yrs ago and tried to find a job here 1year ago. One of the balneotherapy spa which I just popped in and left my CV,picked me up and since then I've been working there as a part time.The spa offers sauna,steam room, jacuzzi,swimming pool, massages,reflexology and facial treatments.

Obviously my French is not fluent but the tasks are the same which I used do in England so not that hard.
All of my colleagues are French and certificated and studied as an esthetician.

So my massages from England seem to be rare(similar to the kinesitherapie,people say)and have good feedbacks from the clients.

But one of my japanese acquaintance told me I'm not allowed to work with foreign diplomas in France, I can only allowed to touch the people's hands, so she is trying to be self-employed to do the Nail treatment with an Japanese diploma.

Since she told me this, I am very uncomfortable to work and can not be confident and proud.

But when I was searching a job 1 year ago, I went to a job centre(Pole emploi) to register. I got an iterview with the staff there and she didn't say anything about my foreign diplomas, she was rather interested in my CV and after a few days, she called me for the private massage at home!

So I am confused like some people above, but I would really like to work in France correctly/legally.

If someone(maybe French people)know about infos,details, please let me know.
It will be really appriciated.

Thank you,

Miki

Hi Everyone,
I was wondering if you might have some advice for me, im a qualified massage therapist with 7 years experience, from London. Im now in israel considering working as a massage therapist, any ideas.. I have found out that it is legal for me to work here,, as i have both passports, was wondering if i needed insurance, and was told that hotels may be a good place to start.. Any ideas, suggestions would be much appreciated. With thanks,
Dana

Anyone gone to College of CranioSacral Therapy in London? I would love to move from FL to London for a year to study and work?

Hello,i would like to ask if possible to get any job with classical-segmental,thai feet massages.I know deep tissue is required to work in spa,but maybe there are exceptions.IF anyone knows about massages let me know,i prefer do massage for men,though i am men.I know you have to extend mind and massage women as well.Currently i am studying for 1st basic level certificate,then i go for more.

Richard I'm also a certified massage therapist in the USA and the only online resource I'm aware of to certify is massagelicense.org - another option is to look into offerings by the International Massage Institute, this gets you into the field where you can at least qualify for hands-on work.

Best of luck!

Guys come to Lithuania we need massagists.If you know a bit Lithuanian,thats awesome.We have massage schools here too,not much but we do have.Living is cheap bring 5000 USD and you can build your therapy salon.Prices are cheap here for living,but you have to work hard.
I hope it helps^^

Taylor in Dowagiac, Michigan said: Richard I'm also a certified massage therapist in the USA and the only online resource I'm aware of to certify is massagelicense.org - another option is to look into offerings by the International Massage Institute, this gets you into the field where you can at least qualify for hands-on work.

Best of luck!

Thank you Taylor, Ill check that website up. Are you in Michigan or AU?

I have a diploma from a nice school and got a good grade on the diploma, but then could not pass the certification exam, i even spent months and bought a study kit that was like 200$ i would get all 100's and 97's on the 3,000 questions they had. I still failed by a few points each time. I would like to work in Ga for donations. Is this possible? to work in my church say it's a mandatory donation then give my church a portion of that for letting me work there?

Tybaltkilla08 in Moultrie, Georgia said: I have a diploma from a nice school and got a good grade on the diploma, but then could not pass the certification exam, i even spent months and bought a study kit that was like 200$ i would get all 100's and 97's on the 3,000 questions they had. I still failed by a few points each time. I would like to work in Ga for donations. Is this possible? to work in my church say it's a mandatory donation then give my church a portion of that for letting me work there?

www.massagetherapy.com/_content/careers/MTreg.pdf
Above is a link to the listing of all states that require registration or licensing (who also usually require active liability insurance before you can lay hands on anyone). There are only 6 states that don't require any completion of a licensing/registration test, and unfortunately GA is one that requires it.
Your test results should have shown you what areas of the test you need to focus your studies on. Most accredited schools offer free licensing test workshops. I would check with the school you graduated from about any such workshops, or see if they will let you post a flier about meeting up with students about to graduate and hold study groups. Good luck.

Marita in Roswell, Georgia said: I'm interested in working in France this summer and can't find the licensure requirements anywhere online. Also, If anyone has any useful information about practicing Massage in Southern France or Nice, that would be most helpful.
Thanks!!!

Hi have you heard any more regarding this? I think there is an acreditation you have to do and it varies from region to region. If anyone knows please share the knowledge :)

Thanks

Richard in Lake Worth, Florida said: Quick question.... I'm relocating to Australia by August, where in AU were you, good enough business there? and any insurance or association membership are need it? Thank you for any info.

I ve been in Sydney for a year (i am japanese) and worked as a massage therapist. I am getting diploma of remedial massage in a month in addition to certificate 4 (which is based on Swedish massage technique) I ve already got.
Depends on which massage clinic/shop you wanna work for, but you can get a job pretty easily in some local massage shop without any certification/working visa (i have only a student visa for now) if you have an experience as a massage therapist.
However, once you get a diploma in australia, you can join to a massage association and can get an insurance, which means you can have much more choices of job.

Here are the most common associations in AU.
www.maa.org.au/
aamt.com.au/

Good luck!

Thanks for the info man, yeah actually im getting a residence visa and planning on applying for the association membership, good to know that work its not hard to find. and appreciated for the links man.... best of lucks

Hi
I travel around massaging and I'm having a hard time finding international liability insurance. Does anyone have any info?

Thanks.