Requirements for Licence / Permit for Food Retail

Requirements for Licence / Permit for Food Retail | Singapore Government Singapore Food Agency

Expand all

Sale of Herbal Tea

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) premises with areas for the preparation and sale of food/drinks (e.g. herbal drinks and tea-leaf eggs), are considered food shops and must have a Food Shop Licence to operate.

The licence will cover only the areas used for preparing and selling food/beverages. Hence, only such food preparation areas are required to be designed according to the requirements of the licence.

Pet Cafes

Pet cafes are Food Shops where pets are allowed.

Beginning 1 January 2025, retail food businesses that are not serving pet food are not required to seek approval if they would like to allow patrons to bring pets along when they dine in at Outdoor Refreshment Areas (ORAs) of their premises.

Retail food businesses that intend to serve pet food will still need to apply to convert to a pet café licence. This is because the simultaneous handling of human and pet food in the same premises creates regulatory concern of cross contamination of food. As such, SFA has additional food safety requirements, including the segregation of food preparation and storage areas for human and pet food, as well as provision of separate food receptacles for human and pets.

For such food businesses, the additional pre-licensing requirements applicable are listed below:

	Additional Pre-licensing Requirements
1	A separate preparation area must be provided in the kitchen for pet food and human food, segregated by a partition.
2	Separate sets of utensils and crockery shall be used for preparing, cooking, and serving pet food and human food, respectively.
3	Separate cabinets and/or refrigerators must be provided for the storage of pet food and human food, respectively.
4	A minimum of one wash hand basin in the refreshment area, equipped with hand soap and a paper towel dispenser/hand dryer, must be provided. Additionally, at least one litter bin is required at the wash hand basin. The tap must be either a delayed-action type or an auto-sensor operated type, suitably adjusted to minimise splashing.
5	An adequate number of the following signs must be installed at the entrance, dining area, hand washing facilities, and other strategic locations: “This café serves pet owners and their pets. Owners are to ensure their pets are healthy.” “All stray animals are not allowed.” “Only pet dogs and cats owned by their pet owners are allowed into the premises.” “All pets are to be properly restrained at all times. Dogs are to be leashed at all times.” “Please wash your hands before eating and after handling pets.” Notices put up must adhere to the exact wording as stated above. Applicants are not allowed to alter the wording unless approval has been obtained from SFA. You may download and use these samples of notices.

In summary, the changes from 1 January 2025 are as follow.

Type of Operations	Retail food business intending to serve pet food.	Retail food business intending to allow patrons to bring pets along for dine-in at ORA but not serving pet food.
Current Situation	Application to convert SFA licence to pet café licence is required.	Application to convert licence to a pet café licence is required.
From 1 January 2025	No change.	Application to convert licence to a pet café licence not required. Food business operators should adhere to SFA’s guidelines.

Private Markets

Private Markets refer to wet markets managed by private operators that have stalls selling raw meat or raw seafood, or preparing food on-site for sale (e.g. mixing of ingredients to make yong tau foo and yellow noodles).

Private markets must have a Food Shop Licence to operate. Each stall within these private markets selling raw meat or raw seafood, or preparing food on-site for sale must also have a Food Stall Licence to operate.

The conditions and requirements can be found in the Private Market Self-Checklist.

Mobile Food Wagons

Mobile Food Wagons are vehicles, with full-fledged food preparation kitchens, preparing and selling food.

Mobile Food Wagons are required to have a backup kitchen in a SFA-licensed establishment for disposal of wastewater and topping up of potable water every day.

The following additional pre-licensing requirements apply to Mobile Food Wagons:

	Additional Pre-licensing Requirements
1	LTA registration / inspection pass documentation for the motor vehicle to be used as a Mobile Food Wagon.
2	An approval letter from the respective landowners for the wagon to operate in various designated locations.
3	A schedule of operations is required, which shall include the day, time, location of operations, and the approving agencies.
4	An approval letter from SCDF for the use and transport of LPG cylinders in vehicles, where applicable.
5	Landlord's approval for on-site cooking, where necessary.
6	An approval letter from the owner of backup kitchen.
7	Capacity of wastewater tank must be at least 1.5 times greater than the capacity of freshwater tank. Additionally, the wastewater tank must be detachable to facilitate disposal of wastewater into the sewer in the backup kitchen.

