Which licence fits your business
| What you do | Licence |
|---|---|
| Bake bread and other bakery products for sale | Bakery licence |
| Cafe using simple methods such as boiling, steaming or simple frying, no deep frying or stir frying | Light refreshment restaurant licence |
| Any cooking method, food eaten on the premises | General restaurant licence |
| Prepare food for sale off the premises, such as takeaway or catering | Food factory licence |
| Soft ice cream machine in the shop | Frozen confections factory licence as well |
FEHD's quick reference guide gives a cafe as a typical light refreshment restaurant[2].
The route to a licence
- FEHD consults the Buildings Department, the Fire Services Department and the Planning Department on whether the premises are suitable[5].
- The Buildings Department looks at structural safety, fire resisting construction, means of escape and unauthorised building works[5].
- A Fire Services Certificate is a licensing prerequisite for both a restaurant and a bakery[5][6].
- Once the essential health, building and fire safety requirements are met, you can take a provisional licence, valid for six months, over the counter within one working day[1]. You cannot apply for a provisional licence alone, only alongside the full one[5].
- FEHD approves the full licence within 7 working days of confirming compliance with all requirements[5]. A full licence is valid for 12 months[7].
You have at most 3 months after the provisional licence expires, or 12 months after the letter of requirements if no provisional licence was issued, to meet every requirement[5]. A provisional licence may be renewed only in exceptional circumstances, for a further period not exceeding six months, and the renewal application goes in three weeks before expiry[5]. Under the Professional Certification System, FEHD informs the applicant of approval of a full licence within 2 working days of confirming compliance, without a site inspection[5].
Selling sushi, cut fruit or milk
Some foods need FEHD permission on top of the licence. If you say when applying for the restaurant licence that you intend to sell restricted foods such as sashimi and sushi, FEHD processes both together and endorses the permission on the licence free of charge[5].
Published fees
| Licence and floor area | Grant | Renewal |
|---|---|---|
| General restaurant, not over 100 m2 | 1,110 | 2,520 |
| General restaurant, over 100 m2 up to 150 m2 | 1,730 | 3,140 |
| Light refreshment restaurant, not over 100 m2 | 400 | 1,810 |
| Light refreshment restaurant, over 100 m2 up to 150 m2 | 860 | 2,270 |
A provisional licence costs half of the prescribed fee for renewing the full licence[8]. FEHD publishes no fixed figure for a bakery licence: its guide says the fee is calculated according to the gross floor area[6], so ask the licensing office for your premises.
Staff and hygiene
Large food establishments and those producing high risk food must appoint a Hygiene Manager and a Hygiene Supervisor; all other food establishments appoint one or the other[9].
Trading before the licence
Operating a food business without a licence is an offence with a maximum fine of $50,000 and imprisonment for six months[10]. The business also needs business registration within one month of starting[11].
Rules, forms and figures can change, and the official pages listed below are the authority wherever this summary differs from them.