The activity of preparing and selling food to consumers is known as food retail. In general, to retail food in Singapore, you must obtain a food retail licence/permit from SFA.
This includes businesses that provide food services, such as food stalls in hawker centres, food courts and coffeeshops, food stalls within temporary fairs, restaurants, canteens, mobile food wagons, and snack counters, as well as retailers such as supermarkets. All such activities require a food retail licence/permit from SFA before starting operations.
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Generally, food businesses must be licensed to prepare and sell food to consumers.
SFA takes a risk-based approach to ensuring that food sold in retail settings are safe for consumption. Our licensing regime takes into account the type of food sold and the operational setting of the premises.
Retail businesses selling food items that have a higher food safety risk and/or settings that pose greater risks in view of the scale of its operations (e.g. catering businesses) are required to be licensed by SFA. Licensing allows SFA to impose food safety controls upstream.
A licence from SFA is not required if the food is not meant for sale (e.g. when charity kitchens give away food). Nonetheless, such kitchen operators should adhere to good food safety practices.
There are many ways to sell food in Singapore. The table below summarises some of the different types of food retail operations and the licence/permit required.
Home-based food businesses, given their small-scale operations, and online food sellers, serving only as intermediaries and are not handling or preparing any food, do not require a licence from SFA to operate. However, they are still regulated by SFA and must comply with food safety requirements.
Food Shops include:
Supermarkets
Supermarkets are establishments where the selection of food and goods sold is organised on a self-serve basis.
Supermarkets that: (i) sell raw meat or seafood; or (ii) conduct on-site preparation of food for sale (e.g. at a rotisserie counter) require a SFA licence to operate.
Retailers that solely sell pre-packed food supplied by SFA-licensed food processing establishments or importers do not require SFA food retail licences. Examples include minimarts.
Food Stalls
Food Stalls are individual stall units operating inside Food Shops that are multi-unit premises.
Examples of multi-unit Food Shops are food courts, coffee shops, canteens, private markets, and coffeeshops. If you run a stall inside such Food Shops, you operate a Food Stall.
However, if you operate a stall unit within a Food Shop but are responsible for your own refreshment area, the applicable licence type is Food Shop. Please select ‘Restaurant’ as the business trade description. The licensing officer will advise you further upon submission.
Hawker Stalls
Hawker Stalls are stalls operating inside one of the publicly-managed hawker centres / markets in Singapore. These centres / markets are managed by the National Environment Agency (NEA).
There is no need for Hawker Stall operators to submit separate licence applications to SFA, as NEA will assist stall operators to obtain their SFA licences as part of the tenancy administration.
However, if you operate within centres / markets that have their tenancies managed by third-party managing agents appointed by NEA, you will need to submit a Food Stall Licence application to SFA.
Temporary Fairs
Temporary fairs are events where there are individual stalls selling merchandise, food or drinks.
To operate such a fair, you will need a permit from SFA when your event is one of the following:
Each individual stall preparing food and beverages for sale at a temporary fair will also require a licence from SFA. The licensing officer will work through the fair operator to process stall licence applications. Temporary fair stall operators do not need to separately apply for licences.
Home-based Businesses
Home-based food businesses, such as home bakers, operate on a small scale so they do not require a SFA food retail licence. However, they must still comply with food laws and food safety requirements. For details, see Requirements for Home-Based Businesses.
Online Food Sellers
Online food businesses that merely serve as intermediaries do not need a SFA food retail licence to operate. However, they must still comply with food laws and food safety requirements. For details, see Types of Online Food Businesses.
You should apply for a licence/permit before you start operation.
You also need to submit a fresh application when:
Please be reminded that operating a food retail business without a SFA licence is an offence. Appropriate actions will be taken against offenders in accordance to the prevailing laws.
To learn more about the eligibility and requirements for each licence, see Requirements for Licence / Permit for Food Retail.
$32 a year or $64 for 2 years
Hawker stalls and canteen food stalls within primary schools, secondary schools, and junior colleges are charged a reduced fee of $13 a year