The prolonged failure to implement existing legislation governing tattoo artists and body piercers is placing clients, staff, and public health at risk, according to a report issued by the Ombudsperson.
The report highlights a paradox: current law requires professionals to present a certificate of practice commencement from an approved tattoo studio to be considered legal. However, to date, not a single studio in Cyprus has been approved or licensed, leaving all practitioners in a legal limbo.
“The prolonged inaction from the inability to implement the existing legislation… even to the extent possible, puts customers, staff, and public health at risk,” stated Ombudsperson Maria Stylianou Lottides.
Administrative paralysis
The Commissioner’s investigation was prompted by a complaint from a professional tattoo artist whose application to be registered was rejected orally and reviewed nearly a year after submission.
Lottides found that the Registration Council failed or neglected to communicate its decision—which was, in essence, a refusal—in writing to the complainant. This handling violates fundamental principles of Administrative Law, including the requirement for written justification and notification of legal remedies, essential for transparency and legal certainty.
Crucially, the Commissioner concluded that even if the complainant possessed all other necessary qualifications, the application would still be rejected because the prerequisite of providing a certificate from an approved studio cannot be met, as no such facility exists. This systemic failure is not the fault of the applicant, but the Ministry’s.
Risk to public health
The absence of any licensed studio means that no professional can currently practice legally, and consequently, no systematic control is being exercised by Health Ministry inspectors.
The Commissioner stressed that without the law’s effective implementation, there is an absence of licensed professionals and, critically, an absence of systematic checks to verify that sanitation and hygiene standards are being met to protect public health. The Commissioner further assigned responsibility to the Ministry of Health for failing to effectively enforce the legislation.
Lottides urged the Ministry to urgently amend the law to simplify the process for licensing studios and revise the professional qualifications. However, she warned that the current legislative inertia continues to expose the public to risk.
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