How to apply for an SFA food shop licence

If you plan to sell food to the public in Singapore, you will usually need a licence or permit from the Singapore Food Agency (SFA). Which one depends on what you sell and where you sell it. This guide gives a general overview of the food shop licence that most restaurants and cafes apply for.

SFA updates its requirements, fees and processing steps from time to time. Confirm the current details on SFA’s licence-type guide and the GoBusiness Licensing portal before you set an opening date.

Which licence you need

SFA licenses different food activities separately. Common retail categories include:

• Food shop licence: restaurants, cafes, snack bars and similar premises that prepare and sell food.
• Food stall licence: individual stalls inside hawker centres, coffee shops, food courts and canteens.
• Supermarket licence: retail premises selling packed and fresh food.

Food factories, cold stores and businesses that import or export food follow separate SFA pathways. Some small home-based food businesses do not need a retail licence but must still follow SFA’s food-safety guidelines.

Confirm the right category before you apply. SFA does not allow the licence type or licensee name to be changed afterwards, and licences cannot be transferred. If you apply under the wrong entity or type, you have to submit a new application.

Check the premises first

Before signing a lease, confirm the unit is approved for food use. SFA asks food shop applicants for URA’s Change of Use approval or HDB’s approval, so a unit without it can hold up the whole application. Ask the landlord or agent about the approved use early.

You will also need Corppass or Singpass to log in to GoBusiness.

How the application works

For a food shop licence, the process generally runs like this:

1. Prepare a layout plan. Draw it to scale with dimensions and the scale ratio, and mark kitchen equipment, sinks, wash-hand basins, exhausts and the boundary of the dining area. SFA rejects applications with incomplete plans or missing fields.
2. Apply on GoBusiness. Select the correct licence type and premises address, upload the layout plan and fill in every field. Do not submit duplicate applications.
3. Wait for SFA’s review. If the application is in order, SFA emails its concurrence with your layout plan.
4. Set up the premises. Renovate and fit out according to the approved layout.
5. Submit outstanding documents. These are requested during setup (see the list below).
6. Complete the pre-licensing check. Your acknowledgement email says whether this is a virtual inspection or a photo submission.
7. Pay the fee. The licence is issued after payment. Print it and display it at the premises.

Do not start operating until the licence has been issued.

Documents to prepare

SFA’s list of outstanding documents for food shops currently includes:

• URA Change of Use or HDB approval for the premises
• the tenancy agreement with the IRAS stamp duty certificate
• a cleaning programme
• a pest-control contract

These must be submitted within the period SFA sets, or the application may be closed. Gather them while renovation is under way rather than at the end.

Cleaning programme and pest control

These two documents are where many new outlets need outside help.

A cleaning programme sets out what is cleaned, how often, by whom and with what. A usable one covers food-preparation surfaces, equipment, floors and drains, storage areas, refuse areas and washrooms, with daily, weekly and periodic tasks listed separately. Keep it realistic, because your staff will be expected to follow it. If you plan to bring in help for periodic kitchen cleaning or dishwashing, see commercial kitchen cleaning and dishwashing support.

A pest-control contract is signed with a pest-control company. SFA’s Food Shop Pre-Licensing Requirements (PDF) set out what the contract should cover: control of rodents, cockroaches and flies for at least 12 months, with inspection or treatment at least once a month. Read the current checklist before signing, and check that the business name and premises address on the contract match your application. The company should be registered with NEA as a Vector Control Operator.

KleanSG is an NEA-registered Vector Control Operator and provides monthly pest-control contracts for food businesses, including new outlets that need a contract in place before they open. Each visit ends with a service report, which gives the outlet a record of what was checked and treated. The licence application and ongoing compliance remain the operator’s responsibility.

Fees, timing and renewal

SFA publishes the current licence fee, validity period and review times on its application process and fees page. Check it when budgeting rather than relying on figures from older articles.

How long the whole process takes depends largely on you: how complete the application is, how quickly the fit-out is finished and how soon the outstanding documents go in. Build in a buffer before your planned opening date.

Renew the licence before it expires. SFA sends renewal notices, but check the expiry date on your licence yourself. Paying by GIRO can make renewals simpler.

After you open

• Display the licence. Retail food licences carry a QR code that lets customers view the outlet’s SFA track record.
• Train food handlers. Food handlers at licensed premises generally need the WSQ Food Safety Course Level 1 and refresher training. Check SFA’s food-handler requirements for your team.
• Keep records. Keep the cleaning schedule, pest-control service reports and training records where you can find them during an inspection. A pest-sighting log and a daily pest control checklist help staff record and follow up what they see.
• Tell SFA about changes. Changes to the premises or business may need SFA’s approval, and a new owner or entity needs its own licence.

If you need a pest-control contract for a new or existing outlet, see our F&B pest control service for what each monthly visit covers.