Nail Salon Requirements in Lithuania: Hygiene, Premises and Equipment

The requirements for a manicure room in Lithuania are set out in hygiene norm HN 117:2007 "Health safety requirements for beauty services" (current consolidated version – effective from 2022-01-04). In short: you need a permit-hygiene passport to operate, the premises must not be residential, they must have a hand-wash basin, adequate ventilation and lighting of at least 500 lux at the workstation, and tools must be cleaned, disinfected and, if cuticles are cut, sterilised in line with the annex to the norm. Below you will find a practical summary and a checklist.

This is an informational summary, not legal advice. For your specific situation, check with the department of the National Public Health Centre (NVSC) covering your business location.

Which regulations apply to manicure services

• HN 117:2007 – approved by Order No. V-633 of the Minister of Health of 1 August 2007. It is mandatory for anyone fitting out premises for beauty services and for the service providers themselves. The norm defines nail care services as manicure, pedicure and the application of artificial nail extensions.
• Permit-hygiene passport (LHP). Under point 6 of the norm, beauty service activity may only be carried out with this permit. On the NVSC list, nail care services are named among the activities for which an LHP is required.

The norm divides beauty services into two categories – which determines how tools are handled:

Manicure room requirements for the premises: area, water, ventilation, lighting

The norm does not set a specific floor area, but it does specify which rooms or zones must be provided:

• a service room and a waiting room or a separate area for waiting clients;
• a staff room – this may be omitted if there is space elsewhere for separate wardrobes for work and personal clothing;
• an auxiliary room for work supplies – this may be omitted if there is enough space for supplies elsewhere;
• a toilet – or a shared toilet in the same building no more than 50 m away;
• a room for cleaning, disinfecting and sterilising instruments, or a separate zone within the service room.

Microclimate and services (point 18):

• air temperature of at least 18 °C, relative humidity of no more than 65 %;
• mechanical ventilation is mandatory if there are more than 3 workstations in one room;
• artificial lighting at the workstation of at least 500 lux; if there is no natural light, daylight lamps are used;
• cold and hot water must meet drinking water requirements;
• noise must not exceed permitted levels in neighbouring residential premises.

Workstation: table, chair, dust extraction

• For manicure, the room must have a work table, a cabinet or shelf for work supplies, and chairs for the nail technician and the client. For pedicure – a cabinet or shelf for work supplies and clean linen, plus chairs.
• Surfaces on which tools are placed must be smooth and resistant to moisture, cleaning agents and disinfectants. The client's chair must be moisture-proof.
• The service room must have a hand-wash basin, liquid soap, hand disinfectant with dispensers, disposable towels and a waste container.
• Manicures may also be offered in a hair salon or beauty clinic, provided a separate manicure workstation is set up.
• The nail extension workstation must be in a separate closed room with dust collection ensured, and the ventilation system must remove contaminated air (point 45).

The most convenient option is a manicure table with a built-in dust collector, or a separate dust collector. We explain how to choose one in the article "Dust collector for manicure".

Tool processing area and sterilisation

The cleaning and sterilisation zone must have a sink and space for disinfecting, cleaning, drying, packing and sterilising instruments. The zone may be set up next to the service room's hand-wash basin. Category A instruments may also be sterilised under a contract with a sterilisation service provider – in that case the contract is kept at the workplace.

Procedure for reusable category A instruments according to annex 1 of the norm:

1. Immediately after use, place in a disinfectant solution (folding instruments opened out). Write the solution name, concentration and preparation date on the container.
2. Clean with a soft brush or cloth, or by ultrasound.
3. Rinse with drinking-quality water and dry.
4. Pack and sterilise following the instrument and sterilizer manufacturers' instructions.
5. Check the result with chemical indicators and record it in the Sterilizer Operation Control Register. The register and indicators are kept for 1 year.

Other important points: sterile instruments are unpacked in front of the client; reusing single-use instruments is prohibited; a UV sanitiser may only be used to disinfect cleaned category B instruments that cannot withstand chemicals and heat. Used sharp single-use instruments and items contaminated with blood are collected in unbreakable, puncture-proof containers filled no more than 2/3 full – medical waste containers are designed for this.

