Professional Facility Guide

Required documents to open a physiotherapy center

Select a country to see the official documents, licenses, and facility standards needed to open a physiotherapy center.

Countries

Arab countries covered

2026-09

Last verified

Choose the country

Browse by country

🇬🇧

Prepared facility-licensing dossier

Licensing authority

Companies House + CQC (if carrying on regulated activities) + HCPC for every treating physiotherapist + ICO

Legal form

Limited company or sole trader; CQC registration is required when you carry on “treatment of disease, disorder or injury” as a provider

Typical timeline

2–6 months (CQC adds time if you must register as a provider)

Typical fees

Companies House + CQC provider fees (if applicable) + HCPC retention + professional indemnity + ICO

Area / layout

Premises suitable for clinical care; fire, accessibility, and infection-control policies

Technical director

HCPC-registered physiotherapist; CQC registered manager if you are a registered provider

Companies House incorporation (or self-employment registration) and Unique Taxpayer Reference
CQC provider application if you carry on regulated activities from that location
HCPC registration numbers for every treating physiotherapist
Professional indemnity / medical malpractice insurance
ICO data-protection fee (patient records are personal data)
DBS checks as required for the service
Premises: lease, fire risk assessment, public-liability insurance
Policies: safeguarding, infection control, complaints, medical records
VAT registration if you exceed the threshold (many healthcare supplies are exempt — confirm with an accountant)

HCPC registration of staff does not replace CQC provider registration when the activity is regulated
NHS contracts have extra information-governance and clinical-governance conditions

Only HCPC-registered physiotherapists may use the protected title; assistants must be supervised.

Incorporate and insure, confirm whether CQC registration applies, then HCPC-staff the clinic and open only after the required registrations are live

Ask a healthcare solicitor whether your exact service is a CQC regulated activity. Getting this wrong is the most expensive UK mistake.

Guidance only — not a licence. Confirm fees, area minima, and portal names with the official regulator before you apply or spend on fit-out.