Vending Machines

SFA adopts a risk-based approach to regulating food vending machines. A licence is only required for vending machines that pose a higher food safety risk.

Licence required

Licence not required

Food vending machines that:

perform in-machine food preparation (e.g. addition of toppings, cutting, boiling, grinding, juicing, mixing, heating, reheating, and cooking)
serve raw meat or seafood

Food vending machines that serve:

packaged or loose snacks without the need for temperature control, e.g. potato chips, biscuits, and confectionery
canned, packed or bottled beverages (e.g. carbonated drinks, tetra-packed drinks, and UHT milk)
packaged bread
drinks with only dry powdered ingredients
pre-packed cooked meals from SFA-licensed sources, including cook-chill and cook-freeze meals
pre-packed ice-cream/yoghurt from SFA-licensed sources without in-machine food preparation
pre-packed food from SFA-licensed sources that must be stored chilled (e.g. cut fruits, salads, milk, yoghurt drink and fruit juice)

Vending machine operators licensed by SFA must ensure:

All food for sale in vending machines is obtained from licensed/approved sources, i.e. SFA-licensed central kitchens, food from licensed importers and SFA-licensed food catering operators. The sale of food from unlicensed sources/premises is strictly prohibited. SFA will take enforcement action for any infringements.
The list of food items for sale is communicated to SFA through the business proposal before operations commence.
The variety of vending machines, along with their planned and existing locations, must be detailed in the business proposal submitted to SFA during the licence application process in GoBusiness.
For any changes to the locations of vending machines after the issuance of licence, the operator must submit an amendment application through GoBusiness.

You should refer to the Licensing requirements for vending machine operation for a full list of requirements.

Guidelines on Food Safety and Good Hygiene Practices for the Vending Industry

The vending machine industry is encouraged to adopt the Singapore Standard (SS) 690:2022: Guidelines on Food Safety and Good Hygiene Practices for the Vending Industry.

The standard covers the best practices in food handling and temperature control for the vending industry in dispensing pre-packed and on-site prepared ready-to-eat meals and drinks, to ensure safety and wholesomeness of these products. The standard also provides guidance to vending machine operators and suppliers on sanitation and maintenance of the vending machines when fabricating or refurbishing.

The standard, launched on 30 November 2022, can be purchased from the Singapore Standards eShop.

Mini Restaurants

Mini restaurants are stalls within food courts / coffee shops / eating houses / canteens that are responsible for their own dedicated refreshment areas. The application process involves two steps.

Step 1	The main food shop operator (coffee shop / eating house or canteen or food court) needs to submit an application to SFA on Gobusiness, to amend the approved layout and upload this Amendment Application Declaration Form (MR), in addition to the new layout plan as part of the supporting documents.
Step 2	The prospective operator of the stall needs to submit a food shop licence application on Gobusiness, and upload this Food Shop Declaration Form (MR), in addition to the layout plan, tenancy / lease documents and accompanying stamp duty certificate (as applicable) as part of the supporting documents.

Food Stall

Contents in this page

Requirements for Food Stall Licences

Food Stalls are individual units operating inside Food Shops. If you run a stall inside a canteen, coffee shop, food court, eating house, or market, you operate a Food Stall. If you operate a stall in a similar multi-unit Food Shop, you also operate a Food Stall.

Conversely, an independent or standalone takeaway kiosk or snack counter qualifies as a Food Shop.

From 1 January 2025, operators of market stalls selling food items of lower regulatory concern, such as pre-packed food, will not require a SFA licence. For details, see What are the exemptions?

Who can apply for a Food Stall Licence?

