THERAPIES & TRADITIONS · GUIDE
Naturopathy Around the World: How Practice and Regulation Differ by Country
How naturopathy is regulated or left unregulated in the United States, Canada, the UK, Australia and Germany, based on regulator and register pages read in October 2026.
Content last updated . This page has not been medically reviewed.
Back to Naturopathy & Integrative PracticesThis page is information only. Rules change, and this page reflects pages read on 22 October 2026. It names regulators and registers; it does not list or rank practitioners. Check the current rules where you live.
The big picture
An international survey of naturopathic organizations found that education and regulation of the profession have significant heterogeneity, meaning large differences from place to place. [1] The survey has limits. Sixty-five of 228 organizations answered (a 29% response rate), from 29 of 46 countries. [1] Its authors included staff of the World Naturopathic Federation, a profession body. [1] It also reported that full access to controlled acts and to health insurance rebates was more commonly reported where the profession is regulated. [1]The World Health Organization published benchmarks for training in naturopathy in 2010. [2] We could read only the publication page, so this page makes no claims about its contents.
Country by country
| Place | What the sources say | Type of source and date |
|---|---|---|
| United States | State governments decide credentials. [3] NCCIH, last updated May 2018, said only 17 states and the District of Columbia license naturopathic physicians. [3] An association of naturopathic colleges wrote in 2023 that naturopathic doctors are regulated in 26 US jurisdictions. [4] The exam board's September 2026 table lists NPLEX requirements for 25 US jurisdictions (AK AZ CA CO CT DC HI ID KS MA MD ME MN MT ND NH NM OR PA PR RI UT VT WA WI). [5] | Government health agency; college association; exam board |
| Ontario, Canada | The College of Naturopaths of Ontario regulates the profession and protects the titles ND, naturopathic doctor and naturopath. [6] It says licensed naturopaths complete at least three years of university-level training and four years at an accredited naturopathic program. [6] | Regulator |
| British Columbia, Canada | The College of Complementary Health Professionals of BC regulates naturopathic physicians, with chiropractors, massage therapists and acupuncturists. [7] | Regulator |
| Other Canadian provinces | The college association counts six Canadian provinces with regulation. [4] The exam board tells readers to contact the provincial regulator for current requirements. [5] | Association; exam board |
| United Kingdom | A voluntary register, approved as an Accredited Register by the Professional Standards Authority, includes naturopathy among its disciplines. [8][9] Whether the law regulates the title is not described in the sources we read. | Voluntary register |
| Australia | An independent register says the professions are not currently regulated under the national registration scheme. [10] The national agency lists naturopaths among people working in healthcare who are not registered health practitioners. [11] | Register; national agency |
| Germany | A 1939 federal law says that anyone who wants to practise healing without being licensed as a physician needs permission, and gives those licensed the title "Heilpraktiker". [12] That is a separate legal category and the law does not use the word naturopath, so it should not be assumed to match naturopathy elsewhere. | Official law text |
The US numbers likely differ because they come from different organizations with different purposes and dates (2018, 2023 and 2026), and the NPLEX table lists exam requirements rather than saying who licenses. For a current answer, use your state board. A longer US walk-through is at naturopathic doctor licensing in the United States, and a longer international one at regulation in Canada, the UK, Australia and elsewhere.
Other countries
Most countries are not covered here. The survey above reached 29 countries, [1] but the country-level answers were not read, so: Proper evidence not found in the sources we read for any country not named in the table (we searched regulator and register pages and PubMed for an international overview).What the differences mean for you
- Training can differ under the same word. NCCIH describes accredited graduate programs for naturopathic physicians and non-accredited programs of varying length for traditional naturopaths in the US. [13]
- Regulation affects your options if something goes wrong. Where a regulator exists you can usually check a public register and make a complaint. Ontario's college says anyone using a protected title without belonging to it is engaged in unauthorised practice and that the college will investigate. [6]
- A license is not a quality guarantee. NCCIH says licenses and certificates do not guarantee safe, effective treatment from any provider. [13]
- Insurance and what a practitioner may order or prescribe differ by place, as the survey's finding on regulated settings suggests. [1] Costs and coverage are covered at costs, packages and supplement sales.
If you are travelling or moving
Look up the title in the new place before you book. A title that is protected in one province may be unregulated in another country. Start with naturopath, naturopathic doctor and other titles and how to verify a credential. Bring your medicine list and tell your own doctor about any care you receive abroad.Frequently asked questions
Is naturopathy legal everywhere?
The sources we read do not describe every country. They show a range from protected titles and regulators in Ontario [6] to a not-regulated status under the national scheme in Australia. [10]
How many US states license naturopathic doctors?
It depends on the source and date: 17 states and DC in NCCIH's May 2018 page, [3] and 26 US jurisdictions in a 2023 article by a college association. [4] Use your state board for the current answer.
Is a German Heilpraktiker a naturopath?
They are a separate legal category under a 1939 law, which does not use the word naturopath. [12] The sources we read do not compare the two.
Does regulation mean the care works?
No. Regulation sets training and conduct standards. NCCIH says licenses do not guarantee safe, effective treatment. [13]
Where is naturopathy a voluntary register rather than law?
In the UK a voluntary register exists. [8] Whether the UK regulates the title by law is not described in the sources we read.
References
- Dunn JM et al. Characteristics of global naturopathic education, regulation, and practice frameworks: results from an international survey. BMC Complement Med Ther 2021. Read 2026-10-22.
- Benchmarks for training in naturopathy, World Health Organization, 2010 (publication page only; full text not read). Read 2026-10-22.
- Credentialing, Licensing, and Education, NCCIH (US). Last updated May 2018. Read 2026-10-22.
- The Difference Between a Licensed Naturopathic Doctor and a Traditional Naturopath in North America, Association of Accredited Naturopathic Medical Colleges (AANMC), guest post updated 22 August 2023. Read 2026-10-22.
- State and Provincial Requirements Table (PDF), North American Board of Naturopathic Examiners (NABNE). Updated September 2026. Read 2026-10-22.
- About Naturopaths, College of Naturopaths of Ontario (Canada), regulator. Read 2026-10-22.
- College of Complementary Health Professionals of BC, regulator (British Columbia, Canada). Read 2026-10-22.
- Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC), UK voluntary register. Read 2026-10-22.
- Who We Register, CNHC (UK). Read 2026-10-22.
- Our Regulatory Framework, Australian Register of Naturopaths and Herbalists (ARONAH), an independent register. Read 2026-10-22.
- Registers of practitioners, Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra). Read 2026-10-22.
- Heilpraktikergesetz (HeilprG), German federal law of 17 February 1939, official text. Read 2026-10-22.
- Naturopathy, NCCIH (US). Read 2026-10-22.