License to practice alternative medicine:

Do I need a license to work as a naturopath or complementary therapist?

Good question, because sometimes people who work in the healthcare sector not only need training with the right qualifications, but also a license to practice their profession.

The cantons regulate which healthcare professionals are allowed to work where. This also applies to alternative medicine and complementary therapy. The cantons determine the conditions for practicing the profession, carry out controls and thus ensure the healthcare of their population. The cantons are free to determine the details - the cantonal regulations vary accordingly.

Some cantons regulate the professional practice of alternative medicine and complementary therapy specialists in their health laws and ordinances - some cantons do not. In some cantons you can practise freely, i.e. without a license or other official act, under your own professional responsibility (self-employed or employed), in others you have to register. In still others, you need a license to practice the profession (BAB), for which you must present a specific training qualification or even pass an examination.

To give you an overview of which obligations apply where, we have compiled a table of the cantonal requirements for the professional license. In it you will find the applicable regulations for each canton, sometimes supplemented in brackets by the qualifications you need for this, as well as the corresponding links to the health authorities (as of November 2024, no guarantee). We have also divided the table into three professional groups:

  1. Naturopathaccording to the training and job description of the Organization of the Working World of Alternative Medicine (OdA AM) in the fields of: Ayurveda therapy, homeopathy, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), traditional European medicine (TEN)
  2. Complementary therapistaccording to the training and job description of the Organization of the Working World Complementary Therapy (OdA KT) with the methods: Acupressure therapy, Alexander technique, APM (acupuncture massage therapy), aquatic bodywork, breathing therapy, Ayurveda therapy, movement and body therapy, biodynamics, craniosacral therapy, eutony, fascia therapy, Feldenkrais therapy, eurythmy therapy, kinesiology, polarity, rebalancing, reflexology, rhythmic massage therapy, shiatsu, structural integration, Trager therapy, yoga therapy
  3. Practitioners of other complementary therapy methodsi.e. methods that do not belong to the OdA KT methods: e.g. fasting, spiritual healing, Qi-Gong, Zen, singing bowls, aromatherapy, etc.

Click here for the professional license (BAB) table

If you want to work in alternative medicine or therapy, you should definitely check the regulations of the canton or cantons in which you want to practice in good time. If in doubt, play it safe and contact the cantonal health authority, as violations of the BAB regulations can result in hefty fines!

Information on the professions in alternative medicine regulated by the Confederation, OdA KT and OdA AM can be found athere.