![[OC] Should Every Country Make You Wait Before Cosmetic Surgery? France Already Requires 15 Days, by Law](https://www.byteseu.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/ejjw9v8dvfrh1-1536x993.png "[OC] Should Every Country Make You Wait Before Cosmetic Surgery? France Already Requires 15 Days, by Law")
I couldn't find a single chart comparing how long different countries make you wait before cosmetic surgery, so I put the official rules together.
France requires 15 days between the signed quote and the operation. It's set by law, and the patient can't waive it. New Zealand and Australia require 7 days through their medical regulators. In the UK, the Royal College of Surgeons recommends 2 weeks. The US and Canada have no national rule. Do you know of a state or province that has one?
Cosmetic surgery is elective and done on healthy people, so there is no emergency to rush for.
Should every country require a waiting period, by law or through medical regulators? And does your country have one?
Posted by SmallRevolution2049
13 Comments
Source: official rules from each country (links below).
Tool: Python (matplotlib)
France, 15 days (since 2005): French Public Health Code, Art. D6322-30: minimum 15 days after the detailed, dated and signed quotation; the period cannot be waived.
[https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/codes/id/LEGISCTA000006190919](https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/codes/id/LEGISCTA000006190919)
Decree No. 2005-777 (11 July 2005): [https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/jorf/id/JORFTEXT000000809110](https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/jorf/id/JORFTEXT000000809110)
New Zealand, at least 7 days (since 2011): Medical Council of New Zealand, Statement on Cosmetic Procedures (current version 2017): at least 7 days between the initial consultation and a Category 1 cosmetic procedure. The reflection period was already in the 2011 statement.
[https://www.mcnz.org.nz/assets/standards/de6ba9467d/Statement-on-cosmetic-procedures.pdf](https://www.mcnz.org.nz/assets/standards/de6ba9467d/Statement-on-cosmetic-procedures.pdf)
Australia, at least 7 days (since 2016): Medical Board of Australia / Ahpra: at least 7 days after two consultations and informed consent; no payment or deposit before the period ends. Under 18: at least 3 months. In force since 2016, updated 1 July 2023.
[https://www.medicalboard.gov.au/codes-guidelines-policies/cosmetic-medical-and-surgical-procedures-guidelines.aspx](https://www.medicalboard.gov.au/codes-guidelines-policies/cosmetic-medical-and-surgical-procedures-guidelines.aspx)
UK, 2 weeks recommended (since 2016): The GMC requires sufficient time for reflection but does not specify a number of days: [https://www.gmc-uk.org/professional-standards/the-professional-standards/cosmetic-interventions](https://www.gmc-uk.org/professional-standards/the-professional-standards/cosmetic-interventions)
The Royal College of Surgeons recommends a minimum of 2 weeks between the two stages of consent: [https://www.rcseng.ac.uk/standards-and-research/standards-and-guidance/service-standards/cosmetic-surgery/professional-standards-for-cosmetic-surgery/](https://www.rcseng.ac.uk/standards-and-research/standards-and-guidance/service-standards/cosmetic-surgery/professional-standards-for-cosmetic-surgery/)
Important: these are not equivalent legal requirements. France is statutory; Australia and New Zealand are medical-regulatory standards; in the UK, the GMC requires reflection while the RCS recommends two weeks.
US: I have not identified a national cooling-off period for adult cosmetic surgery, and my searches have not identified a state-wide requirement. I have not systematically checked all 50 states.
Canada: Cosmetic surgery is regulated provincially/territorially. I have not yet systematically checked every provincial/territorial medical college.
Scope: cosmetic surgery only. Rules can vary by procedure, age and setting. Non-surgical treatments such as Botox/fillers are not included.
If you know of another country, state or province with a formal cooling-off period, please share the primary legislation or regulator source and I’ll add it.
What kind of plastic surgery can be scheduled so soon after a consultation? Legitimately curious. I assumed you’d have to wait weeks or months anyway after your initial consultation.
Jokes in you, it will take you more than 15 days to do anything medical, even in the private sector, in Canada.
Huh, I didn’t know that. I’ve been considering surgery that would be regarded as cosmetic this year and none of the documentation that I’ve read about it mentioned the two weeks wait recommended in the UK.
I’ve also had sebaceous cysts removed electively and I didn’t have to wait any period for those. I wonder how often or for which precise operations this is enforced.
I can see why it might be beneficial to go away and think about it after having had your initial consultation, but some of the procedures I’ve been considering, I have been thinking about them for years and I’ve already done a lot of research.
There’s no way to force people to think carefully about a major decision, whether it’s two days, two weeks, or two months, and the regret rates in cosmetic surgery are usually related to complications or outcomes that fall short of expectations, as I understand it. Neither of which are necessarily going to be easily predicted for.
Is it not the duty of the consultant surgeon to get a sense for how carefully the patient has considered the surgery and gauge whether they seem to be adequately prepared, understand the risks, accept the potential negative outcomes? Is it not standard procedure to ask for how long the patient has been considering this and what their expectations are? Would that not lead to more positive outcomes than arbitrary wait period?
You probably couldn’t find a chart because a chart doesn’t really add anything for this data? The information is so simple and straightforward that there’s just nothing to show, really. Of course we live in a day and age where everything has to be visualized, for some reason.
In South Korea there’s definitely no law. They’d do it the next day if a surgeon was available. It’s like the Wild West, especially when the patients are foreigners.
There is a law since 2023 however where they have to CCTV record the whole surgery (upon request) because some lazy surgeons were “delegating” surgical jobs to interns and nurses, causing major problems!
also france: no DNA test allowed because it will expose cheaters and “destroy families”.
Sounds like kind of law that would be lobbied by companies that aren’t competitive. Why provide better service if you can make worse service mandatory?
Idk, it’s bodily autonomy, but I find it rather glaring that a cis woman can install a designer clit upon wish while a trans woman waits a full year already being on HRT before being allowed on a waiting list.
I had a look at the plastic surgery sub the other day. Honestly, a lot of people need mental therapy.
It seems to me in America human behaviour/nature hasn’t been considered when making many of the laws.
No. Bodily autonomy is a thing.
bro I’ve been waiting 2 years for surgery….