Singapore citizens, permanent residents, societies registered with MHA, or entities registered with ACRA can apply for this licence.

Note

Hawker Stalls are stalls operating inside centres/markets managed by the National Environment Agency (NEA). Hawker Stall operators are not required to submit licence applications to SFA, as NEA will assist stall operators in obtaining their SFA licences as part of the tenancy processes.

However, if you operate within hawker 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. Please check with the managing agent of your centre if you are uncertain.

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. Refer to Mini Restaurants.

What are the requirements and conditions?

To apply for this licence:

You must have CorpPass or SingPass to submit the application for a licence. If someone is filing on your behalf, you must have a letter of authorisation authorising them to file for you.

You must ensure that food handlers have met WSQ FSC Level 1 training / retraining requirements at the point of application. For details, please see Requirements for Food Handlers.

You must have secured a location for the food stall, i.e. you must have a tenancy / lease agreement.

If you have another type of agreement (e.g. licence agreements or service agreements), check with the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS) whether stamp duty applies. If so, obtain a Certificate of Stamp Duty. Keep the reply from IRAS as you will need to submit the reply when you apply for your licence.

You must have a Certificate of Stamp Duty from IRAS for the tenancy or lease agreement.

If the main operator is responsible for collecting and paying stamp duties on behalf of the stall holders, request a copy of the Certificate of Stamp Duty from the operator.

You must have a layout plan (with dimensions and metric scale) that shows clearly the location of the specific stall within the eating house, canteen, food court, or coffee shop that houses the stall.

If you are taking over an existing food stall, you should inform the previous stall operator to cancel the existing Food Stall Licence.

What are the exemptions?

From 1 January 2025, operators of market stalls selling food items of lower regulatory concern, such as pre-packed food, will not require a SFA licence.

This is part of SFA’s regular review of our food safety regulatory regime to ensure that it remains relevant to addressing food safety risks.

The sale of these food items at market stalls are assessed to be of lower regulatory concern, as there are regulatory controls in place upstream, such as our source accreditation, and regulatory regimes for local farms, food processing establishments and importers.

Expand all

Phase 1 (since 1 April 2024) for stalls selling non-food items

New stall holders selling non-food items can commence operation after they have signed the tenancy agreement with the National Environment Agency or its managing agent. They do not require a SFA licence.

Existing stall holders similarly do not require a SFA licence and they can continue their operations after they renew their tenancy agreement. SFA has informed these operators that there is no need for them to renew their licences after its expiry.

Phase 2 (from 1 January 2025) for stalls selling food items of lower regulatory concern

New stall holders selling food items of lower regulatory concern, namely fresh raw vegetables, pre-packed processed food, preserved food, dried food and shell eggs can commence operation after they have signed the tenancy agreement with the National Environment Agency or its managing agent. They will not require a SFA licence.

Existing operators similarly do not require a SFA licence and they can continue operation after they renew their tenancy agreement. SFA will notify these operators before 1 January 2025 that there is no need for them to renew their licences after its expiry.

The safety of food from these stalls will continue to be regulated through standards imposed by SFA on the importers and suppliers of these food items.

For more information
You can contact us via the SFA Online Feedback Form.

Temporary Fair

Contents in this page

Requirements for Temporary Fair Permits

Temporary Fairs are events where stalls sell merchandise, food or drinks. To operate such fairs, you must have a permit from SFA.

Operating Temporary Fairs illegally without a valid permit is an offence. SFA will take enforcement action against Temporary Fair operators who do not adhere to regulations. Offenders are liable upon conviction to a fine. In the case of a subsequent conviction, offenders are liable to a more significant fine or to imprisonment, or to both.

Who can apply for a Temporary Fair Permit?

Singapore citizens, permanent residents, societies registered with MHA, or entities registered with ACRA can apply for this licence.

What are the requirements and conditions?

