Permit for Premises Providing Healthcare Services

1. Who should apply for the Permit for Premises Providing Healthcare Services?

According to the provisions of paragraph 1 and item b) of paragraph 2 in Article 1 of Decree-Law no. 84/90/M of 31^st December amended by Decree-Law no. 20/98/M of 18^th May, it is necessary to apply for the relevant permit in order to engage in the provision of healthcare services under private regime in Macao. Licensable premises can be divided into the following categories: clinic, polyclinic, health station, healthcare centre, diagnostic centre, treatment centre, rehabilitation centre, clinical analysis laboratory and radiology laboratory.

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2. How is the application for the Permit for Providing Healthcare Service reviewed and approved? How long does the process take?

a. The owner of the premise should file a licensing application with supporting documents to the Health Bureau. The Technical Committee of Private Medical Activity Licencing, composed as stipulated in Article 26 of Decree-Law no. 81/99/M dated 15^th November, will then scrutinize the relevant documents, and submit their opinions to the deputy director of the Health Bureau. After the application is approved by the Technical Committee, a field inspection in the premise will be carried out by the Sanitary Authority. If the premise is in conformity with all hygienic requirements, the approval dispatch of relevant permit application will be published in the “Macao SAR Official Gazette” after the Deputy Director of the General Healthcare Sub-board has ordered the dispatch. Meanwhile, the Medical Activity Licensing Unit will inform the premise owner in writing to collect the permit.

b. Under normal circumstances, the Health Bureau will finish processing the application within 65 working days upon receipt of all required documents. In case of the following situations, the processing time will be extended accordingly:
1) After review by the Committee, the application documents do not satisfy the prescribed requirements, for which the applicant has to provide supplementary information or amend information, or comment(s) from other authorities is/are necessary;
2) After field inspection by the Sanitary Authority, if the premise is not fit for examination, the facilities or equipment not in conformity with hygienic requirements, or when re-examination is needed after initial examination;
3) The establishment of the premise does not comply with local legislations and regulations in relation to construction, fire prevention and safety.

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3. Where can I obtain the application form for the Permit for Premises Providing Healthcare Services? How should I submit it?

The applicant can obtain the application form from the Medical Activity Licensing Unit of the Health Bureau, or download it from the Health Bureau website or Macao SARG Portal, and then submit the completed form, required documents and application fees to the Medical Activity Licensing Unit (Address:2/F, Block 1 of Edifício Cheng I at Rua Nova da Ilha Verde, Macau (Ilha Verde Health Centre)).

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4. How much is the application fee for the Permit for Premises Providing Healthcare Services?

The application fee for the Permit for Premises Providing Healthcare Services is MOP2,200 (stamp duty included). Fifty percent of the fees for licensing should be paid when submitting the application, and the rest should be paid within 15 days after the proprietor is notified of the approval of the permit. In case the application is refused or the procedure is terminated, no refund to the applicant will be made.

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5. How can I renew the Permit for Premises Providing Healthcare Services? How much is the renewal fee?

a. According to paragraph 2 of Article 12 of Decree-Law no. 84/90/M of 31^st December, which was amended by Decree-Law no. 20/98/M of 18^th May, the Permit for Premises Providing Healthcare Services is valid for one year, and must be renewed within 60 days after the expiry date; otherwise, the permit will become invalid.

b. Renewal application can be made to the Medical Activity Licensing Unit or via the “Online System for Renewal of Professional Licence of Medical Activity”. The renewal fee is MOP330 (stamp duty included).

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6. Does a licensed premise need to submit other applications or notifications to the Health Bureau in the course of operation?

The licensed premise must file applications to the Medical Activity Licensing Unit of the Health Bureau in the event of suspension or cancellation of permit, premise relocation, facility and equipment alteration, ownership transfer, change of executive management members, technical directors or health professionals, among other situations. Notification to the Medical Activity Licensing Unit is required in the event of change of personal information (e.g. identification information of the permit holder) or contact information (e.g. correspondence address, telephone, e-mail, fax no. and communication language).

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7. Is it mandatory for healthcare premises to purchase a civil liability insurance after the implementation of the “Legal Regime of Medical Malpractice”?

According to Article 36 of the “Legal Regime of Medical Malpractice”, healthcare providers are obliged to conclude a professional civil liability insurance contract in accordance with the terms, conditions, limitations and amounts prescribed in the supplementary administrative regulations. All healthcare providers delineated in Article 4 of Law no. 5/2016, which means anyone who are qualified to practise, including both natural persons and legal persons, are required to purchase the insurance. For further enquiries on the insurance, please contact the Insurance Supervision Department of Macao Monetary Authority or the Medical Activity Licensing Unit of Macao Health Bureau.

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