If you plan to work in a regulated province (Ontario, British Columbia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, or Prince Edward Island), please contact the appropriate regulatory college directly about its entry-to-practice requirements.
For internationally trained massage therapists who want to work in unregulated provinces and territories, we offer a Competency Equivalency Exam (CEE). The CEE determines if your training is equivalent to massage therapy training from recognized programs in Canada.
Applicants for the CEE must provide proof of graduation from a dedicated massage therapy program (i.e. certificate or diploma must show "massage").
We do not evaluate the education or training of any other health profession. Regardless of whether your education included a massage component or not, if your program was not specifically in massage therapy, you are not eligible for the CEE.
CEE Application Steps
1. Self-assess your prior training in massage therapy.
The Competency Equivalency Exam (CEE) measures your skills and knowledge against the competency standards outlined in the Practice Competencies and Performance Indicators for Massage Therapists at Entry-to-Practice, 2016 (PDF).
Please review this document. If you are confident that your prior learning meets these standards, continue with the application.
2. Have your prior training assessed by an educational credential evaluation service.
The report must be sent directly to our office from one of the following agencies:
World Education Services (WES)
International Credential Assessment Service of Canada (ICAS)
Comparative Education Service (CES)
International Qualifications Assessment Service (IQAS)
International Credential Evaluation Service (ICES)
3. Complete the CEE application form.
Complete the CEE application form (PDF), including payment information.
4. Submit the information below in English* to the NHPC office.
- a copy of your massage therapy credential (certificate, diploma, or degree)
- a program outline that includes which courses were offered and their length
- course outlines for each course completed in your program. Outlines must include learning objectives, topics covered, and reference materials for the course
- a resume or curriculum vitae showing dates, addresses, and phone numbers of your clinical practice and details about your clinical experience
- a list of all continuing education programs and courses you have taken since completing your initial massage therapy program, along with supporting documentation verifying attendance
- two letters of reference from credible sources (past or present employer, health care professional, client, instructor, etc.), sent directly from the source to the NHPC office
- proof of legal entitlement to work in Canada if not a Canadian citizen or permanent resident
- proof of English language competencies if English is not your first or primary language
* Documents not originally in English must be translated (at your own expense) by a certified translator and submitted directly from the translator to the NHPC office.
5. Results of the Assessment
If your education and experience in massage therapy are sufficient, you will be eligible to complete the CEE. Upon successful completion of the CEE, you will be eligible for NHPC membership.
If your education and experience are not sufficient for the CEE, we advise you to contact recognized massage therapy diploma programs directly to ask about their advanced standing options.
Review the full NHPC Application Process for Internationally Trained Massage Therapists (PDF) for more detailed information about the application process.