As the permit holder, you must:

exercise supervisory oversight over all stalls within your fair to ensure conformance with SFA’s requirements
ensure all stalls handling and preparing food for sale hold SFA licences before they start operations

To apply for the permit:

You must have CorpPass or SingPass to submit the application for a permit. If someone is filing on your behalf, you must have a letter of authorisation authorising them to file for you.
You must submit your application at least 2 weeks before the fair start date.
You must adhere to the conditions of the permit. For details, please see What conditions do operators have to comply with?
You must submit all the following documents at least 5 working days before the planned fair start date.

Document	Short Description
Letter of appointment	You must have a document showing the appointment of the permit applicant as the fair operator. For example, if a permit applicant is appointed by the Citizen Consultative Committee (CCC) of a housing precinct to hold a Pasar Malam, the letter should come from the CCC.
Site use approval	You must have a document showing that the permit applicant has approval to use the space for the fair during the intended fair period.
Support documentation (e.g. consensus from shopkeepers’ / merchants’ association)	For fairs in public venues, you must have documents showing support for the fair from the advisory bodies and associations in the vicinity of the fair.
Layout plan	You must have a plan detailing the stalls with food handling and their necessary infrastructure (wash basins, piped water, chillers, etc.), and the other stalls without food handling.
Declaration form	You must have a declaration from the fair organiser stating that they have obtained all the necessary approvals from the relevant authorities to hold the fair. Download the declaration template here.

Any documents or applications submitted late may result in a delay in the fair start date on the Permit issued.

If you need clarification on your application or the supporting documents required, please submit an enquiry at least 2 weeks before the event date to SFA's Food Services Department via SFA's Online Feedback Form. Include the following details in your enquiry:

Application number
Date, time and venue of the event
Site owner
Number and size of stalls, including food & non-food stalls (please specify the size of each stall in metres, e.g. 2m by 3m)
List of stall holders (both food and merchandise stalls)

What laws do operators have to comply with?

Operators are required to comply with the Environmental Public Health (Food Hygiene) Regulations.

SFA will take enforcement action against operators who fail to comply with the regulations, including fines and legal actions.

Operators who have committed offences will also be listed in the Track Record of Temporary Fair Operators.

What conditions do operators have to comply with?

Expand all

General Conditions

The stall number decal shall be prominently displayed at each stall according to the declared list of vendors.
Should there be any changes (e.g. in the setup, participating stall holders, or list of items sold), the fair operator must seek approval from SFA at least 1 week before making the changes.

Food Safety Conditions

Proper supporting facilities must be provided for food stalls, i.e. stalls involved in the handling/preparation of food for sale.

These facilities must include all of the following:

a proper washing facility (a sink connected to a clean piped water supply and equipped for wastewater discharge)
a storage with temperature control (such as freezers, chillers and food warmers)
a display showcase for food items

Stalls without proper supporting facilities are only allowed to sell pre-packed food obtained from licensed sources.

All food offered for sale must be obtained from licensed/approved sources. The sale of home-prepared food or those prepared by home-based food businesses is strictly prohibited.
Food on display is to be placed in proper showcases and properly covered.
Food handlers are to adopt appropriate food safety practices. Where it is not practical to use utensils such as tongs to handle cooked food, disposable gloves must be worn.
All food handlers must meet WSQ FSC Level 1 training / retraining requirements and be registered with SFA to work at food stalls. For details, please see Requirements for Food Handlers.

Untrained food handlers are a common food safety risk at fairs. Ensure your food handlers have the necessary qualifications to avoid penalties and enforcement actions.

All personnel engaged in the sale and preparation of food and drinks for sale must wear a mask or spit guard over their nose and mouth.
The mask or spit guard must be capable of preventing any substance expelled from the mouth or nose from contaminating food.

Sanitation Conditions

Adequate refuse bins and litter receptacles, lined with plastic bags, must be strategically placed at various locations for the disposal of waste and litter.
Waste generated at the fair must be properly collected and sent for disposal. All structures, debris, and refuse should be removed immediately from the sites upon the fair’s conclusion.
The sites must be maintained in a clean state at all times.

