How to Open a Barbershop in Singapore

Last checked against URA, SPF and MOM pages: September 2026. Rules change, so confirm each point with the agency concerned.

Walk-in, booking or both?

Start with how customers will arrive, because every other decision follows from it.

• Walk-in shop. Quick cuts at a steady price, usually near an MRT station, HDB town centre or mall. You win on convenience and speed. You need a clear queue, enough barbers at peak times and fast payment.
• Booking-led studio. Longer services such as fades, beard work, shaves and styling, often at a higher price. Customers book through Instagram, WhatsApp or a booking page. You need a barber booking system, reminders and a no-show policy.
• Mixed. Most shops end up here: some chairs hold bookings, others take walk-ins. This works if staff can see both the queue and the appointment calendar on one screen.

Much of the business set-up is the same as for any hair salon, so read our guide on how to open a salon in Singapore alongside this one. This guide covers what is specific to barbershops.

Premises: what URA allows

URA’s considerations for property use define a shop as premises whose primary purpose is retail sale or the “provision of services”. Its list of other examples of shops names “barber shop, beauty salon, hairdressing salon” under services. In practice, a unit already approved for shop use in a mall or shopfront can usually host a barbershop.

Still check before you commit:

• the approved use of the specific unit, using URA’s online enquiry service;
• HDB’s consent for the trade, if the unit is an HDB shop;
• water supply and drainage for basins, which not every retail unit has;
• power points for clippers, dryers and sterilisers at each station; and
• landlord rules on signage and on shopfront displays.

Our guide to renting a retail shop covers the lease terms to negotiate.

Licences and the massage question

For a barbershop offering cuts, shaves and styling, the licensing question to watch is massage. The Singapore Police Force defines massage as “the act of rubbing, kneading or manipulating the human body or any part of it”, for purposes such as relaxing muscle tension or stimulating circulation. A Massage Establishment licence is needed where premises are used for massage, unless exempted.

Many barbershops add a head, neck or shoulder massage after a cut. If that is on your menu, ask SPF whether your set-up needs a licence or an exemption before you advertise it. The massage regime has its own rules on premises and staff, so it changes the business. Other items to plan for include ACRA business registration, a GST check once your turnover approaches the threshold, and fire safety in your fit-out.

Employed barbers or chair rental?

This is the biggest structural choice for a barbershop owner.

Employed barbers are on your payroll. You set their hours, services and prices, and you pay a salary, often with commission. MOM’s key employment terms guidance lists what you must put in writing, including job title and duties, daily working hours, working days per week and salary components. For hourly or piece-rated staff, you should also state the basic rate. Our Employment Act guide covers leave, hours and pay.

Chair rental means a self-employed barber pays you to use a chair and keeps their own takings. It can work for experienced barbers who bring their own clients. However, the label on the contract does not decide the arrangement. MOM’s guidance on employees and the self-employed says it depends on the actual relationship between the worker and the company. Employees are entitled to benefits such as sick leave, annual leave and CPF contributions. Self-employed persons are not covered by the Employment Act or the Work Injury Compensation Act, and the company does not make CPF contributions for them. MOM also offers a self-assessment tool.

If you set a chair renter’s hours, prices and services as you would an employee’s, the arrangement may be treated as employment. Take advice before you sign chair rental agreements. Self-employed barbers should also know that IRAS business expense rules for the self-employed apply to their own tax.

Hiring foreign barbers: work pass rules

If you plan to hire barbers on Work Permits, MOM’s services sector requirements (updated 16 September 2026) set the limits:

Rule	Services sector position
Approved sources	Malaysia, PRC and North Asian sources (Hong Kong, Macau, South Korea, Taiwan). Non-Traditional Sources only for occupations on MOM’s NTS list.
Quota	35% of the total workforce
Monthly levy, basic-skilled	$450 (up to 10%), $600 (above 10% to 25%), $800 (above 25% to 35%)
Monthly levy, higher-skilled	$300, $400 and $600 for the same tiers

MOM says the first two tiers will merge from 2028, with details to follow. MOM’s NTS Occupation List, last updated 1 September 2026, does not include barbers or hairdressers. Because the quota is a share of your total workforce, your local hires decide how many Work Permit holders you can have. Confirm your plan with MOM before making offers.

Pricing and your service menu

Price by time, because chair time is what you sell. A simple structure:

• Core services with fixed durations: standard cut, skin fade, kids’ cut, beard trim, hot towel shave.
• Add-ons priced separately: hair wash, styling, design work, colour.
• Off-peak offers for weekday mornings and afternoons, when chairs sit empty.

Check local competitors’ published prices before you set yours, and look at how busy they are at different times. Senior barbers can charge more for booked slots. Keep prices on a clear menu board so walk-in customers know the cost before they sit down.

Queues, bookings and the waiting area

The fastest way to lose a walk-in customer is a crowded bench and no idea of the wait. A queue system fixes this: customers take a number, then leave for a coffee and get a message when their turn is near. Our comparison of queue management systems sets out the options.

For booking-led chairs, look for a barbershop booking system that shows each barber’s calendar, blocks the right time for each service, sends reminders and handles deposits or no-shows. We compare options in our salon and barber booking software round-up. Our guide to appointment booking systems compares free calendar booking pages, standalone booking apps and POS-linked booking. If you run both, make sure the walk-in queue and the booking calendar do not double-book the same barber.

Selling grooming products

Pomades, clays, beard oils and shampoos add revenue from customers you already see every few weeks. Barbers are the best salespeople, because they can use the product during the cut. Keep the range small, track what sells and reorder before popular items run out. Record retail sales in the same system as services so you can see total spend per customer and pay any product commission accurately.

Choosing a POS system for a barber shop

A pos system for barber shop use needs to handle quick walk-in payments, services with add-ons, product sales and repeat customers. Our barbershop POS guide covers walk-ins, bookings and barber commission. ChaChaCha is a POS for Singapore businesses, powered by AppsPOS. Our salon and spa POS page covers services. From our facts list, ChaChaCha includes:

• a queue system with SMS notifications and a digital queue display
• PayNow, PayLah!, NETS, Visa/Mastercard and GrabPay, with split payments
• points and stamps, e-wallet or stored value, vouchers, birthday rewards and WhatsApp marketing
• staff permissions, reports and Xero integration

For barbershop appointment software features, such as barber calendars, deposits and commission rules, ask us to confirm what fits your shop. Get it in writing from every vendor, including us.

Barbershop opening checklist

1. Decide on walk-in, booking or a mix, and your target price range.
2. Check the unit’s approved use with URA, and get HDB consent if it is an HDB shop.
3. Confirm water, drainage and power at every station with your contractor.
4. Ask SPF about any massage add-ons before you advertise them.
5. Choose employed barbers, chair rental or both, and take advice on the contracts.
6. Check MOM’s services sector rules before hiring foreign barbers.
7. Set up your queue display, booking system, POS and payments, and test them before opening day.