If you recently immigrated to Minnesota and held a cosmetology, nail technician, or esthetician license in a previous country, you may be able to transfer your foreign license to Minnesota.
NOTE
If you were trained or licensed in hair ONLY in a previous country, please see our guide on How to Transfer a Foreign Hair Technician License to Minnesota.
The MN Board of Cosmetology lays out a roadmap for transferring foreign cosmetology industry credentials to Minnesota. We’re going to break down the steps to help you transition your license as quickly and easily as possible.
All references for the Foreign License Transfer process come directly from the MN State Board of Cosmetology website and the Foreign License Transfer Guide.
Step 1: Obtain a Foreign Credentials Evaluation Report
In order to begin the process of transferring your cosmetology license to Minnesota, gather all education and training documents you have related to your field of practice.
This includes:
- Official original diplomas and certificates
- Official original transcripts detailing names of courses, grades, and hours of instruction
- Any other proof of education relating to your cosmetology field
Once you have gathered all relevant documentation, submit your forms to one of the following board-approved credentialing agencies:
NOTE
Foreign credentialing agencies also perform high school diploma evaluations. Do NOT select this option, as this is no longer required in Minnesota as of 2020.
Upon completion of your evaluation, you will be sent your Foreign Credentials Evaluation Report.
Step 2: Contact a Local Cosmetology School
Once you’ve received your Foreign Credentials Evaluation Report, bring the report to a local cosmetology school.
From there, the school will assess your report to determine if it meets Minnesota license requirements or if additional training is necessary.
You will also be required to take a Practical Skills Test at the cosmetology school. This test requires you to complete a series of skills in accordance with Minnesota guidelines laid out in the Practical Skills Test Guide.
Once you have completed any additional training necessary and passed the Practical Skills Test, the cosmetology school will issue you a Foreign Transfer Course Completion Certificate.
Step 3: Take the Written Exams
In addition to the Practical Skills Test, you are required to take and pass 3 written exams:
- General Theory Exam
- State Exam
- Written Practical Exam
You can sign up for these exams on the PSI testing website. There you can also find the Candidate Information Bulletin which lays out additional information about the tests and what content to study.
Testing and The Candidate Information Bulletin can also be accessed in Spanish (Español) and Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt).
If you require additional translation assistance in languages other than Spanish or Vietnamese, you can submit a Test Accommodation Request. Read more about Examination Accommodations here.
Other helpful study materials include:
- Helpful Hints for Successfully Studying and Testing
- MN Laws & Rules (helpful for the State Exam)
- Practical Skills Test Guide (helpful for the Practical Skills Test and Written Practical Exam)
- Textbooks & additional online recourses (helpful for General Theory test)
- Milady’s Standard Cosmetology (14th Edition), 2022. Cengage Learning
- Pivot Point Fundamentals: Cosmetology, 2016. Pivot Point International, Inc.
- PSI Practice Exams
Step 4: Complete the Foreign License Transfer Application
For the final step, fill out and submit the Foreign License Transfer Application (Español) (Tiếng Việt).
Along with the application, you will need to include:
- Foreign Transfer Course Completion Certificate
- Test results from all 3 written exams
- Licensing fee
Once you have mailed all parts to the address listed on the application, the Board will process your documents and send your new Minnesota License.
Once licensed, you are officially ready to practice cosmetology, nails, and/or skincare in Minnesota.
You’re Ready!
The Foreign License Transfer process can seem difficult and daunting, but by following one step at a time, you can transfer your education and work experience to Minnesota in no time!
If you haven not been trained in a previous country but would like to start your journey in the cosmetology industry, check out our full training programs.