Other Conditions

Ensure that all staff employed at the fair are in compliance with applicable laws. If you intend to employ foreign workers, please refer to the MOM website or call the MOM Contact Centre at 6438512 for more information on your eligibility to do so.
Ensure that unauthorised stalls are not allowed to set up at the fair sites.
Ensure that all stalls and activities are confined to the approved sites as indicated in your layout plans.

For more information
You can contact us via the SFA Online Feedback Form.

Temporary Fair Food Stall

Contents in this page

Requirements for Temporary Fair Food Stall Licences

Food Stalls preparing food and beverages at Temporary Fairs require a licence from SFA. The fair’s main operator is responsible for submitting the list of stalls, stall holder details, and stall application documents to the SFA licensing officer for stall licences.

Applicants bear full responsibility for any delays in the issuance of Temporary Fair Food Stall Licences due to submissions past the deadlines. Applicants are reminded that operating a Temporary Fair Food Stall without a valid licence is an offence under the law.

Who can apply for a Temporary Fair Food Stall Licence?

Singapore citizens, permanent residents, societies registered with MHA, or entities registered with ACRA can apply for this licence.

Applications must be coordinated by the Temporary Fair Permit holder.

What food and beverage items can/cannot be sold?

Food stalls located within Temporary Fairs are allowed to prepare and handle food and beverages, provided all of the following conditions are met:

Proper supporting facilities, such as washing facilities (a sink connected to a clean piped water supply and wastewater discharge), are available.
Storage facilities with temperature control (freezers, chillers, food warmers, etc.) are available.
Covered display showcases are available for food items.

Extensive food preparation, such as the processing and preparation of raw food (e.g. degutting of fish, cutting of raw meat, and vegetables), is not allowed on-site. All fresh seafood and meat must be stored at 4°C or below at all times in freezers or chillers.

What food items can/cannot be sold at Temporary Fairs?

Expand all

Food items that cannot be sold at Temporary Fairs

Dishes that include ready-to-eat raw fish, seafood, or meat, such as sushi, sashimi and raw oysters.
Dishes prepared on-site using a mixture of raw ready-to-eat food items (e.g. salad, Vietnamese/Chinese fresh spring rolls, and Chinese/Malay rojak).
Dishes consisting of food items displayed openly at ambient temperature for consumers to hand-pick the food items.

