The lack of effective laws regulating tattoo artists and piercers raises serious concerns for the safety of clients, employees, and public health.
This was stated by the Commissioner for Administration and Human Rights, Maria Stylianou-Lottides, in her report published on Thursday, October 30. According to her, such establishments operate without appropriate licenses and supervision, which creates significant risks for the health and safety of citizens.
“Long-term government inaction and failure to implement existing legislation puts customers, workers and public health at risk,” Lottides said.
According to current regulations, a tattoo parlor or piercing studio can only operate legally if it has a certificate from an accredited laboratory issued by the Ministry of Health. However, at the moment there are simply no such laboratories in Cyprus. This means that it is impossible to obtain the necessary license, and the entire industry actually remains outside the legal framework.
The report was prompted by a complaint from a professional tattoo artist whose application for registration was rejected. The registration committee's review lasted a whole year and ended with a verbal refusal without any written explanation, indicating a lack of transparency in the process.
“Even if the applicant presented a diploma or relevant certificate, registration would still be impossible - because accredited laboratories simply do not exist,” the report notes.
The Commissioner explained that to date, no tattoo or piercing center has received official approval from the Council. Without a license, no specialist has the right to work legally.
Lottides also emphasized that some salons continue to operate without permits and without inspections by health authorities, which creates additional threats to the safety of the public.
She called for a new legislative framework and accused the Ministry of Health of inaction and lack of preventive measures.
“The lack of prior approvals and subsequent consequences clearly demonstrate the lack of systemic control by the inspection department of the Ministry of Health,” she said. “This problem affects many people and requires an immediate solution.”
Source: cyprus-mail.com
