How to Check a Cosmetic Clinic, Practitioner or Product by Country
Official practitioner, clinic, product and medical-device verification links for cosmetic treatment research in 12 global markets.
Verify three separate things
Check the person, the facility and the exact product or device through the authority that covers the place of treatment. A polished clinic page, overseas approval or social-media following is not a substitute for those checks.
Choose the place of treatment
These official resources span the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia-Pacific. Coverage and licensing authority still differ by country and procedure.
Official verification directory
United States
The FDA regulates products and devices, while practitioner licensing is handled by individual state medical and other professional boards.
Checks to make
- Ask for the exact product name and intended treatment area.
- Check the practitioner through the relevant state licensing board.
- Confirm who provides urgent review if symptoms develop after hours.
Canada
Health Canada maintains product and device information. Doctors and other regulated health professionals are registered by provincial or territorial colleges.
Checks to make
- Search the active device licence listing using the product or company name.
- Use the regulator for the province or territory where treatment occurs.
- Check whether follow-up remains available if you return to another province or country.
United Kingdom
The NHS explains how to check cosmetic practitioners. In England, the Care Quality Commission publishes registration and inspection information for regulated services.
Checks to make
- Confirm the person who will perform the procedure, not only the clinic brand.
- For surgery in England, check the facility and the doctor separately.
- Ask for product, prescriber, insurance and complication-care details.
European Union / EEA
EUDAMED provides public medical-device information at EU level. Professional titles, clinic oversight and complaint routes still depend on the country where treatment takes place.
Checks to make
- Use the exact manufacturer and device identifier when available.
- Check the national competent authority and professional register as well as EU-level records.
- Do not treat a CE mark or database entry as proof that a treatment is right for one person.
Australia
Ahpra publishes the national Register of practitioners, and the TGA provides access to information about therapeutic goods and medical devices supplied in Australia.
Checks to make
- Search the person by name or registration number and read any conditions shown.
- Ask for the ARTG identifier or exact product name when a regulated product or device is involved.
- Confirm that experience covers the specific procedure—not only a protected professional title.
Japan
PMDA publishes approved-product and medical-device review information. Some complete product-search tools and records are available primarily in Japanese.
Checks to make
- Ask the clinic for the exact Japanese product and legal practitioner names.
- Use PMDA approval information rather than relying on overseas approval claims.
- Arrange interpretation for consent, aftercare and emergency communication when needed.
South Korea
The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety publishes medical-device and approval information. Detailed searches and provider verification may require Korean-language names and local systems.
Checks to make
- Request the exact Korean name of the clinic, practitioner and product.
- Check MFDS information for the product or device rather than assuming a foreign approval applies.
- Before medical travel, document who will provide follow-up after leaving Korea.
Singapore
The Singapore Medical Council provides a registered-doctor search, while HSA InfoSearch links to medical-device and other health-product databases.
Checks to make
- Search the doctor through the SMC register and check current registration information.
- Use HSA InfoSearch for the relevant product or medical-device record.
- Confirm which clinic or hospital manages complications and after-hours contact.
Brazil
The Federal Council of Medicine (CFM) provides a public doctor search, while ANVISA publishes consultation databases for regulated health products and medical devices.
Checks to make
- Search the doctor using the exact name or CRM number and read the active status and registered specialty details shown.
- Ask for the exact product or device name, manufacturer and ANVISA registration details.
- Confirm the facility, consent language and who manages complications after you travel home.
Mexico
The federal professional-credential portal can confirm a professional cédula, and COFEPRIS publishes a public viewer for current medical-device sanitary registrations.
Checks to make
- Match the professional's full legal name and cédula to the qualification claimed for the procedure.
- Search the exact device or registration holder in the COFEPRIS viewer when a medical device is involved.
- Verify the treating facility and obtain a written plan for aftercare and complications.
United Arab Emirates
Professional licensing is split between health authorities. MOHAP publishes a medical-professionals directory, while Dubai Health Authority provides a separate verification service for DHA professionals.
Checks to make
- Identify which health authority licenses the professional and facility where treatment will occur.
- For Dubai, verify the DHA Unique ID or licence number; elsewhere use the relevant authority rather than a Dubai record alone.
- Confirm the exact product or device and the local after-hours complication pathway.
South Africa
HPCSA iRegister supports public searches for registered health professionals, and SAHPRA publishes medical-device establishment licences and regulatory information.
Checks to make
- Search the professional by registration number or legal name and check the register and category shown.
- Check the relevant supplier or establishment in SAHPRA's medical-device licence records.
- Verify the facility, procedure-specific experience and written complication plan separately.
What a public register cannot tell you
A valid licence does not show how often someone performs the exact technique you are considering.
Facility oversight may cover only certain services, professions or regions. Read the scope and inspection details.
Registration or approval does not replace an individual consultation, history, examination and consent process.
A safe plan includes consent, aftercare and urgent communication in a language both sides can use accurately.
If you are travelling for treatment
Ask who provides follow-up after you leave, how records will be transferred, which symptoms require local emergency care and whether travel insurance excludes planned cosmetic treatment. Do not assume that a home-country clinician can revise or manage another clinic’s work without new assessment, cost or delay.
- Who performs the procedure, and what exact legal name and registration number should I search?
- What product, device, implant or medicine will be used, and under what local indication?
- Who answers urgent questions outside clinic hours and after I return home?
- How are complications, revision costs, records and language support handled?
Take the checks into the consultation
Use 20 questions to record the exact provider, treatment, product, emergency route, follow-up and complete cost before you decide.
Open the consultation checklistResearch the timeline next
Once you know which treatment and country you are evaluating, compare broad early recovery and longer settling clocks before discussing a personal plan.
Compare 11 recovery timelinesGlobal safety questions
Does a registry listing prove that a cosmetic procedure is safe?
No. A listing can help confirm identity, registration or product status, but it does not prove procedure-specific experience, suitability, an individual outcome or the quality of every service.
Why can the same cosmetic product have a different status by country?
Authorities assess and classify products within their own legal systems and approved indications. A product or use recognized in one country may not have the same status somewhere else.
What should I check before cosmetic treatment abroad?
Check the practitioner, facility and exact product; understand consent in a language you can use; plan aftercare and complication support; and review travel and insurance limitations before paying.
This directory is general educational information, not medical or legal advice. Rules, databases and product statuses can change. Confirm current requirements directly with the relevant authority and a qualified local professional before treatment.