Food items that can be sold only if conditions are met

S/n	Type of Dish/Drink	Conditions
1	Milk-based drinks	All milk and milk-based drinks must be kept at 4°C or below. Dispensers for drinks should be equipped with temperature control. Bottled drinks should preferably be stored in a chiller with a temperature gauge.
2	Pre-mixed drinks	Pre-mixed drinks shall be obtained from approved sources. Preparation of drinks must not be carried out on the floor and must not give rise to any spillage, cleanliness or food safety issues.
2	Pre-mixed drinks	Drinks must be dispensed using dispensers. Scooping of drinks from a tub is not permitted.
3	Drinks that are prepared per cup upon order	Equipment used for the preparation of such drinks, such as blenders and mixers, must be washed after each use.
3	Drinks that are prepared per cup upon order	Syrups and other liquid toppings used must be dispensed from pump dispensers, squirt bottles, or capped bottles.
4	Pre-packed ice	Only pre-packed food grade ice from ice factories can be used, and they must be clearly labelled.
		Only ice cubes or tubes shall be permitted for use in food preparation.
		Pre-packed ice should preferably be stored in a freezer. If other storage containers are used, they should only be used for storing ice. Storage must be in a manner that does not give rise to contamination.
5	Shaved ice desserts	Only the use of an enclosed ice-shaving machine is permitted. There must not be any shaving/handling of exposed ice blocks.
		Syrups and other liquid toppings used must be dispensed from pump dispensers, squirt bottles, and/or capped bottles.
		If fresh fruit peels/husks are used as containers to hold or serve the food for consumers, they must be properly stored in a chiller. Such peels/husks must not be stacked or stored in any manner that may give rise to contamination.
6	Fruit juices (including sugar cane juice)	Fruit juices that are prepared in advance and not upon each order must be stored in enclosed containers (e.g. bottles or cups with lids) and kept in chillers.
		Fruits/sugar cane shall be properly stored prior to preparation/milling. They must not be placed on the floor or in a bucket of water to prevent contamination.
		Only enclosed sugar cane milling machines are permitted.
7	Magic ice cream / Traditional rainbow ice sticks	Only pre-packed drinks obtained from approved sources can be used for such purposes. Mixing of syrups for the making of ice sticks is not permitted.
		The use of milk or milk-based ingredients/liquids is not permitted as the curdling of milk in containers used for making ice sticks may give rise to food safety concerns.
		Ice sticks must not be made on the floor and must not give rise to any food safety issues.
		Ice sticks shall be properly stored and kept covered to prevent contamination.
8	Ice Cream	If fresh milk is used in the making of ice cream on-site, the milk must be pasteurised and stored in a chiller at 4˚C or below. Any unused milk or milk-based ingredients/liquids should preferably be disposed of at the end of each operation day.
		Ice cream that is not made on-site (e.g. pre-packed or scooped) must be obtained from approved sources.
		Ice cream must be stored in a freezer with a temperature gauge.
		Containers shall be provided to store ice cream cones, wafers, etc.
9	Cut Fruits	Cut fruits must be stored in a chiller with a temperature gauge.
10	Kebab	The kebab grilling counter must be located within the demarcated stall area. Where possible, the grilling counter should be sited away from thoroughfares.
11	Pre-packed Salads	Salads shall be pre-packed from licensed food processing establishments. Pre-packed salads shall be stored at no more than 4 ˚C from source to site and on-site. There shall be adequate facilities with temperature control on-site for the storage of pre-packed salads.

Note

If items that pose safety concerns (dry ice and liquid nitrogen etc.) are used, operators should provide suitable safety advisories to consumers (e.g. through labelling and display of notices).

What are the requirements and conditions?

To apply for this licence:

You must complete and submit all application forms along with the following documents no later than 3 working days before the planned start date of operations. The documents will need to be submitted to SFA through the fair main operator:

A copy of your identification documents.

For application as an individual, you should submit a photocopy of both sides of your NRIC.

For application as a company, you should submit the latest copy (at least within 3 months) of your Business Profile Information from ACRA.

A list of food items (drinks, desserts, etc.) for sale.

You must ensure all food handlers have met WSQ FSC Level 1 training / retraining requirements at the point of application. For details, please see Requirements for Food Handlers.

You must be able to comply with the conditions of the licence, which are listed in the application form and What conditions do operators have to comply with?

You must comply with prevailing employment laws.

For more information
You can contact us via the SFA Online Feedback Form.

Requirements for Licence / Permit for Food Retail

Food Shop

Singapore Food Agency

Requirements for Food Shop Licences

Who can apply for a Food Shop Licence?

What are the requirements or conditions for Food Shop Licences?

Food Stall

Requirements for Food Stall Licences

Who can apply for a Food Stall Licence?

Note

What are the requirements and conditions?

What are the exemptions?

Supermarket

Requirements for Supermarket Licences

Who can apply for a Supermarket Licence?

What are the requirements and conditions?

Beverage Container Return Scheme

Temporary Fair

Requirements for Temporary Fair Permits

Who can apply for a Temporary Fair Permit?

What are the requirements and conditions?

What laws do operators have to comply with?

What conditions do operators have to comply with?

Temporary Fair Food Stall

Requirements for Temporary Fair Food Stall Licences

Who can apply for a Temporary Fair Food Stall Licence?

What food and beverage items can/cannot be sold?

What food items can/cannot be sold at Temporary Fairs?

Note

What are the requirements and conditions?

Last Updated 27 April 2026