Getting your new massage practice off to a smooth start

  • Henk Herkink
  • Edited 5 January 2026
  • 2 min
  • Starting

You want to start your own business as a masseur. What do you need when you start your own practice? And what licences and certification do you need to arrange? Read here how to start a massage practice.

What do you need to arrange when starting a business?

Answer the questions on Business.gov.nl and see the steps that are important in your situation.

Create your to-do list

Registering with the Chamber of Commerce KVK

If you are going to start a massage practice, register your business with KVK. Check the entrepreneurial criteria for this. The KVK uses these to assess whether you are an entrepreneur. When you register, you also choose a legal structure. Most starters choose a sole proprietorship or a general partnership (vof).

Take a training course

Anyone in the Netherlands can set themselves up as a massage therapist. No specific training or qualifications are required. Do you want to provide quality and expertise? you can enrol in a training course at the NGS (Netherlands Association of Massage Therapists), or a similar programme with an equivalent qualification. For example, look for courses recognised by the Stichting Belangen Associatie Therapeut en Consument (Foundation for Interest Association of Therapists and Consumers, BATC) or Kwaliteit en Toetsing Natuurgerichte Opleidingen (Quality and Testing Nature-oriented Training Courses, KTNO).

Licence

If you take your exam at NGS and get your diploma, you will receive an NGS licence. This is proof of your knowledge of the profession. The licence is valid for 5 years. To keep your licence valid beyond those 5 years, further training (in Dutch) is compulsory. With another diploma of the same quality, you can also apply for a licence from the NGS.

Finding a business location

Decide on a location where you would like to establish your massage practice. You could, for example, look for a practice space inside a gym or physiotherapy practices. This will keep you physically close to existing clients and put you in contact with new ones.

If you are establishing a home practice, check your mortgage agreement or lease to see of you are allowed to start a business from your home. Contact your bank or landlord to discuss your plans, if necessary. You should also take into account your municipality's environment plan. A general rule is that your neighbours should not experience any disturbance. And displaying advertising signs outside your home is not permitted. 

Finding clients

Determine who your clients are based on your specialisation. As an office massage therapist, your clients consist of business owners who want to prevent staff absenteeism due to work stress. As a sports massage therapist, you can focus on a specific sport, such as running. Collaboration with sports clubs, gyms, general practitioners, sports physicians, and physiotherapists can also help you get new clients, for example through referrals.

Applying for certification

Some health insurance providers cover massage treatments by sports masseurs. In order to meet the requirements of the health insurance companies you must:

  1. Apply for certification (in Dutch) from Stichting Certificering Actoren in de sportgezondheidszorg (Certification Association for Sports Health Care Professionals/SCAS).
  2. Receive your Algemeen GegevensBeheer-code (AGB code, in Dutch) through Vektis.

You must list your SCAS registration number and your AGB code on your invoice. Your client will send this invoice to the health insurance company, and they will subsequently pay you.

General starter information

In addition to the above topics, as a starting entrepreneur you will also have to deal with:

Also of interest