Which type of sterilizer to choose, how to pack tools and how to fill in the register is covered in detail in the article "Sterilisation of manicure tools". You will find medical autoclaves in the disinfection and sterilisation section; before buying equipment, check with your NVSC department which sterilisation methods suit your services.

Hygiene certificate and mandatory training

In everyday speech, a "hygiene passport for a nail technician" can mean three different documents:

• Permit-hygiene passport – issued for an activity at a specific address, not to a person.
• Personal medical record book (health passport, form No. F048/a). Services may only be provided after a health check carried out as set out in legislation, and the book is kept at the workplace. NVSC recommendations for category A service providers advise an annual health check.
• Health knowledge and skills certificate – obtained after completing the mandatory hygiene skills and first aid training. Certificates are also kept at the workplace. Check the training frequency with the training provider or NVSC.

In addition, you must work in clean work clothes and footwear: clothing is changed weekly, and immediately if soiled. When providing category A services, disposable gloves are worn and changed after each client.

Documents and logs checked by NVSC

NVSC monitors compliance with the requirements of HN 117:2007 and may also carry out an inspection after receiving a complaint. The norm requires the following documents to be kept at the workplace:

• the permit-hygiene passport – a separate one for each business address;
• personal medical record books and health knowledge certificates;
• instructions for the use of disinfectants;
• technical documents and instructions for use, in Lithuanian, for equipment, devices, and cleaning and sterilisation units;
• the Sterilizer Operation Control Register with the chemical indicators;
• declarations of conformity and instructions from the manufacturers of sterilisation packaging materials and indicators;
• contracts with sterilisation or laundry service providers, if you buy in these services;
• a first aid kit.

For cosmetic products with a shelf life of more than 30 months and an indicated period after opening, the date of first opening is written on the packaging.

Home or rented room: what to look out for

• At home. NVSC states that beauty service activity cannot be carried out in residential premises – a permit-hygiene passport is not issued for such activity. The premises must be designated for services or another permitted use (for example, administrative, retail or hotel).
• Renting. Before signing a contract, check the designated use of the premises in the Real Estate Register. The LHP application will require a document proving your right to use the premises and the explication from the cadastral survey file with drawings.
• Renting a workstation in a salon. Whether the salon's permit is enough or you need your own depends on the situation – check with NVSC.
• Multiple locations. Each business address requires a separate LHP.

We wrote about business forms and the first steps in the article "How to become a nail technician".

Pre-inspection checklist

• The permit-hygiene passport is valid and matches the address and activity.
• The premises are not designated as residential.
• Hand-wash basin, liquid soap, disinfectant with dispensers, disposable towels.
• Lighting at the workstation of at least 500 lx, temperature of at least 18 °C.
• Extensions are done in a separate closed room with dust collection and ventilation.
• A separate zone for cleaning, disinfecting and sterilising tools.
• The disinfection container is labelled with the solution name, concentration and date.
• The sterilizer register is filled in, indicators are kept for a year.
• Enough tools to allow time to process them properly.
• Sharp waste goes in a puncture-proof container, waste is removed daily.
• Medical record books and hygiene skills certificates are on site.
• Equipment documents in Lithuanian, disinfectant instructions, first aid kit.

Frequently asked questions

What requirements apply to a manicure room?

The main requirements are set out in HN 117:2007: a permit-hygiene passport, non-residential premises, a hand-wash basin, lighting of at least 500 lx, a suitable microclimate, a tool cleaning and sterilisation zone, staff health checks and hygiene skills training.

Can manicure services be provided at home?

Not in residential premises. NVSC does not issue a permit-hygiene passport for such activity. The premises must be designated for services or another permitted use.

What does NVSC check in a beauty salon?

Compliance with HN 117:2007: whether there is a permit-hygiene passport, how the premises are fitted out, how tools are cleaned, disinfected and sterilised, whether the sterilizer register is kept, and whether staff have medical record books and hygiene skills certificates.

Does a nail technician need a hygiene passport?

The business needs a permit-hygiene passport, while the technician herself needs a personal medical record book and a health knowledge certificate obtained after the mandatory hygiene skills and first aid training.