FAQs – New standard and guidelines for cosmetic surgery and procedures

The registration standard for endorsement comes into effect on 1 July 2023. There are no approved qualifications yet. Applications for endorsement will be available when the standard is in effect and there are approved qualifications.

There are no approved qualifications yet. Practitioners who have an approved qualification (from a set date) will be able to apply for an endorsement on their registration.

To be eligible for a cosmetic surgery endorsement applicants must have an approved qualification or another qualification that is substantially equivalent to an approved qualification. When there are approved qualification(s) for cosmetic surgery endorsement, the Board will provide information about the process for having a qualification assessed to determine whether it is another qualification that, in the Board’s opinion, is substantially equivalent to, or based on similar competencies to, an approved qualification.

The guidelines apply to all registered medical practitioners who perform cosmetic surgery and/or non-surgical cosmetic procedures, regardless of their registration type or endorsement. This includes medical practitioners who prescribe cosmetic injectables for them to be administered by another person. 

1 July 2023. All medical practitioners providing cosmetic surgery and/or non-surgical cosmetic procedures must comply with the revised guidelines from 1 July 2023.

New (2023) Guidelines for medical practitioners who perform cosmetic surgery and procedures apply from 1 July 2023.

Previous (2016) Guidelines for registered medical practitioners who perform cosmetic medical and surgical procedures applied to 30 June 2023.

For patients whose consultations and surgery are before 1 July 2023 – the practitioner must comply with the 2016 guidelines.

For patients whose consultations are after 1 July 2023 – the practitioner must comply with new 2023 guidelines.

All surgery occurring from 1 July 2023 must comply with new 2023 guidelines (for example, facilities and aftercare), regardless of when the surgery was booked.

For patients whose consultations were before 1 July 2023 but whose surgery is after 1 July 2023 – the practitioner must comply with the 2016 guidelines for the consultations and the new 2023 guidelines for the surgery.

The guidelines apply to all registered medical practitioners who advertise cosmetic surgery regardless of their registration type or endorsement. They do not apply to the advertising of non-surgical cosmetic procedures. There is guidance in the Guidelines for registered medical practitioners who perform cosmetic surgery and procedures for medical practitioners advertising non-surgical cosmetic procedures.

1 July 2023. All cosmetic surgery advertising by registered medical practitioners, including existing websites and practitioners’ social media sites, must comply with the new guidelines from 1 July 2023.