Application for the professional qualification examination for hairdressers

To practise as a hairdresser, you must obtain the relevant professional qualification after passing a specific examination. For each branch of the business where hairdressing services are provided, at least one technical manager holding the professional qualification must be appointed; this may be the owner, a partner actively involved in the business, a family member assisting in the business, or an employee.

Exam session schedule – 2026

Examination procedure

The examination consists of a 4-hourpractical test(to be held at the ‘Opera A. Barelli’ accredited training institution in Rovereto) during which the candidate must carry out two hair treatments (a men’s and a women’s haircut), a technical service on one of the two models, and aninterviewfollowing successful completion of the practical test (at the premises of the Department of Education and Culture in Trento).

The interview is designed to:

• critically analyse the practical test
• assess the integration of the skills demonstrated in the practical test with the fundamental knowledge required to practise the profession of hairdresser as a business owner
• verify the development of a coherent and appropriate professional identity suitable for launching a hairdressing business.

To obtain the qualification, both tests must be passed with a minimum score of 6/10

To sit the exam, you mustcomplete the online application form within the specified application periodand pay the registration fee of 75.00 euros (non-refundable) via‘PagoPA’, stating the following reason for payment ‘Qualifying examination for the self-employed profession of hairdresser’.

Applicants of legal age
Parents on behalf of their minor children

Applications may be submitted by candidates who hold:

A vocational qualification and a practical qualification course, or a provincial vocational training diploma in hairdressing, as per the following alternative pathways:

• a vocational qualification following a three-year vocational training course, followed by a 400-hour practical qualification course
• a vocational qualification following a three-year vocational training course, followed by a provincial vocational training diploma in hairdressing, provided that the fourth year enables the acquisition of the same skills required upon completion of the qualification pathways
• a vocational qualification following a two-year vocational training course, followed by a qualification course with a predominantly practical focus lasting 740 hours

Work experience and a theoretical qualification course, as per the following alternative pathways:

• a three-year period of employment as a qualified employee, active partner or family member working in a hairdressing business, followed by a professional qualification course lasting 550 hours, with predominantly theoretical content
• completion of an apprenticeship at a hairdressing business, in accordance with Law No. 25/1955, of the duration stipulated in the relevant sectoral collective agreements, followed by a one-year period of employment as a qualified employee, active partner or family assistant, followed by the vocational qualification course

Professional qualification following a vocational training programme lasting at least two years, followed by a one-year period of employment as a qualified employee, active partner or family member at a hairdressing salon

Professional qualification as a hairdresser following a three-year vocational training course completed as a private candidate and holding a five-year upper secondary school diploma, followed by a 400-hour qualification course of predominantly practical content.

The application must be submitted ONLINE

Guide to paying the examination fee for the professional qualification as a Hairdresser or Beautician