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Becoming a hairdresser: Italy, Germany, UK and USA

In Italy you cannot legally work as a hairdresser without the professional qualification set by Law 174/2005: a two-year regional course plus a specialisation or working year, ending in a technical-practical exam. Every salon must have a qualified technical manager. Here is how it works here — and abroad.

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Italy: Law 174/2005

Hairdressing in Italy is regulated by Law no. 174 of 17 August 2005. The licence (abilitazione) is earned by passing a technical-practical exam after one of the prescribed paths: a two-year regional qualification course followed by a one-year specialisation or a year of qualified salon work; or three years of qualified employment plus a regional theory course (300 hours in Piedmont, for example); or an apprenticeship plus a working year and the theory course. Private courses not recognised by the Region don't count.

Opening a salon requires a SCIA filing with the municipality and registration in the Business Register — and every location must designate a qualified responsabile tecnico (technical manager) present during opening hours. Working unqualified carries fines from €250 to €5,000.

Germany: the dual system and the Meisterbrief

In Germany, Friseur/in is a regulated craft: three years of dual training (salon + vocational school) ending with the Gesellenprüfung, the journeyman exam certified by the Chamber of Crafts. To run your own salon you normally need the Meisterbrief — the master craftsman diploma, now also titled "Bachelor Professional" — because hairdressing is a licensed craft listed in Annex A of the Handwerksordnung.

UK and USA: two extremes

The UK requires no qualification by law: the professional register created in 1964 is voluntary and only about 10% of British hairdressers are on it (NVQ/VTCT qualifications are the de facto standard). The US is the opposite: every state requires a cosmetology licence — New York demands a 1,000-hour approved course plus written and practical state exams; Pennsylvania 1,250 school hours or a 2,000-hour registered apprenticeship. Texas additionally requires continuing education to keep the licence.

Why training never ends

Colour theory, new techniques, product chemistry and safety evolve every year — exactly what licensing exams test in every country. That's why at Follow Me Parrucchieri ongoing training is part of the job, not an optional extra.

Last updated: June 2026